50th Anniversary Issue, November 2024 — AVIATION HISTORY MUSEUMS

On February 20th, 1963, Leonard McGee, and his co-pilot, Roy Hurst, were flying a B-25 Mitchell from Louisiana to Cincinnati’s Lunken airport. This wasn’t a military mission in a well-maintained B-25, or a flight in a totally restored museum piece, rather it was a cargo flight in a ratty old plane that had been made surplus in 1958. It was typical of the numerous fly-by-night cargo carriers that took advantage of WW-II surplus planes which were cheap to buy. They were often operated on a shoestring, with iffy maintenance and minimal crew training. The cargo in this B-25, however, was not a typical load. Arthur Jones, the owner of the plane, operated a zoo in Slidell, Louisiana. He had three B-25s that would travel around the country giving wild life displays, which is why the flight was heading to Cincinnati. In the back was a collection of exotic animals, including snakes and alligators. Approaching Lunken Field, the number two engine developed trouble and had to be shut down. Then the crew radioed that the landing gear would not lower. McGee advised the tower of their problems and circled the field for a while to burn off fuel. He had his co-pilot bail out and he landed in a tree, with only minor injuries. Concerned about what would become of the load of snakes and alligators, McGee made the tower aware of his dangerous cargo. When he finally started his approach, the number one engine began to fail. McGee just made it to the runway for a gear-up landing. Sparks flew and smoke entered the cockpit prompting the pilot to jump out of the overhead hatch even before the plane had come to a stop. The smoke turned out to just be dust from the fuselage scraping the runway and only a small electrical fire developed. Fire and rescue personnel approached the plane cautiously and quickly doused the fire. They eventually just waited until personnel arrived to tend to the animals. The event was filmed and photographed and was featured prominently in newspapers and on the Cincinnati evening news. McGee was lauded as a hero.

“Wild Cargo” accident. Note the pilot running in front of the plane. Photo Courtesy of CAHS Museum-via David Brightwell

That B-25, serial number 44-30129, is now restored and in flying condition and is proudly on display in the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach.

The above story, like all of my opening stories, is true. But there is a postscript to the tale. It turned out that the whole event had been set up as a publicity stunt. Arthur Jones, who later made a fortune inventing Nautilus exercise equipment, was a collector of wild animals. After building a zoo, he began giving displays around the country. He also produced a TV show, called Wild Cargo, about traveling the world to find exotic animals. In truth, there was nothing mechanically wrong with the plane and the entire event was scripted. Jones and his camera crew were on hand to film the crash and, besides the exposure in the press, he had a dramatic segment for his TV show. The show in Cincinatti was sold out for 10 straight days. I could not find an official accident report, but I assume that the authorities were not amused!

I begin all my museum blogs with a story about one of the planes on display. This is one of my favorites- from Issue 11, the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach VA. Every museum I visit has at least one aircraft on display that has some unique and interesting story to it, just one aspect of the many amazing aviation museums here and around the world.

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I wrote my first blog about aviation museums in June of 2019 (Issue 1 - Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum of New Jersey). With just a couple of slowdowns for Covid and health issues, I have continuously published since then. Approaching the 50th blog, my friend Doug Campbell suggested that I write an anniversary issue. I liked the idea- so here it is. I have selected my 10 favorite entries in these categories:

Opening Stories

Rare planes

Unique displays

Books recommended

Museums are where you find them.

Making the selections was a lot harder than I expected- I pretty much like all of them. By the way- I didn’t even think of choosing 10 best or 10 favorite museums- that would be impossible!

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The second of my favorite opening stories comes from Issue 16, the North Carolina Aviation Museum:

In the spring of 1941, Britain stood alone in the fight against the Third Reich. Although the US had not yet entered WWII, there were many efforts going on to support Britain. The Lend-Lease program had just been enacted by Congress and equipment and supplies were beginning to flow to Britain. In England, the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund was working to raise money for families of those killed and injured during the Battle of Britain. William T. Piper, the Chairman of Piper Aircraft, decided to donate a J-3 Cub to help the effort. The Cub would be raffled off to raise money to donate to the fund. Piper dealers throughout the country joined in and raised enough money to purchase an additional 48 J-3s, one to be raffled off in each state. The total of 49 planes were built in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, between April 10 and 22, 1941. Each plane was given a special silver paint job and RAF insignia, and the planes were named for each state. Piper workers nicknamed the planes Flitfires (rhymes with Spitfires).

All 49 planes left Lock Haven on 27 April, 1941. The formation landed in Allentown, PA for fuel and then continued on to New York City. Flying in close formation of seven rows of seven, they flew over all five boroughs of New York and made a low pass over the Statue of Liberty. The planes spent the night at Flushing Airport and flew, in formation, to LaGuardia Airport the next day. That night there was a huge Gala fund raiser, which included a drawing for the national winner. That Flitfire, registered as NC 1776, was won by Jack Krindler from New York City. The following day, the planes fanned out to the 48 states for their individual drawings and additional fund raising.

The 49th Flitfire also left on a national War Bonds tour. During the tour, the plane was flown by a variety of well-known pilots, including, it is said, Orville Wright. Not very many of the Flitfires are known to still exist, but NC 1776 does. Totally restored to its original colors, it is proudly displayed in the North Carolina Aviation Museum & Hall of Fame in Asheboro, NC.

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Rare Aircraft

Every aviation museum is different and every new museum I visit makes me appreciate the differences and how each museum is a unique experience- and always worth a visit. There are several specific things I enjoy seeing in a museum – and one is unique aircraft. This may be a one-off or it may be the only survivor of a production aircraft. Here are my top 10 rare aircraft, in no particular order.

1. Patuxent River Naval Air Station (Issue34) has been the home of Navy flight testing since 1943, and the museum there is full of unique aircraft. I could have filled this category at that museum alone. I chose this Boeing X-32 for the story behind it.

In the 1990s, a contest was announced to produce a Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) that would replace various aircraft types for the Air Force, Navy, and Marines. In 1996, Boeing and Lockheed Martin were chosen to compete for the contract and each company was given $750 million to produce two prototypes. Boeing produced two X-32s and Lockheed Martin produced two X-35s.

To satisfy all branches of the military, the concept would require three production versions of the selected fighter- a conventional takeoff and landing version (CTOL-A model), a short takeoff and landing version (STOLV- B model), and a carrier version (CV- C model). In 2000 and 2001, the four prototypes were tested and, in October 2001, the Lockheed Martin X-35 was announced as the winner. The design was developed into the F-35 Lightning II which first flew in 2006 and is still being produced today.

The four prototype aircraft were retired as soon as the competition was complete and two of them, the Boeing X-32B and the Lockheed Martin X-35C, are on display at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum. The museum does a great job of describing the two aircraft and details of the competition.

2. The first plane you come to in Hall 2 of the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton England, (Issue 46) is this Fairy Fulmar. Illustrating the vital need for military aircraft at the beginning of WWII, the Fulmar made its first flight in January of 1940 and was put into operational service just 100 days later. The Fulmar was not a spectacular performer, but it was sturdy and reliable and served well as a carrier-based reconnaissance and light bomber aircraft early in the war. It was also used as a night intruder aircraft. Powered by a Rolls Royce Merlin, 600 of the type were built. This is believed to be the only surviving example.

3. Dominating the Great Gallery of the Museum of Flight in Seattle (Issue 12) is a Lockheed M-21 with a similar looking drone on top. The M-21 is a variant of the A-12, which was the first Blackbird built. Later models were designated the SR-71 and different code names (such as Agboard and Oxcart) were used, but all models were very similar, and Blackbird refers to all of them. A total of just 50 of all variants were built and only 86 pilots ever flew them. The A-12 was a single seater built for the CIA. The M-21 version was a 2-seater, designed to launch the drone sitting on top (D-21), specifically over China. Just two M-21s were built and this M-21 (60-6940) is the only surviving example. If I had to choose, the SR-71 would be my pick for the greatest aircraft ever.

4. The Mid-Atlantic Air Museum in Reading PA (Issue 17) has this this Custer CCW-5 Channel Wing on display. Custer’s original design, the CCW-1, first flew in 1942. The concept is that the pusher prop draws air over the channels below the engines, producing lift and giving the plane short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability. The design works well and, in fact, so well that the first flight was unintended. Custer, who was not a pilot, was taxiing the prototype to show investors and, at a very slow speed, he became airborne in a gust of wind. The resulting ‘landing’ damaged the plane but did not dissuade the investors. Custer’s design evolved and he eventually designed the CCW-5. The first CCW-5 was built by the Baumann Corporation in California, using the fuselage and other existing parts from one of their own designs. It flew in 1953. By 1964, Custer had opened a facility in Hagerstown, Maryland and this second CCW-5, the only survivor, was built there. Although the design was proven successful, further funding was never found and this was the last Custer Chanel Wing built.

5. The Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly VA (Issues 28 & 29) is another museum that could easily fill a list of 10 rare aircraft. Not picking Bob Hoover’s Shrike Commander, the Enola Gay, or Burt Rutan’s around-the-world Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer was not an easy decision. In the end, I picked two aircraft from this museum, the first being an airliner- my first love in aviation.

First flown in 1954, the Boeing 707 was originally designated model 367-80. This prototype was the only one built with that designation and dimensions. This first 707 had a fuselage wide enough for 3/2 passenger seating. C.R. Smith, the chairman of American Airlines, said he wouldn’t purchase the plane unless it could accommodate 3/3 seating. The military version, the KC-135, had already been designed to be 12” wider than the prototype and the production 707 wound up being another 4” wider.

The groundbreaking 707 incorporated a number of features, including rounded windows, thick aluminum skin, and plug-type doors that gave the fuselage the strength to withstand high altitude pressurization. The British Comet, which was operational by 1952, suffered a number of early accidents, several of which were later assumed to be a result of structural failures from pressurization forces. The Comet was eventually redesigned and had some success, but by then the larger and faster 707 (as well as the Douglas DC-8) had taken over the market.

This prototype 707 continued flying in various marketing and experimental roles until 1969. At one point it was fitted with a fifth engine in the tail as a test bed for the 727. Perhaps the best-known event in the life of this plane occurred in 1955. While doing a fly-over at Seattle’s Seafair celebration, Boeing test pilot Tex Johnson performed two rolls in front of the crowd. When Boeing President Bill Allen asked Johnson why he did the aerobatics, Tex replied that he was “just selling airplanes”.

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Here's our third opening story, from Issue 41, the Air Heritage Museum in Beaver Falls Pa.

The final major German offensive push of World War II took place from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945 in the Ardennes, a densely wooded area between Luxembourg and Belgium. It became known as The Battle of the Bulge. The operation began with a surprise attack by German forces. The attack was successful for a number of reasons including: overconfidence of Allied Forces, bad weather, lack of intelligence information, and over extended supply lines. American troops, including the 101st Airborne and the 10th Armored Division, bore the brunt of the attack. By 21 December, the town of Bastogne was surrounded and US troops were cut off from reinforcements and supply lines. When General Anthony McAuliffe, commander of the 101st, was informed that the Germans were demanding his surrender, he delivered his famous one-word response “Nuts!”. Over the next five days, the surrounded units were resupplied with air drops and their perimeter held.

One of the units that resupplied the 101st airborne during the siege was the 435th Troop Carrier Group of the 75th Troop Carrier Squadron, based at RAF Welford. One C-47 assigned to the 435th, 44-48716, flew missions to Bastogne on 24 December and 26 December, dropping ammunition on both days.

Excerpts from the actual mission logs- Courtesy of Air Heritage Museum

That C-47B, restored to the same condition it was in during the missions in 1944, is still flying today. It bears its original name “Luck of the Irish” and is on display at the Air Heritage Museum, in Beaver Falls PA.

Story number 4 comes from the Fantasy of Flight Museum in Polk City FL, Issue 23.

In September of 1955 Juan Peron, the colorful President of Argentina, was deposed by a military coup. He was held prisoner for 12 days on a gun ship of the Paraguayan Navy that was anchored in Buenos Aires harbor. He was eventually granted asylum and the president of Paraguay sent a plane to land in the harbor and pick up Peron. That same plane, a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina, is on display at the Fantasy of Flight Museum in central Florida.

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Returning to the category of Rare Aircraft, number 6 comes from Hickory Aviation Museum in Hickory NC (Issue 25).

After WWII, the development of jet aircraft went into full swing. The biggest problem at the time was getting enough power out of early jet engines. For the Navy, in particular, early jet engines were problematic. They were not only low powered, but they were very slow to spool up. During a bolter on a carrier (missing all wires and making a go-around), there is a very short time to get the engine back up to speed. One way the Navy addressed this was with hybrid aircraft- a quick spooling radial engine on the front and a jet engine in the back.

This Curtiss XF-15C-1 Stingaree first flew in 1945. Three prototypes were built. The first crashed, the second was scrapped, and this example is the only remaining Stingaree. By the late 1940s, jet engines had developed enough that the Navy abandoned the hybrid approach and went to pure jet aircraft.

7. Emile Berliner was a German-American inventor best known for inventing the flat record for record players. In the early days of aviation he began working on developing a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. In 1909 he formed the Gyro Motor Company. In 1910, he received a patent for a single rotor “gyrocopter”. After World War One, Emil’s son Henry joined him in the quest for vertical flight.

This 1924 plane, named “Berliner” was the most successful of the efforts of Emile and Henry. It is on display at the College Park Aviation Museum (Issue 39), where it was tested. The basis of this vertical takeoff and landing craft is a modified French Nieuport 23. After early trials, Berliner added a third wing to provide greater gliding capability in the event of a failure of the vertical lift. In February of 1924, the plane was demonstrated to Navy officials. It attained an altitude of 15 feet and was able to make turns within a 150-foot radius. These trials are considered to be the first controlled helicopter flights.

Rare aircraft number 8 is on display at the Florida Air Museum in Lakeland Florida (Issue 19). In the early 1950s, there was a push to develop vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (VTOL), and Lockheed produced the XFV-1, BuNo 138657, for the Navy. Powered by a single Allison turboprop, the XFV first flew in 1954. Although the plane did transition to vertical flight and back again during testing, all 32 test flights of the plane made a normal horizontal takeoff and landing using a temporary undercarriage. The similar looking Convair Pogo did make several vertical takeoff and landing flights. Neither aircraft went into production and both were cancelled in 1955. This was the only completed prototype of the XFV.

9. There have been many “flying car” designs produced over the years, and some of the resulting efforts have actually flown. Many of them wound up in museums. Displayed at the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center (Issue 29) is this Waterman Aerobile. The first of Waldo Waterman’s roadable plane designs was flown in 1934. Although no market developed for the design, Waterman continued to improve his idea, eventually building six versions. The planes contained standard parts from Studebaker, Ford, Austin, and Willys cars. The idea was to make the plane feel as much like a car as possible, as well as keeping the price down. This is the final version, the Waterman Aerobile #6 (finished in “Buick Blue”). It was FAA certified in 1957, but there was still no market for the plane and it was never produced. This is the only remaining example of a Waterman.

10. On display at Shannon Air Museum in Fredericksburg VA (Issue 33) is this beautifully restored 1936 Vultee V-1AD Special. Of the 25 Vultee V-1s built, this is the only remaining example. The Vultee’s paint scheme honors Dick Merrill and one of his many aviation accomplishments. In 1936, Merrill came up with the idea of setting a record for the fastest round-trip transatlantic flight, which had never been done. He teamed up with singer Harry Richman who had made his fortune with the hit song “Putting on the Ritz”. Richman bought a Vultee V-1 (a different V-1 than this) and the pair planned for the record setting flight. At the time, CAA (predecessor to the FAA) approval was required for such a flight. The CAA had recently imposed regulations that severely limited the use of single engine aircraft for passenger and overwater flights. To ease the concerns of the CAA about the proposed single engine flight across the Atlantic and back, Merrill came up with the idea of filling all empty spaces on the plane with ping pong balls. The concept was that, if they went down in the ocean, the ping pong balls would keep the Vultee afloat until they were rescued. They got the CAA approval. In the end, the round-trip crossing was successful and the theory was never put to the test. There wasn’t a monetary prize for this record setting round-trip, but there was plenty of publicity, and it is said that Harry Richman made enough money selling autographed ping pong balls for $2 each to recoup the entire cost of the trip. The Vultee is painted in the paint scheme of Harry Richman’s Vultee “Lady Peace II” and one of the ping pong balls is on display.

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Opening story number 5 is about an Apollo space capsule displayed at the Virginia Air & Space Science Center (Issue 45) in Hampton VA:

The morning of November 14, 1969 was rainy and overcast at the Kennedy Space Center as Apollo XII sat waiting to launch. At 11:22, with President Nixon watching live and much of the world watching on TV, the Saturn V rocket lifted off on the second lunar landing mission. This would be the first time a crewed space mission was launched into overcast skies. Moments after liftoff, the rocket was hit by lightning. The three fuel cells that powered the spacecraft systems were knocked out, leaving it on just battery power. Fifteen seconds later, a second bolt of lightning struck the rocket, which knocked out the attitude indicator and garbled the telemetry stream into Mission Control. On board the command module, the three astronauts had nothing but red warning lights in front of them, with no indication of what the problem was. One of the specialists in Misson Control remembered seeing the same telemetry pattern during an earlier test. He radioed the astronauts- “Flight, EECOM. Try SCE to Aux”. Of the hundreds of switches on board, this one was fairly obscure, and Misson Commander Pete Conrad did not know where it was. Alan Bean, the Lunar Module Pilot (LMP) recalled where the switch was and flipped it. Telemetry resumed to Mission Control and a review of all systems showed that there were no major malfunctions. Bean put the fuel cells back on line and the mission continued, but a major concern remained in Mission Control. There were explosive bolts on the Command Module that would open a compartment to deploy parachutes after reentry. It was determined that the lightning strikes could have damaged the bolts. After much discussion, the decision was made not to tell the astronauts about the problem. There was nothing they could do about it anyway. Ten days later, after a successful lunar landing and moon walk, the crew returned to earth and the parachutes opened successfully. The crew: Pete Conrad, Alan Bean, and Richard Gordon, all Navy Commanders, were picked up in the Pacific Ocean and taken aboard the carrier, USS Hornet. The module was also recovered and is now on display, in the condition it was in after reentry, at the Virginia Air and Space Science Center.

For story number 6 we travel to New Zealand. The Aviation Heritage Centre (Issue 4) in Omaka New Zealand, is a very rare and unusual museum in itself. It mostly contains the WWI collection of filmmaker Peter Jackson (The Hobbit). Jackson not only donated his collection of aircraft and artifacts, but he lent his movie eye and expertise to designing the displays; mostly unique and attractive dioramas. Each display has a story to it and probably the most amazing is this one.

During the summer of 1918, Major Keith ‘Grid’ Caldwell was in command of RFC No. 74 squadron, based in Saint-Omer, France. While leading a raid across German lines in his Royal Air Factory S.E.5a, the New Zealander had a mid-air collision with squadron mate Sidney ‘Timbertoes’ Carlin (he had a wooden leg). Carlin maintained control of his craft, but Caldwell’s left aileron was badly damaged and the S.E.5a began an uncontrolled roll to the right. Not wanting to die in a fiery crash, Grid decided to jump from the plane (without a parachute). As he climbed out onto the left wing to jump, his weight suddenly stopped the rotation. Standing half on the wing and half in the cockpit, he was able to guide the plane back over Allied lines and jump clear just before it crashed (Caldwell had only minor injuries and rose to the rank of air commodore during WWII). A diorama depicting this event is one of the many interesting and dramatic displays in The Omaka Aviation Heritage Museum.

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Books Recommended

“I guess there are never enough books.” John Steinbeck.

I read every book that I recommend (including those suggested by readers), and I only list books I truly think will be enjoyed by all readers. It was tough to narrow this list down to 10- but here goes, and in no particular order, except 1 and 2. For the rest, I have leaned a little toward lesser-known books.

1. My favorite flying book has always been Fate is the Hunter, by Earnest Gann. It was my first recommendation in Issue 1. The book is basically autobiographical, covering Gann’s airline flying in the thirties, WW-II transport flying, and flying with a start-up non-sked after the war. Gann’s writing style describes the beauty and mechanics of flying in a way that pilots and non-pilots alike can appreciate and any Gann book is worth a read. This one is a must.

2. I have recommended several books about the Wright Brothers and to select just one, I turned to my friend Chip Walton, who does a great job as volunteer presenter at the Wright Brothers Memorial. Chip’s Wright Brothers book collection numbers around a hundred, but he didn’t hesitate to offer David McCullough’s The Wright Brothers. McCullough writes with historic accuracy, but in a manner that is very readable.

3. An excellent, non-fiction, WWII story is Lady Be Good by Dennis E. McClendon. During WWII, a B-24 got lost returning to Libya from a mission over Naples, Italy. The plane was never heard from again and it was assumed to have gone down in the Mediterranean. In 1961, the plane was discovered deep in the Libyan desert by researchers looking for oil. There were no remains of the crew found and what their fate was remains a mystery. The author theorizes about what happened – aided by a diary kept by one of the crew members. It’s a fascinating read.

4. In doing a little research for an interview about VF-17, I recently re-read The Jolly Rogers by Tom Blackburn, and I am sure it belongs in this top 10 list. Blackburn was the CO of Navy Fighter Squadron VF-17, arguably one of the most successful fighter squadrons of WWII. Blackburn tells the history of VF-17 from its formation in Norfolk in 1943, their time at NAAF Manteo on the Outer Banks (my personal interest), and their deployment to the Solomon Islands. It is an amazing story of melding a group of mostly brand-new pilots, flying a brand new plane (the Corsair), and developing the incredibly complex flight operations on a brand new aircraft carrier (the Bunker Hill). It is a great read.

5. Neville Shute, a British writer, was an aeronautical engineer, pilot, best selling author, and, like Ernest Gann, I would recommend any of his books. My favorite is Slide Rule which is semi-autobiographical. It centers around several WWI aviators trying to make a living in aviation after the war. Shute was a very successful writer and some of his best sellers are not aviation related. A number of his books were made into movies with On the Beach, staring Gregory Peck, probably the best known. If you can track down a copy of No Highway in the Sky staring my favorite B-36 pilot, Jimmy Stewart, you will enjoy this quirky aviation movie written by Neville Shute.

6. Race of Aces, by John R. Bruning, is another excellent read. Eddie Rickenbacker, America’s top ace in WWI, was sent to the Pacific in the fall of 1942 on an inspection tour. At the time, American air power was floundering versus the Japanese due to outclassed aircraft (especially the P-39), harsh operating conditions, and long and unreliable supply lines. While talking to a group of pilots, Rickenbacker sensed that their morale was low and, along with General George Kenny, he came up with an idea to improve morale: a challenge to beat Rickenbacker’s top score of 26 kills. This led to a military-wide race, throughout the war, to be America’s top ace. Pilots responded, reporters ate it up, and the top aces became household names. The book, which focuses on AAF pilots in the Pacific Theater, is thoroughly researched and gives the reader a great insight into the daily lives of front-line fighter pilots. This book was recommended by Chris Henry, curator of the EAA Museum in Oshkosh and host of the excellent podcast Green Dot. Thanks Chris!

7. No Man’s Land by Kevin Sullivan is a true story of a Quantas A-330 that had a serious malfunction of the fly-by-wire control system. It is an account of the incident and the long overwater flight to a divert field, while dealing with unknown control issues in the cockpit and major injuries in the passenger cabin. It is a well written page-turner and perhaps a cautionary tale about turning over the control of our planes (and cars) to computers. Recommended by my friend Ed Gustky. Thanks Ed!

8. A Higher Call, by Adam Makos, is a well-known classic that has been recommended by several readers. It’s an amazing true story about an encounter between a damaged B-17 and a German fighter. The story of this act of chivalry, which has been called “the most incredible encounter between enemies in WWII”, remained classified top secret until the pilots re-united 40 years later. An amazing true story that reads like a novel. I was especially surprised to read the insights into how badly Luftwaffe pilots were treated in Germany after the war.

9. This one is a little quirky- but a fun read. Suggested by my brother Mike, Ferry Pilot by Kerry McCauley is the autobiography of a pilot who ferried light aircraft, solo, across the Atlantic, Africa, and many other isolated parts of the world. It is fascinating reading about a type of flying that is seldom written about. Half way through the book, McCauley has encountered so many mechanical problems and dangerous weather situations that you can’t help think- why didn’t this guy try a different line of work? But if he had, we wouldn’t have this great book to read! Thanks Mike!

10. The Forgotten 500 by Gregory A. Freeman is the story of the rescue of many of the flyers who were shot down over occupied Yugoslavia during WWII. A covert operation by the OSS (a forerunner of the CIA), the story remained classified until recent years. A very intriguing and interesting read. My son Mark gave me this book- thanks Mark!

Two ‘honorable mentions’ in this category are, perhaps, more for research than casual reading, but I feel they are well worth a mention.

The first is – United States Navy Aircraft since 1911 by Gordon Swansborough & Peter M. Bowers. With photos, drawings and statistics, this great reference book covers virtually every aircraft (including blimps and gyrocopters) ever flown by the Navy and Marines. Originally published in 1968, my edition is from 1983. I don’t believe the book is still in print, but it is readily available through the usual sources. Besides a great reference tool, each two to three page entry has a variety of information and it is interesting to just pick up and read an entry or two at random.

The second Is a British magazine- The Aviation Historian. Published quarterly, it contains well-researched and well-written articles on a wide variety of subjects, and the quality of photographs in each issue is very high indeed. The magazine has recently announced that they are going to an annual basis next year. Back orders of the 50 editions they have published, however, are available and there is a comprehensive index of articles on their website https://www.theaviationhistorian.com/ Again, an excellent research tool.

Many thanks to everyone who has sent in book recommendations. Keep them coming!

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Opening story number 7 comes from Issue 20, The Piper Aviation Museum in Lockhaven PA.

First flown in 1938, the J-3 Cub built the reputation of Piper Aircraft as a producer of simple-to-operate, low-cost planes. The J-3 was widely used during WW-II (including ship-based Cubs- see Issue 20) and a number of improvements were made. By the end of the War, the J-5 was in production and it was renamed the PA-12 Super Cruiser for civilian sales. It was still, at heart, a Piper Cub.

After WWII, there was a surge in civilian flying, and two flight instructors in College Park, Maryland, George Truman and Clifford Evans, came up with a plan to promote pleasure flying. An off-hand remark by Evans, that you could fly a Super Cruiser around the world, gave them an idea for a business venture. They went to William Piper with the idea, proposing that he give them two planes and expense money for an around-the-world promotional tour. Piper was reluctant, but he eventually offered them a couple of used PA-12s, and Lycoming threw in two new engines for $1 each.

Truman and Evans went to work on the planes and installed 50-gallon tanks in the rear seats. Truman named his plane The City of the Angels and Evans named his The City of Washington, from where they grew up. After adding the fuel tanks and upgraded navigation gear and radios, the planes were more than 400 pounds over gross weight, so they had to be licensed in the experimental category. With the added fuel, the Super Cruisers now had a 27-hour endurance with a range of 2,600 miles.

The pair left Teterboro Airport, New Jersey, on August 9, 1947, bound for Newfoundland. They planned to fly together in loose formation, but in the summer haze and with difficult radio transmissions, they were out of sight of each other within ten minutes. With the help of some airline pilots, they met up again in Presque Isle, Maine. The pair were able to stay together for the rest of the 25,000-mile journey and they completed the around-the-world flight on December 10, 1947. They had numerous difficulties along the way, but none of them were mechanical; the worst problem the planes had was a damaged tail wheel.

Weather was the most challenging part of the flight. Besides unusual headwinds throughout the trip, Truman and Evans encountered lots of IFR weather. They were delayed in Goose Bay, Labrador for three days due to high winds and low ceilings. When they finally made the overwater leg to Bluie West One, in Greenland, they encountered headwinds and bad weather on the entire flight. Leaving Greenland, they were above an overcast all the way to Iceland, actually missing Reykjavik altogether. Luckily, they realized their mistake and reversed course, landing at Reykjavik just before the field closed for fog. Other weather delays and diverts continued and, in Saudi Arabia, they were held on the ground by customs for six days, even though they had all the correct paperwork. In China they were delayed by a typhoon and, when finally airborne, they encountered 80 mph headwinds (in 100 mph airplanes). Their longest and most difficult leg was from Japan to Shemya, in the Aleutians. Taking off at night, they immediately encountered IFR weather and icing as they began the long flight across the Pacific. Luckily, they had met a B-17 crew in Japan who were also flying that way, and they had some helpful “mothering“ from the B-17 all the way to Alaska. That leg took 13½ hours. More delays followed trying to get to Anchorage, as well as through Canada all the way down the West Coast to LA. The final segment, across the US, was relatively easy and they finally landed back in Teterboro on December 10.

When they returned to Teterboro, The City of the Angels landed first, becoming the first light aircraft to fly around the world. The two planes had identical paint jobs, and they added each of their stops to the fuselage along the way. The City of Washington now hangs in the Smithsonian and The City of the Angels is on display at the Piper Aviation Museum in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania.

Story number 8 is from the Air Mobility Museum in Dover DE, Issue 9 (One of my favorite museums, but I’m not picking!),

On October 24, 1974, a little-known event in the history of the Cold War took place over the Pacific Ocean. Testing a strategic theory of the time, a Lockheed C-5A Galaxy departed Hill Air Force Base in Utah loaded with an 86,000-pound Minuteman Missile. The huge C-5 headed out over the Pacific. When level at 20,000 feet, the crew opened the rear cargo door and released the drag chutes that were connected to a cradle holding the missile. When the chutes opened, the cradle released, and the 86,000-pound rocket rolled out the back of the C-5. As the Minuteman fell, the drag chutes aligned it vertically and, at 8,000 feet, the rocket engines were ignited for 10 seconds. The missile quickly soared above the C-5 and then dropped into the Pacific, completing the successful test.

In the end, nuclear missiles were never deployed aboard cargo planes, but this successful test showed it was possible. It became just one more bargaining chip in the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT II) with the Soviet Union. The C-5 that dropped the Minuteman Missile, 90014, is now on display at the Air Mobility Command Museum at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. On certain days, the interior is open to visitors.

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UNUSUAL DISPLAYS

In general, planes in museums are displayed lined up next to each other, and artifacts and pictures are placed along the walls. This is only reasonable due to space and budget limitations. These are examples of museums that have gone to extra lengths to come up with more interesting displays. As I searched through the blogs for these entries, I found a large number of ‘unique’ displays (and choosing was difficult!). Just one more reason why these museums are so valuable, and fun to visit. Entries here are wide ranging and this segment might be better named “stuff I like”.

1. As noted in the Grid Caldwell story above, the entire museum at the Aviation Heritage Centre, Issue 4, in Omaka New Zealand fits this category. This particular display is unusual in several ways. First it is a full diorama. Secondly, it depicts a crashed airplane- a very rare type of museum display. In this case it depicts the last flight of the Red Baron. The plane (a replica) is presented after von Richthofen’s final flight, in a crashed condition, with his near lifeless body lying on the ground next to it. The plane came down on the Allied side of the lines and there are many interesting details. A number of Australian ground troops are depicted. On one side of the fuselage there are several people attending to von Richthofen’s dying body, while on the other side troops are cutting the German Cross out of the fuselage, as a memento. Most of the plane and even von Richthofen’s personal items, such as his flying boots were taken as souvenirs. On the Red Baron’s last flight, he had been engaged with a couple of Sopwith Camels, one British, one Canadian, when he was hit in the chest by a shell. He managed to crash land, but then succumbed to his injuries. The Canadian pilot was credited with the kill, but recent research suggests that the shell might have been from ground fire.

2. The National World War II Museum in New Orleans, Issue 8, is an amazing place to visit. It is a very large museum and one wing, the Boeing Center, is devoted to aviation. Only six aircraft are on display here (there are several others in the museum, including C-47 42-93096, which flew its first mission on D-Day). All six aircraft are hanging at various levels from the ceiling. All six are significant aircraft and their stories are well told. The reason that I picked this for one of the unusual displays is that there is an extensive array of catwalks that allow visitors to view each interestingly posed aircraft from a variety of angles- above, abeam, and below. Some museums have upper levels that make for excellent viewing locations, but the Boeing Center takes the idea to whole new levels.

There is a series of steps and platforms all around the pavilion that visitors can climb and view the planes from all sorts of heights and angles (there is also an elevator to some of the upper levels).

3. Museums that keep some of their aircraft flying are rather special, and, by necessity, their displays move around and are not always well marked or organized. The American Airpower Museum in Farmingdale NY, located in an original 1940 hangar on the historic Republic Airport, fits this category. Once you walk around a little, though, you find an amazing number of interesting and unique displays among the aircraft that are in flying condition. I found this display particularly unique.

On 7 April 1944, a Consolidated B-24H Liberator, 42-7525, left Westover Field MA on a routine training flight. They flew towards the Montauk gunnery range and, on the way, they broke formation due to an engine problem. The plane, and crew of 11, was never heard from again and, at the time, no wreckage was found. In 2013 this landing gear strut was pulled up in a fishing net off Shinnecock Inlet and it was determined to be from the lost B-24. It is displayed in the condition it was found in, resting on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean.

4. There are several aircraft carriers preserved as museums (we visited the USS Yorktown in issues 21 and 22) and some museums replicate parts of a carrier to display Naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton England (issues 46 and 47) has a carrier display with some very unique features. Planes are displayed on a large replica of a carrier deck (Issue 47).

Above the deck is the bridge and Flyco and to get to it you go up in a flight deck elevator. The elevator stops several times and at each location a huge video screen lights up and a ship’s crewmember gives you an overview of what goes on in that location. The elevator stops in the engine room, the crew quarters, and the hangar deck.

Once on the upper level, you visit a variety of areas of an aircraft carrier. Each of these areas was taken from an actual carrier that has been decommissioned and dismantled. Overall it is a stunning display and a major accomplishment.

5. The Sullenberger Aviation Museum (Issue 48) is an entirely new building designed around display of the “Miracle on the Hudson” Airbus 320.

All the recovered parts of Sully’s plane are on display, but the truly unique part of the “Miracle on the Hudson” display is a video presentation about the event. Using cockpit voice recorder transcripts, interviews with passengers and crew, Air Traffic Control transcripts, and photos of the exact locations, the Museum has produced an excellent and very moving account of the event, in real time. I asked how I could share a link to the video, but the Museum is not sharing it anywhere- the only way to see the video is in person. That makes a lot of sense (and makes it unique). You only get the full effect with the actual plane sitting right in front of you. I have always considered this blog to have as a mission to inspire readers to visit the museums I write about. This is the ultimate example- you really have to be there!

6. Almost every museum has model aircraft (and vehicles and ships) on display but I found this large submarine model at the Palm Springs Air Museum (Issue 26) to stand out above them all.

The model is of the WWII submarine, USS Rasher (SS-269), one of the most successful submarines in the Pacific Theater. What makes the model, built by Ed (Skeeter) Wachtendonk and his wife Donna, so unique is the quality of construction, wealth of information provided and the amazing detail. The interior is exposed to show complete details of the interior including, if you look close enough, pots, pans, and china stored in cabinets. I have never seen anything quite like it.

7. The N3N “Canary” (also called the “Yellow Peril”) was built at the Naval Air Factory in Philadelphia. The factory was unique in that it was solely owned and operated by the Navy. It was opened in 1918 because the Navy had difficulty finding civilian manufacturers who would build small numbers of a specification that the Navy required. Several aircraft types were built by the NAF, usually in small numbers. The Naval Air Factory was disbanded after WWII.

Displayed at the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach (Issue 11), the N3N was by far the most numerous plane built by the NAF. Production lasted from 1936 to 1941, with a total of almost 1000 built. The N3N lasted in service until 1961 (as a Naval Academy trainer), making it the last biplane in the US military. I did not include this entry for the N3N, which is not particularly rare, but for the autos on display with it. Again, period autos are not rare in museums, but the story of the 1950 Jaguar XK-120, on the left, is very unusual. It was partially restored underwater! It was owned by the captain of a nuclear sub who took parts with him to work on during long cruises.

8. Most museums are involved to some extent in aircraft restoration, but visitors seldom get to see that aspect of aviation history museums. The Smithsonian had the luxury of designing the Udvar-Hazy center, near Dulles Airport, from scratch and they did a great job of including a restoration facility that is in full view for visitors. The area, viewed from above, is large enough to have many aircraft undergoing restoration as well as a number of small shops for specialized restoration tasks.

If you visit on a weekday, you will be able to watch as museum staff work on various restoration projects. This nose section of a Martin B-26 Marauder, AAF serial number 41-31773, “Flak-Bait”, is a good example of what you will see.

This section of the fuselage was on display for many years in the main National Air and Space Museum, in D.C. The rest of the aircraft was in storage but it is now going to be re-assembled and displayed as it was after its final mission. This is truly an historic plane, as it flew the most combat missions (206) of any U.S. aircraft during WWII. The historic nature of the plane was recognized by General Hap Arnold and he included it in the inventory of the National Air Museum in 1949. It was transferred to the Smithsonian in 1960. This B-26 lived up to its “Flak-Bait” name- it has over 1,000 patched flak holes.

9. This uniqueness of this entry is difficult to show in 2D photographs. Most aviation museums present a lot of information on displays and panels and those panels differ greatly in their design, attractiveness, readability, and effectiveness. As I mentioned earlier, they are often displayed along the side walls. Hiller Aviation Museum (Issue 38) has adopted a unique open wall format to present these panels, making them particularly effective. The skeleton “walls” allow the presentation of a lot of material, while maintaining the openness of the museum.

A wide variety of subjects are displayed in this manner- Aviation careers, Women in Aviation, Forces of Flight (basic aerodynamics), Weather, The First Transcontinental Flight (Vin Fiz), and Beginnings of Flight (early aviation in California). Each of these sections presents a wealth of information- attractively presented and liberally illustrated. The design walks the visitor through the section, so the material can be logically viewed. The structures for the displays are metal scaffolding that were designed and custom built by museum president and curator, Jeffery Bass. Of all the types of museum displays I have seen, these are truly most effective and unique.

10. The New England Air Museum (Issue 42) has many interesting aircraft on display. Perhaps the most unique display is the control car from a Goodyear K-class non-rigid airship.

Designed by Goodyear in 1937, the K-class airships were built to provide anti-submarine patrols in the Atlantic and the Pacific. Only a few of the airships were operational at the outbreak of WWII, but production was quickly ramped up, with a total of 136 eventually being built.

This control car is from ZNP-K-28, which was delivered to the Navy at Lakehurst New Jersey in December of 1942. It was assigned to Blimp Squadron ZP-14. Following the war, ZNP-K-28 was repurchased by Goodyear and used extensively for testing. Named Puritan by Goodyear, the control car was donated to the museum in 1993. By that time 90% of its equipment had been removed and there were no original plans found to aid in the restoration. The entire car was restored, very close to original condition, with only photographs as a guide.

Due to their size, there are no airships preserved and only a couple of control cars still exist.

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Museums Are Where You Find Them

This category was started on a whim but it has delivered many interesting entries. It is basically for any aircraft or aviation artifact that is on display but not in a museum. It turns out there are many. In researching an upcoming book, for instance, Doug Campbell and I have found over 200 aircraft on display in North Carolina, with only half of them in museums. This is a category that is ripe for reader input- keep your eyes open and send me some photos!

1. Jimmy Stewart, besides being a well-known actor, is remembered as a WWII bomber pilot and Air Force General. Over the years, Jimmy also owned two Cessna 310s: a 1955 model and a 1961 F model. Stewart’s home town airport in Indiana, PA was named after him in 1959.

In 2015, a derelict 310F was about to be broken up for scrap in Dallas. Chuck Jessen, a Cessna 310 enthusiast, heard about the plane and contacted John Hurn, who was the custodian of the airframe. He searched FAA records and discovered that the plane had belonged to Jimmy Stewart. He contacted the Jimmy Stewart airport and eventually members of the local Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) agreed to rescue the plane from the scrap heap. Harold Wood and members of EAA chapter 993 spent over five years raising funds to restore the 310 to its original colors and mount it on a pedestal in front of the airport. The plane turns with the wind, as do the propellers. It’s a great tribute to Jimmy Stewart. (Issue 17)

KELVINGROVE ART GALLERY AND MUSEUM, GLASGOW, SCOTLAND © CSG CIC Glasgow Museums Collection.

2. I have flown into Glasgow, Scotland many times and have always enjoyed visiting their numerous museums. I especially like the fact that all the museums have free admission, so that you can visit often. On first visiting the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, I was surprised to see a Spitfire hanging in the main entry, displayed as a work of art. They also have a display about WWII ace, Glaswegian Archie McKellar. Many thanks to Susan Pacitti of the Glasgow Museums for providing this photo. (Issue 5).

3. Built in 1939, this beautiful art deco building was the original terminal for La Guardia airport. It first served as a seaplane terminal, mainly for Pan Am Clippers. The first flight from the Marine Air Terminal by a Clipper departed on March 31, 1940, carrying a crew of 10, nine passengers, and over 5,000 pounds of mail. It landed in Lisbon, Portugal 18 hours and 30 minutes later. The last Pan Am flight from the terminal was in 1952. By 1966, new terminals had been built and the Marine Air Terminal was left empty and fell into disrepair. In the 1980s, the Terminal was restored and was reopened to serve the Eastern Shuttle for service between N.Y., D.C., and Boston. Today it serves corporate aircraft and some limited airline service. I took these photos on a Gulfstream 650 trip into LGA.

One of the government programs during the depression of the 1930s was the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which, among other things, funded artists. The largest mural funded by the WPA was called “Flight” and was painted, in 1942, around the walls of the La Guardia terminal by artist James Brooks.

In the 1950s, many of the artists of the WPA were accused of being communist sympathizers and some of their works were destroyed. Luckily, this mural was not destroyed but it was completely painted over. In the late 1970s a campaign was launched to restore the mural and it was re-dedicated in 1980. (Issue 28).

4. There are many historical markers recognizing aviation events and they tend to be less dramatic than other entries here. I have included this one because of the interesting back-story.

Photo Courtesy of http://www.jerrybattle.com/

In 1923, Charles Lindbergh was making a living as a wing walker in a flying circus, but dreaming of flying himself. After saving up some money, he rode his Harley Davidson to Souther Field in Americus, GA, where numerous war-surplus Curtiss JN-4 Jennies were for sale. Lindbergh purchased a brand-new Jenny, still in the crate, and took it to a facility in a nearby hangar where he helped assemble it. Lindbergh had a few hours flying, but he had never soloed. After an unsuccessful attempt to fly his new plane by himself, he paid for lessons, soloed, and then flew to Alabama to start his barnstorming career. This monument stands on Souther Field (KACJ- now named Jimmy Carter Regional Airport) to commemorate his first solo. Many thanks to Jerry Battle for the photo. (Issue 11)

The actual plane Lindbergh bought in 1923, for $500, is on display at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in New York (Issue 37). It was the first aircraft acquired by the museum and Lindbergh visited museum founder George Dade while the plane was being restored and verified that it was his.

5. Here is another marker that has a very interesting, little known, story.

Sitting off the southern end of Manhattan, Governors Island has a long history that goes back to the first Dutch settlers in New York. Since those early years, the island has been the site of a number of military encampments. In the early 20th century, the Army began adding to the size of the island, using material excavated from the building of the New York subway system. This work, which almost doubled the size of Governor’s Island, was completed in 1909 and the first use of the new space was as an airstrip. By this time, the Wright Brothers had sold their planes to the Army as well as making a number of sales in Europe and they had finally become world famous. In September of 1909, Wilbur took the Wright Military Flyer to Governors Island to participate in a huge festival celebrating the 300th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s voyage, as well as the 100th anniversary of Robert Fulton’s steam ship.

On September 29, Wilbur flew west from Governors Island, over the Statue of Liberty, and back. As this was the Wright’s first over-water flight, Wilbur had attached a canoe to the bottom of the plane, in the event he would have to land in the river.

1909 Wright Military Flyer- note the canoe attached. Public domain photo

On October 4, in strong and gusty winds, Wilbur flew from Governors Island over the west side of Manhattan, up the Hudson River, to Grant’s Tomb and back. Tens of thousands of people lined the river cheering and waving. A number of US and British Naval ships were in the harbor as well as over 1,000 civilian vessels. Wilbur flew low over them and guns were fired in salute. Including people watching from Manhattan sky scrapers, it was estimated that a million people saw the flight of Wilbur Wright. A longer flight, planned for the next day, was cancelled due to an engine problem (or, possibly, because the stoic Wilbur had been badly startled by the guns firing at him!). The plane was then transported to College Park, MD to begin the training of Army pilots.

In 1954 an aviation preservation group, The Early Birds, erected a memorial to the Wright Brothers on Governors Island. The bronze prop was cast from an actual propeller that was on the 1909 Wright Military Flyer. The Early Birds was founded in 1928 and membership was limited to the 598 pioneering aviators (including, of course, the Wright Brothers) who flew a balloon, glider, or plane, prior to December 17, 1916. The group was disbanded in 1998 when the last living member, George D. Grundy Jr, passed away. (Issue 39)

Many thanks to my daughter-in-law, Angela, for the photos!

6. All airports, large and small, have windsocks. If the airport is not towered, the windsock is an important guide to which runway to use. Some airports go further than just a wind sock and have a tetrahedron, a larger plywood device on a pole that swivels to indicate wind direction. Jack Buell Field in St. Maries, ID (S72) has taken the idea to a whole new level. This F-100F “Wild Weasel”, serial number 56-3819, sits gracefully on a pedestal in the center of the airport, perfectly balanced to rotate into the wind and direct pilots to the best runway.

According to Wikipedia “Wild Weasel is a code name given by the United States Air Force (USAF) to an aircraft of any type equipped with anti-radiation missiles and tasked with the suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD): destroying the radar and surface-to-air missile (SAM) installations of enemy air defense systems. The task of a Wild Weasel aircraft is to bait enemy anti-aircraft defenses into targeting it with their radars, whereupon the radar waves are traced back to their source, allowing the Weasel or its teammates to precisely target it for destruction”. The F-100 was the first aircraft equipped this way in 1965, during the early days of the Vietnam War. Later, the F-4 Phantom and the F-105 Thunderchief were used in this role. Today, some F-15 Eagles and F-16 Fighting Falcons are so equipped. (Issue 49)

Many thanks to my friend Steve Taylor for the photo and information!

7. Reader Robyn Druce sent this photo of a DC-3 being used as a kid’s party room at a McDonalds in Taupo, New Zealand. Robyn works for the HARS Aviation Museum in Australia. The museum has a number of historic aircraft that are in flying condition and recently received a 707 donated by John Travolta. Thanks Robyn! (Issue 9).

8. Representative of the most common place you will see an aircraft on display that is not in a museum is this F-86 gate guard.

Sullenberger Aviation Museum is on the northeast side of Charlotte Airport, in between runway 18L and the old 23. To drive there, you pass by the North Carolina Air Guard base, with a North American F-86 posed as a gate guard. This F-86L serial number 52-4142, was built in 1951 and served in a flight-testing role both with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and North American Aviation. (Issue 48).

9. On October 19, 1927, Pan American Airlines operated its first flight, from Key West to Havana. The flight was operated by a chartered Fairchild FC-2 floatplane because Key West Airport had been recently damaged in a storm and the runway was not open. By October 28, the airport re-opened and Pan Am’s first Fokker Trimotor took over the route.

The small ticket office in Key West that was the original Pan Am facility still exists and is part of the First Flight Restaurant and Brewery. The pub is fully decorated with Pan Am memorabilia and a great place to visit. Thanks to my wife Sheri for having a drink there and bringing back these photos (and some great T-shirts)! (Issue 19).

10. Many airports have an aircraft on display or a small museum area. My brother Mike recently took these photos of the rather extensive display in the passenger terminals at McCarren Field, in Las Vegas. Parts of the display are scattered through all of the airport terminals.

This 1956 Thunderbird was used as the ramp vehicle at George Crockett’s Alamo Aviation from 1957 until 1968.

Hanging above the Terminal 1 baggage claim, is this 1958 Cessna 172 that set an endurance record in 1959. Robert Timm and John Cook stayed aloft for 64 days, 22 hours, 19 minutes and 5 seconds to set the World Endurance Aloft flying record, a record which still stands today. The T-Bird shown above was the chase vehicle for the record setting flight (Issue 23).

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Let’s close out this anniversary issue with the two final opening stories.

9. On January 10, 1945, a P-61 Black Widow took off from Hollandia Airfield on Dutch New Guinea for a training mission. Piloted by 2nd Lt. Logan Southfield, the brand-new P-61B had just 10 hours of total flight time. Manufactured by Northrop in Hawthorn, California, it had been disassembled and shipped to the Pacific where it joined the 550th Night Fighter Squadron. Just a couple of minutes into the local test flight, the Black Widow lost power. Aimed directly at the Cyclops Mountains, Southfield had little choice but to crash land in the jungles of Mount Cyclops. There were four people aboard; Southfield, Lt. Benny Goldstein, his radio operator, and two Army nurses who were unauthorized passengers. Although rescue attempts started immediately, the four injured occupants of the Black Widow were not rescued until two days later. The P-61 was abandoned on the mountainside.

This story, like the operational life of the plane, is short. It is the recovery and restoration of the P-61 that is the really interesting story. In fact, the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum (MAAM) in Reading PA was founded because of this plane.

In 1980, Russ Strine formed the MAAM with the express purpose of recovering P-61 serial number 42-39445 from its jungle crash site. It took about five years of negotiations with the government of Indonesia to obtain the rights to the plane. Among other things, the agreement required the museum to provide a flying example of a Stearman in exchange for the wreck. Once recovery operations started, there turned out to be a local tribal leader who had staked a claim to the land and the plane, but that was also successfully negotiated.

Photo Courtesy: Mid-Atlantic Air Museum.

After the five years of negotiations, recovery finally began and the steep slope and thick jungle conditions made it a long process. After much preparatory work on site, a series of very difficult helicopter lifts retrieved all the parts from the mountainside. The parts were finally all crated and shipped from Indonesia in February 1991, arriving in Baltimore by April. The P-61 restoration is nearing completion, and on display, at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum (Issue 17).

The tenth and final story comes from the Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum in Willow Grove PA (Issue 10).

It was September 1974, and the carrier USS America was operating off Scotland as part of a large NATO exercise. Fleet Logistics Squadron VR-24 in Naples, Italy had deployed two C-1As to support the America with Carrier Onboard Delivery (COD) of passengers, mail, and cargo. On September 18, the crew of one of the Grumman Traders, 146034, had departed from Flesland, Norway and was approaching the America on what was, so far, a routine flight to the ship. On board, they had four passengers, including an admiral, and several hundred pounds of precious mail. It was late in the afternoon and the ship was steaming in the Atlantic, northwest of Scotland. The sky was cloudy and gray and the water looked rough and cold. As they started a straight-in approach, the deck was pitching from a growing storm, and rain had started. About two miles out, the aircraft commander reached up to turn on the windshield wipers but got no response. At one mile out, all the pilot could see of the pitching deck and the visual landing system (the ‘ball’) was a blur of lights. He called for a go-around and the tower cleared the COD to enter downwind. The co-pilot had reset the wiper circuit breaker but they still wouldn’t work. Turning final, they were once again lined up poorly and the LSO called for another go-around. The ship had the deck lights on full bright in the gloomy weather, but that was making it hard to see through the rain, without wipers. To add to the problem, the crew was having radio issues. On the third approach, they finally communicated that they wanted the ship to lower the lights but the deck and ball were still somewhat blurry. The young aircraft commander knew he had to figure out this landing, as fuel was getting low and the rain was getting worse. He suddenly had an idea. As a version of the S-2 submarine hunter, the C-1 cockpit has side widows that bow out, so that crews can see downward to look for subs. He took off his helmet and stuck his head into the window. The eight or nine inches of window bow allowed him to see forward, and the curve of the window made the rain blow off. He could finally see the deck. Luckily, much of a carrier landing is accomplished by ‘feel’ rather than instruments, as he had no chance to look at airspeed or any other instrument as they came aboard. It wasn’t a pretty landing, and certainly wouldn’t be called ‘safe’ by modern standards, but it was what was done in the 1970s Navy, and the mission was accomplished.

The C-1A in the story, 146034, is on display in Willow Grove, complete with its bowed windows and balky windshield wiper.

I was the Aircraft Commander that day, and that may have been the most difficult landing of my 50+ year flying career (although I can think of a few others too!). It is really satisfying to see 034 lovingly preserved in a great museum.

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The first blog I wrote, five years ago, was sent to a list of 25 people (thanks family and friends!). This one will go out to a list of over 600, and many more will read it when it is shared and posted. Thanks to everyone who reads the blog and posts and shares. And always- thanks for the feedback I get.

I have received assistance writing the blog from many people- each museum, and many friends & readers. I would like to thank these people individually who were especially helpful over the years. I started to write a list of people to thank- but it got too long and I was sure to leave people out. Just know that docents and curators of these great museums often go out of their way to answer questions as I write the blog. And a huge thank you to ALL volunteers and staff who keep these wonderful museums going for us.

A special thanks to friends who have contributed to blogs by writing about their personal experiences, adding interesting details for us: Cal Augustin (Issue 12), Mike Bruno (Issue 10), Doug Campbell (Special Edition), Ray Dean (Issue 24), CJ (Issue 21), German Kleiman (Issue 38), Dave Messersmith (Issue 41), Jim Wadkins (Issue 25), and Chip Walton (Issue 49). Many Thanks!

And finally, I will say thanks to my family, all of whom have supported the blog. My son Mark and his wife Taylor helped me do the initial design of the blog and website; my son Eric is always helpful with technical questions; my son AJ not only offers technical advice, but is very generous with offering occasional rides to museums in his Baron; and my daughter-in-law Angela often has valuable input and suggestions. My brother Mike edits the blog each month with very valuable input. Above all, my wife Sheri provides support and encouragement and often accompanies me on museum visits. A huge thanks to everyone.

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Up next- a visit to the Hagerstown Aviation Museum in Hagerstown, MD.

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Issue Directory and links

Note- Listed links are to the blog (first entry) and museum website (second entry). Keep in mind that most museums also have a Facebook page and that often has the most up-to-date information about opening times and special events..

1. Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum, Teterboro, New Jersey. Numerous aircraft indoors and out. Emphasis on New Jersey affiliations. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog?offset=1569629067522 https://njahof.org/

2. Alaska Aviation Museum, Anchorage AK. A variety of aircraft centering around Alaska flying. Indoor and Outdoor Displays. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2018/5/26/alaska-aviation-museum https://alaskaairmuseum.org/

3. Museum of Flight and Aerial Firefighting, Greybull WY. A variety of types of large firefighting aircraft that flew out of this airport. Mostly outside, with a trailer full of displays and memorabilia. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2019/7/18/museum-of-flight-and-aerial-fire-fighting-greybull-wyoming

https://www.museumofflight.us/

4. Aviation Heritage Center, Omaka, NZ. A truly unique display of WWI aircraft- mostly the collection of filmmaker Peter Jackson. Jackson curated the indoor collection and most planes are displayed in amazing dioramas. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2019/8/20/omaka-aviation-heritage-center-blenheim-nz

https://www.omaka.org.nz/ (Note there are several museums in the complex. The blog covers the WWI museum but the website covers them all).

5. NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum, Cape May NJ. Mostly indoor displays, mainly of Navy and Coast Guard operations at the Cape May Airport (NAS Wildwood).

https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2019/9/16/nas-wildwood-aviation-museum-cape-may-nj

https://usnasw.org/

6. Wright Brothers Memorial, Kill Devil Hills, NC part 1. Covers the indoor museum with displays, gift shop, and a reproduction of the 1903 Wright Flyer.

https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2019/10/28/wright-brothers-national-memorial

https://www.nps.gov/wrbr/index.htm

7. Wright Brothers Memorial, Kill Devil Hills, NC part 2. Covers exterior displays including markers that show launch and landing spots of the four December 17, 1903 flights, and the Monument on top of Kill Devil Hill.

https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2019/12/6/wright-brothers-national-memorial-part-2

https://www.nps.gov/wrbr/index.htm

8. The Boeing Center at the National WWII Museum New Orleans, LA. One section of the huge national World War II Museum. The Boeing Center has a display of significant WW II aircraft and there are several other aircraft displayed throughout the museum.

https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog?offset=1602343342545

https://www.nationalww2museum.org/ (website is for the full museum).

9. Air Mobility Command Museum, Dover Delaware. Large display of large Air Force aircraft, both indoors and out. (In my top 10- if I was picking!).

https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2020/2/4/air-mobility-command-museum-dover-delaware

https://amcmuseum.org/

10. Harold F. Pitcairn Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum, Willow Grove, PA. Collection of mainly Navy aircraft outdoors. Indoor displays include Pitcairn aircraft manufactured nearby.

https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2020/3/16/harold-f-pitcairn-wings-of-freedom-aviation-museum-willow-grove-pa

https://wingsoffreedommuseum.org/

11. The Military Aviation Museum, Virginia Beach, VA. Large collection of military aircraft (Navy, Air Force, allied forces, German), displayed in four large hangars. Many of the aircraft are maintained in flying condition. (another museum on my top 10- if I was picking!)

https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2020/4/13/the-military-aviation-museum-virginia-beach-va

https://www.militaryaviationmuseum.org/

12. The Museum of Flight, Seattle WA. Large Museum at Boeing Field in Seattle. Several large galleries of significant aircraft – encompassing all eras. Emphasis on Boeing aircraft- including the original Boeing workshop, but much more.

https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2020/5/23/the-museum-of-flight

https://www.museumofflight.org/

13. Special Issue during Covid.

14. Massey Air Museum, Massey MD. A grass strip that was built to be a museum with indoor and outdoor displays. Great general aviation atmosphere.

https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2020/8/6/massey-air-museum-massey-maryland

https://masseyaero.org/

15. American Helicopter Museum, West Chester, PA. Extensive collection dedicated to helicopters and vertical flight. Indoor and outdoor displays.

https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2020/9/8/american-helicopter-museum-west-chester-pa

https://www.helicoptermuseum.org/

16. North Carolina Aviation Museum Asheboro NC. A collection of various types and eras, centering on telling the story of North Carolina aviation.

https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2020/10/5/north-carolina-aviation-museum-asheboro-nc

https://www.ncamhof.com/

17. Mid-Atlantic Air Museum Reading PA. Large collection of various types and eras displayed inside and out. The museum hosts an amazing WWII airshow each year.

https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2020/11/10/mid-atlantic-air-museum

https://maam.org/

18. National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, GA Aircraft honoring the Eighth Air Force from WWII to today. Displayed inside and out. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2020/12/13/museum-of-the-mighty-eighth-air-force-pooler-ga

https://www.mightyeighth.org/

19. Florida Air Museum, Lakeland Florida Honoring the history of flight, the museum concentrates on aviation in Florida, including that of Howard Hughes. Planes are displayed indoors and out.

https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2021/1/6/florida-air-museum-lakeland-florida

https://floridaairmuseum.org/

20. Piper Aviation Museum, Lock Haven PA. Located in an original Piper factory building, numerous significant Piper aircraft are on display.

https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2021/2/9/piper-aviation-museum-lock-haven-pa

https://www.pipermuseum.com/

21 USS Yorktown (Part 1), Charleston, SC. Retired aircraft carrier preserved as a museum. Flight and hangar decks display historic aircraft and many of the ships spaces are open to visitors. Located at Patriots Point with other Naval ships on display. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2021/3/15/uss-yorktown-cv-10-part-1 https://www.patriotspoint.org/things-to-do/uss-yorktown

22 USS Yorktown (Part 2) https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2021/4/14/uss-yorktown-cv-10-part-2

23 Fantasy of Flight, Polk City, FL Small part of the collection of Kermit Weeks- most are in flying condition. The larger museum is only open for private tours. See the website for details. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2021/5/19/fantasy-of-flight-polk-city-fl https://www.fantasyofflight.com/collection/

24 The New Jersey Air Victory Museum Lumberton NJ Large collection of military and civilian aircraft displayed inside and out. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2021/6/8/air-victory-museum-lumberton-nj https://njavm.org/

25 Hickory Aviation Museum Hickory, NC Large Military aircraft collection. Aircraft currently displayed outside with artifacts and memorabilia displayed inside. There is currently a brand new facility under construction- to open in 2025. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2021/7/15/hickory-aviation-museum-hickory-nc https://www.hickoryaviationmuseum.org/

26 Palm Springs Air Museum, Palm Springs CA Very large collection of military aircraft displayed inside and out. Some are maintained in flying condition and some are available for rides. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2021/8/16/palm-springs-air-museum-palm-springs-ca

27 The Bellanca Airfield Museum, New Castle, DE. Located in an original building from the long closed Bellanca Field. Small but very interesting collection of Bellanca aircraft and artifacts. The museum has limited summer opening hours- check the website. This blog also covers a small museum in Driggs, Idaho https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2021/10/2/the-bellanca-airfield-museum-delaware-amp-the-warbird-airplane-museum-idaho https://www.bellancamuseum.org/

28 The Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly VA (Part 1) This huge museum contains many unique and significant aircraft- all elegantly displayed indoors. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2021/10/21/udvar-hazy-center-chantilly-va-part-1 https://airandspace.si.edu/visit/udvar-hazy-center

29 The Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly VA (Part 2) https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2021/11/11/the-smithsonian-udvar-hazy-center-chantilly-va-part-2

30 The Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum, Martin State Airport, MD. Excellent indoor displays and aircraft on a nearby ramp. Emphasis on Martin aircraft as well as aircraft that were stationed in Maryland. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2021/12/21/the-glenn-l-martin-maryland-aviation-museum https://www.mdairmuseum.org/

31 The Tennessee Museum of Aviation, Sevierville, TN Indoor collection of various significant military and civilian aircraft some maintained in flying condition. Also on display is a wide range of artifacts. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2022/2/17/the-tennessee-museum-of-aviation-sevierville-tn https://www.tnairmuseum.com/

32 The Western North Carolina Air Museum, Hendersonville NC. Note This museum was heavily damaged by hurricane Helene and is currently closed. I have included their Facebook page which has updated information on their support of the ongoing hurricane recovery. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2022/3/18/the-western-north-carolina-air-museum-hendersonville-nc https://www.facebook.com/WesternNorthCarolinaAirMuseum

33 The Shannon Air Museum, Fredericksburg, VA. A collection of significant aircraft, displayed indoors, of aircraft from the Golden Age of Flight and interesting artifacts. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2022/4/28/the-shannon-air-museum https://shannonairmuseum.com/

34 PAX River Naval Air Museum, Lexington Park MD Indoor and outdoor displays of significant military aircraft (mostly Navy). Most of the aircraft are one-off examples from the Naval Air Test and Evaluation center. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2022/5/27/pax-river-naval-air-museum https://www.paxmuseum.com/

35 The Havelock Tourist & Event Center and MCAS Cherry Point NC. The Tourist and event center has displays inside and out. The blog covers aircraft displayed all around the area- including on base. All are Marine Corps Aviation https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2022/7/7/the-havelock-tourist-amp-event-center-and-mcas-cherry-point https://havelockevents.com/

36 Dare County Airport Museum Pt 1, Manteo NC Small indoor museum covering the Civil Air Patrol and US Navy activities in the Outer Banks in WWII as well as the life of aviation pioneer Dave Driskill. Part 1 covers the CAP and pre-war Dave Driskill. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2022/9/8/dare-county-airport-museum https://www.darenc.gov/departments/airport/history-museum

37 Cradle of Aviation Museum, Garden City NY Large indoor museum covering aviation on Long Island. Numerous significant aircraft and events on display. One more of my favorites- still not picking!. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2022/10/20/cradle-of-aviation-museum https://www.cradleofaviation.org/

38 Hiller Aviation Museum, San Carlos CA Wide ranging exhibits of aircraft both inside and out. Focusing on the history of Hiller helicopters and aviation in California. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2022/11/18/hiller-aviation-museum https://www.hiller.org/

39 College Park Aviation Museum College Park MD A small but significant indoor museum on an airport that goes back to the Wright Brothers. Emphasis on aviation in Maryland. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2022/12/15/college-park-aviation-museum https://www.pgparks.com/facilities/college-park-aviation-museum

40 American Airpower Museum, Farmingdale NY Located in an original 1940 hangar- numerous aircraft and displays. Some aircraft maintained in flying condition. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2023/3/1/american-airpower-museum https://www.americanairpowermuseum.com/

41 Air Heritage Museum in Beaver Falls, PA Aircraft displayed inside and out- some in flying condition. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2023/5/4/air-heritage-museum https://airheritage.org/

42 New England Air Museum, Windsor Locks CT. Large collection, mostly indoors of significant military and civilian aircraft. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2023/6/21/the-new-england-air-museum https://neam.org/ Special Edition (from guest writer, Doug Campbell) about the history of a C-54 and saving it, after major storm damage as a restaurant attraction. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2023/11/1/guest-blog-the-life-and-death-and-life-again-of-the-c-54-skymaster-spirit-of-freedom

43 Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Air Force in Mesa AZ. Large collection of mainly military aircraft. Some are in flying condition and some are available for visitor rides. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2023/11/3/airbase-arizona-flying-museum https://www.azcaf.org/

44 Dare County Airport Museum, Manteo NC Part 2. Covers the US Navy in Manteo during WWII and Dave Driskill, post-war. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2023/12/11/dare-county-airport-museum-part-2

https://www.darenc.gov/departments/airport/history-museum

45. Virginia Air & Space Science Center, Hampton VA Numerous aircraft, indoors, mainly associated with Langley AFB test center. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2024/3/16/virginia-air-amp-space-science-center https://vasc.org/

46. Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton, England (Part 1) Large museum in four hangars covering the history of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2024/4/26/fleet-air-arm-museum https://www.nmrn.org.uk/visit-us/fleet-air-arm-museum

47. Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton, England (Part 2) https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2024/5/31/fleet-air-arm-museum-part-2 https://www.nmrn.org.uk/visit-us/fleet-air-arm-museum

48. Sullenberger Aviation Museum, Charlotte NC Recently opened museum that features cold war military aircraft and the A-320 “Miracle on the Hudson” plane. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2024/8/29/sullenberger-aviation-museum https://www.sullenbergeraviation.org/

Special Edition covering the effects of Hurricane Helene on museums in North Carolina. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2024/10/4/special-edition-hurricane-helene

49. Cotswold Airport. Historic RAF base in the West of England that is now a civilian airport with many vintage aircraft on display. https://aviationhistorymuseums.com/blog/2024/10/11/issue-49-a-visit-to-cotswold-airport-cirencester-uk-oct-2024 https://cotswoldairport.com/

A note about research. A wide variety of sources are used in writing this blog, and, as this is basically an opinion piece, not an academic work, sources are not usually cited. Obviously, though, my primary research is on the museum web-site. I rarely announce my visits beforehand, but I often get helpful answers to questions from museum staff while I am writing. Wikipedia, which, when used with caution, can be an excellent resource, is frequently consulted. I occasionally get corrections and additional information from readers, and that is greatly appreciated. In this research, I sometimes come across conflicting information (such as how many aircraft were built). I always try to resolve the discrepancy with further sources, and information in this blog aims to be as accurate as possible.

Except where noted, all photos by the author