AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2008 - 16d

CALIFORNIAFLYING mini-door in the side of the “fuselage,” a wooden cover is closed. The box not only yaws and rolls in response to inputs from the trainee-in-the-box, but it also has tiny wings and tail surfaces. California pilots are fortunate that many of the state’s aviation museums are much more than a collection of gutted fuselages. These are living museums that restore rare airplanes to ﬂying status. Museums such as the Planes of Fame at the Chino Airport; the Commemorative Air Force, Southern California Wing, at Camarillo Airport; and the Wings of History museum at the South County Airport in San Martin, to A United Airlines DC–3 (above) and a Cessna L–19 “Bird Dog” are on display at the Western Museum of Flight in Torrance. Roy Wolford (below) signs a photograph for a visitor at the museum’s opening. Wolford was Northrop Aircraft’s photographer for 55 years. Flying back in time California even has a fly-in time machine museum festivity that transports visitors back to the airplanes and big band days of World War II. The Central California Historical Military Museum holds its fundraiser every year at Eagle Field in Dos Palos, California. This small (2,300-foot long) airport was an Army Air Forces training base beginning in 1942. Every year this special-use airport, located 12.3 miles from the Panoche VOR on the 010 radial, hums with activity for two days in June. In 2007, more than 1,000 dinners were served during the Saturday night dinner, dance, and reunion celebration. Fly-in and drive-in visitors are welcome. Almost all of the California aviation museums welcome volunteers. Those with the technical skills and experience to work on airplanes are prized, but that doesn’t mean that novices and youngsters with a yen to learn and a willingness to work aren’t welcome. Volunteering at an aviation museum can lead to many rewarding experiences. My wife was working on the maintenance crew of “Executive Sweet,” a B-25J Mitchell based in Camarillo, California, when I met her. California is home to more than 30 aviation museums. Next time you’re looking for a flying destination, or when weather is keeping you on the ground at a California airport, ﬁnd the nearest museum—you’ll quickly come to appreciate the last 50 years of aviation progress. E-mail the author at steve.ells@ aopa.org. name only a few, do maintain and fly their exhibits. The Planes of Fame Air Museum has an inventory of 156 aircraft. Fifty-seven are in flying status. Many are flown during monthly air shows. These outﬁts also have impressive collections of non-flyable airplanes and other aviation artifacts. Many of these museums concentrate on military aircraft, but not all. A replica of an Avitor hangs from the ceiling of the Hiller Museum located on the west side of San Carlos Airport. The museum cites the Avitor as the ﬁrst heavierthan-air aircraft with a three-axis control system. Powered by a one-horsepower steam engine, this unmanned ship flew one mile in 1869. Although there are only a handful of piston-driven engine manufacturers today, engine manufacturers from yesteryear such as Menasco, Salmson, Kinner, Pobjoy, and Cirrus grace the halls of the Wings of History Museum adjacent to South County Airport. A replica of the Montgolfier balloon—the first craft to overcome the forces of gravity and AOPA PILOT • 16-D • MARCH 2008 become airborne (in 1783) as well as Leonardo De Vinci’s conception of a flying machine—his Ornithopter—are examples of how the Aerospace Museum at Balboa Park in San Diego has illustrated progress in flight. The USS Hornet Museum, aboard the famous World War II-era aircraft carrier, is docked in Alameda harbor. It provides a glimpse into carrier aviation.

AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - March 2008