NatioNal MuseuM
of
the
u N i t e d s t a t e s a i r f o r c e®
A National Treasure We achieve greatness not only by reflecting on our past, but by taking responsibility for our future. In fact, what we do about our history matters.
No matter how far we’ve gone, Walking through the parking areas of the National horizon still Museum of thethe United States Air Force, one lies becomes aware of how appropriate it is to refer to distantly us. Ohio’s major tourist attraction beyond as a national treasure. Many of our visitors are men and women who have served or are currently serving their country in all branches of the U.S. military. These include the thinning ranks of older veterans who are eager to share their stories.
The National Museum of the United States Air Force® You are invited to join a community of supporters who have committed themselves to the vitality and is the culmination of the past, a expansion of this great Museum in Dayton, Ohio, the birthplace of aviation. A new fourth building brilliant illumination of the present, will house astonishing machines and tell the stories of the men and women who were, and are, the and a glimpse ofcanascarcely shimmering future. pathfinders to a future we imagine.
The future is listening for our footsteps …
NatioNal MuseuM
of
the
u N i t e d s t a t e s a i r f o r c e®
A National Treasure We achieve greatness not only by reflecting on our past, but by taking responsibility for our future. In fact, what we do about our history matters.
No matter how far we’ve gone, Walking through the parking areas of the National horizon still Museum of thethe United States Air Force, one lies becomes aware of how appropriate it is to refer to distantly us. Ohio’s major tourist attraction beyond as a national treasure. Many of our visitors are men and women who have served or are currently serving their country in all branches of the U.S. military. These include the thinning ranks of older veterans who are eager to share their stories.
The National Museum of the United States Air Force® You are invited to join a community of supporters who have committed themselves to the vitality and is the culmination of the past, a expansion of this great Museum in Dayton, Ohio, the birthplace of aviation. A new fourth building brilliant illumination of the present, will house astonishing machines and tell the stories of the men and women who were, and are, the and a glimpse ofcanascarcely shimmering future. pathfinders to a future we imagine.
The future is listening for our footsteps …
NatioNal MuseuM
of
the
u N i t e d s t a t e s a i r f o r c e®
A National Treasure ,enog ev’ew raf woh rettam oN seil llits noziroh eht .su dnoyeb yltnatsid eht fo muesuM lanoitaN ehT ® ecroF riA setatS detinU a ,tsap eht fo noitanimluc eht si ,tneserp eht fo noitanimulli tnaillirb .erutuf gniremmihs a fo espmilg a dna
rof gninetsil si erutuf ehT … spetstoof ruo
We achieve greatness not only by reflecting on our past, but by taking responsibility for our future. In fact, what we do about our history matters. Walking through the parking areas of the National Museum of the United States Air Force, one becomes aware of how appropriate it is to refer to Ohio’s major tourist attraction as a national treasure. Many of our visitors are men and women who have served or are currently serving their country in all branches of the U.S. military. These include the thinning ranks of older veterans who are eager to share their stories. You are invited to join a community of supporters who have committed themselves to the vitality and expansion of this great Museum in Dayton, Ohio, the birthplace of aviation. A new fourth building will house astonishing machines and tell the stories of the men and women who were, and are, the pathfinders to a future we can scarcely imagine.
NatioNal MuseuM
of
the
u N i t e d s t a t e s a i r f o r c e®
A National Treasure ,enog ev’ew raf woh rettam oN seil llits noziroh eht .su dnoyeb yltnatsid eht fo muesuM lanoitaN ehT ® ecroF riA setatS detinU a ,tsap eht fo noitanimluc eht si ,tneserp eht fo noitanimulli tnaillirb .erutuf gniremmihs a fo espmilg a dna
rof gninetsil si erutuf ehT … spetstoof ruo
We achieve greatness not only by reflecting on our past, but by taking responsibility for our future. In fact, what we do about our history matters. Walking through the parking areas of the National Museum of the United States Air Force, one becomes aware of how appropriate it is to refer to Ohio’s major tourist attraction as a national treasure. Many of our visitors are men and women who have served or are currently serving their country in all branches of the U.S. military. These include the thinning ranks of older veterans who are eager to share their stories. You are invited to join a community of supporters who have committed themselves to the vitality and expansion of this great Museum in Dayton, Ohio, the birthplace of aviation. A new fourth building will house astonishing machines and tell the stories of the men and women who were, and are, the pathfinders to a future we can scarcely imagine.
“Ladies in Waiting�, two famous Boeing B-17s, Memphis Belle and The Swoose, undergoing restoration.
Engaging classes for students.
Collections management maintains thousands of artifacts.
Eager Rocket camp “kids” ready for launch.
The Museum has many of “the last one in existence” aircraft and the Martin B-10 is one of those.
The aviation entrepreneur and writer, Harry B. Combs stated that, “When the British Empire ruled the seas, they had great affect on the world. Now that the United States rules the skies, the United States has the same great affect on the world . . . and today, the future of ruling space will determine the next great powers of the world.”
Two out of three visitors have not served in any branch of the military, yet marvel at Museum exhibits.
National Museum
of
the
U n i t e d S t a t e s A i r F o r c e®
PRESERVATION
The Museum is the custodian of authentic artifacts that were once the dreams of the future and the keeper of stories of those who have valiantly served our nation.
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he National Museum of the United States Air Force serves to preserve and tell the experiences of many before they vanish beyond memory. It is filled with stories of the dedication and sacrifice of the men and women of the Air Force and stories of the history of aviation from early flight to remotely-piloted aircraft. For our visitors, the opening of our doors each morning offers new opportunities for discovery. ®
Recently a young soldier asked a volunteer if he could touch an A-10 fighter. When asked why, he said, “Because it saved my life three times when I was in combat.”
The experiments of Dayton, Ohio natives Orville and Wilbur Wright represent America’s earliest aviation heritage. Their great-grand niece, Amanda Wright Lane, uses the concept of balance to explain how the Wright brothers were able to control an unstable vehicle like a flying machine.
The Museum displays one of the largest restored bombers flown in World War I. The Caproni Ca.36 was used by American Airmen on some of the first–ever strategic bombing missions.
National Museum
of
the
U n i t e d S t a t e s A i r F o r c eÂŽ
HERITAGE
Visitors come here for a multitude of reasons. For many, their Museum experience brings them face to face with their heritage.
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Captain Eddie Rickenbacker’s diary, watch, and Medal of Honor.
istinguished visitors include Presidents of the United States, senior military and legislative leaders, corporate executives, high-ranking foreign officials, and international aviation enthusiasts. A highly energetic Special Events Division hosts hundreds of events and special tours annually. In addition, retired military groups of men and women who served together choose this site for reunions. Our Museum also consecrates the rich heritage of their service to our nation with thoughtful memorials in a tranquil, park-like setting that invites both respect and appropriate celebrations. The Air Force Band of Flight, based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, draws huge crowds to the Museum and is considered a vital part of the cultural assets of the surrounding region. For the Museum, special events offer a broad exposure to the treasures awaiting discovery and their subsequent exposition to an ever-widening horizon of enthusiastic supporters.
The National Museum of the United States Air Force is the steward of the “Doolittle Raiders” silver goblets. Jimmy Doolittle accepted these from the City of Tucson to honor their annual gathering celebrating the famous mission in 1942. ®
Colonel William Harrell, USAF (ret), flew 366 missions while in Vietnam in an A-37 similar to this one on exhibit at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. ®
National Museum
of
the
U n i t e d S t a t e s A i r F o r c e®
COMMITMENT
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead.
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Colonel William Schaff, USAF(ret), is a Museum volunteer and a veteran of more than 100 missions over North Vietnam. He was one of the pioneer pilots flying the Republic F-105 “Thunderchief” using Wild Weasel tactics.
he National Museum of the United States Air Force provides rich learning experiences for individuals of all ages. While it does not confer degrees, it delivers enlightenment at many levels. For those visitors thirsting for a history of military aviation, a century of it lies before them. Carefully planned and superbly executed exhibits lead one through a time-oriented experience from the first frail craft to advanced planes with levels of performance long classified as secret. For visitors immersed in the romance of open cockpits and white silk scarves, there’s an abundance of sturdy biplanes and elegant trainers that acted as schoolrooms for generations of pilots. Many who earned their wings in PT19s and AT-6s were the steady hands at the controls of B-17s and B-29s or P-51s. Their contrails have disappeared with the breezes, but their valor is forever etched in the deep blue skies of freedom. ®
Education Education thrives in our Museum. Opportunities occur every day, and encounters number over 150,000 annually.
Brings The Museum attracts more than 1.3 million visitors each year. They may not arrive with education as their main reason for visiting, but when they leave, their horizons are broadened. The professional education staff, assisted by dedicated volunteers, provides a variety of educational programs for students ranging from the science and technology of flight to model rocketry and enriched, hands-on adventures in history. Professional development workshops for teachers extend Museum learning opportunities for students into individual classrooms.
Enlightenment
A recent addition to the Museum’s exhibits describes “Warrior Airmen” in the current conflicts.
National Museum
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United States Air Force
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INSPIRATION
Through moving stories, we honor Air Force men and women and their contribution to protecting the nation’s freedom.
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he mysteries of flight and wonders of space travel inspire young people to consider science and technology careers. The courage and valor of those who have served inspire future generations to dedicate their lives to preserving our freedom.
“We should all be concerned about the future,” said Charles F. Kettering, “because we will have to spend the rest of our lives there.”
Eugene Kettering gave his personal collection of several hundred model planes to the Museum for perpetual care.
The inspiration for future planning comes from our visitors who marvel at the examples of innovation and scientific achievements throughout the Museum.
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ver the last decade, Museum leaders have developed a bold plan to better tell the story of the Air Force’s contribution in war and peace to the nation’s historical and technological development. Since its creation a half century ago, the Museum exhibits and programs have introduced visitors to Air Force history and culture from World War I to the challenges of the post-Cold War years. Existing galleries feature the courageous men and women who sacrificed their lives in the name of freedom and the history of the Air Force’s contribution to aviation. Yet untold in the main Museum complex are the stories of the Air Force’s contribution to space, its role transporting the President of the United States and other VIPs, and its contribution to global airlift missions. A new fourth building will provide the opportunity for the Museum to: •Teach millions of individuals about the rich history of the Air Force space program, explaining the vital Air Force, NASA, and aerospace industry partnerships; •Bring greater attention and exposure to the collection of Presidential aircraft and the related stories that help illustrate the history of the Air Force, America, and the world; and •Explain the concept and impact of Air Force Global Reach across the spectrum of peacekeeping, military, and humanitarian relief operations. The expanded story of the Air Force’s contribution to the nation’s development will be featured in three new galleries. THE SPACE GALLERY will illustrate the Air Force’s extensive history and fundamental role in supporting our nation’s space program. The Museum already proudly exhibits Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space capsules along with Thor and Titan missiles. Expanded exhibits will include a crew compartment trainer and other artifacts from the space shuttle program, a range of early developmental aircraft such as an X-15 and an X-24A, and modern satellites and booster systems, such as the Titan IV, spanning the history of the space age and exemplifying the Air Force’s vast reconnaissance, early warning, communications, and other space capabilities. The Air Force has been involved in every aspect of space exploration from the beginning. The new Space Gallery will capture the historical narrative of the Air Force role in this technological evolution and human drama. For Museum visitors, the interpretive exhibits will provide the opportunity for a personal encounter and interaction with the history and advances in technology that have helped shape our daily lives.
THE PRESIDENTIAL AIRCRAFT GALLERY will allow visitors to experience the Museum’s Presidential aircraft collection in the main Museum complex. The Presidential collection is one of the Museum’s most popular exhibits, but its location severely restricts accessibility, and new technology can help tell its story in a far more exciting way. Currently, the Presidential collection is housed in a special hangar, one mile from the main Museum complex in a controlled-access area of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Visitors only can see the collection by signing up for one of seven daily, hour-long bus tours, and less than 10% of the Museum’s regular visitors are able to make the trip. The collection of Presidential aircraft includes: Douglas C-54 “Sacred Cow” – The first Presidential transport aircraft well known for its use by Franklin Delano Roosevelt to travel to the Yalta Conference. A special elevator was installed below the fuselage to get Roosevelt into the plane in his wheelchair. It is on this aircraft that President Truman signed the National Security Act (1947) creating the United States Air Force. Douglas VC-118 “Independence” – Also used by President Truman, the plane that took him to the famous meeting on Wake Island with General MacArthur during the Korean War. Lockheed VC-121 “Columbine” – The plane used by President Eisenhower throughout his administration. Boeing VC-137, SAM 26000 – The plane used by every President from John F. Kennedy through William J. Clinton. This is the aircraft that flew President Kennedy’s body to Washington on November 22, 1963. It was in the middle cabin of this plane that Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn into office as the nation’s 36th president. THE GLOBAL REACH GALLERY will demonstrate the importance of airlift in military, government, and humanitarian missions. Providing airlift is a major mission of the U.S. Air Force, and it forms a critical part of the Air Force’s ability to maintain Global Reach. To tell this vital airlift story, the Museum has acquired the most famous individual airlifter in Air Force history, the C-141 Starlifter known world-round as the Hanoi Taxi. Not only was this remarkable aircraft the first C-141 to carry our POWs out of North Vietnam, but it served a long career maintaining Global Reach. Other significant aircraft to be included in this exhibit include the C-5 Galaxy and the C-130E Hercules.
National Museum
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U n i t e d S t a t e s A i r F o r c e速
THE FOURTH BUILDING Lieutenant General John L. Hudson, USAF (ret), Museum Director, and Lieutenant General Richard V. Reynolds, USAF (ret), Chairman of the Air Force Museum Foundation Board of Managers, with a model of the projected new building.
PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS The fourth building will be approximately 224,000 square feet and be built to modern standards including LEED Silver certification. The estimated project cost is $48 million. The new galleries will provide unprecedented opportunities to expand educational programming, especially in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). From exploration of the human factors of sustained duration space flight to the study of advanced communication systems for guidance and control of space vehicles or Presidential aircraft, new exhibits and programs will capture visitors’ imaginations and inspire future generations of scientists and engineers.
Please join the Air Force Museum Foundation in this important effort to tell America’s story to the world.
When you see a vapor trail in the golden light of dawn, that flight likely began as a model tugging a child’s mind toward the infinite blue above – a child whose future may be shaped by a visit to this hallowed hall of dreams.
Throughout the year, the Museum hosts heritage and family events. Summer also brings the Freedom’s Call Military Tattoo to the Museum grounds, where Air Force families, as well as the public, are entertained and amazed.
As in all great repositories of history, we will come face to face with an artifact or narrative that will move us. The whisperings of courage, dedication and sublime sacrifice leave us only with a single response, often observed here ‌ silent reverence.
Throughout the year, the Museum hosts heritage and family events. Summer also brings the Freedom’s Call Military Tattoo to the Museum grounds, where Air Force families, as well as the public, are entertained and amazed.
As in all great repositories of history, we will come face to face with an artifact or narrative that will move us. The whisperings of courage, dedication and sublime sacrifice leave us only with a single response, often observed here ‌ silent reverence.
Throughout the year, the Museum hosts heritage and family events. Summer also brings the Freedom’s Call Military Tattoo to the Museum grounds, where Air Force families, as well as the public, are entertained and amazed.
,yrotsih fo seirotisoper taerg lla ni sA na htiw ecaf ot ecaf emoc lliw ew .su evom lliw taht evitarran ro tcafitra noitacided ,egaruoc fo sgnirepsihw ehT htiw ylno su evael ecfiircas emilbus dna ‌ ereh devresbo netfo ,esnopser elgnis a .ecnerever tnelis
Throughout the year, the Museum hosts heritage and family events. Summer also brings the Freedom’s Call Military Tattoo to the Museum grounds, where Air Force families, as well as the public, are entertained and amazed.
,yrotsih fo seirotisoper taerg lla ni sA na htiw ecaf ot ecaf emoc lliw ew .su evom lliw taht evitarran ro tcafitra noitacided ,egaruoc fo sgnirepsihw ehT htiw ylno su evael ecfiircas emilbus dna ‌ ereh devresbo netfo ,esnopser elgnis a .ecnerever tnelis
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he dream of flight has been a part of human yearning since the dawn of recorded time; that dream becomes reality at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force 速 .
A Publication of the Air Force Museum Foundation, Inc. This is a private organization. It is not a part of the Department of Defense or any of its components, and it has no governmental status. On the cover: The National Museum of the United States Air Force速 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio