Historic Aviation Memorial Museum

Historic Aviation Memorial Museum

Location within Texas
Established	25 January 1985 (1985-01-25)
Location	Tyler, Texas
Coordinates	32.3589°N 95.3989°W / 32.3589; -95.3989
Type	Aviation museum
Founder	Bob Layton
Website	www.tylerhamm.org

The Historic Aviation Memorial Museum is an aviation museum located at the Tyler Pounds Regional Airport in Tyler, Texas.

History

Background

The Lone Star Wing of the Confederate Air Force was established in 1981 to restore a PBY-6A and build a hangar to house it. However, before the latter could happen, the aircraft was destroyed in accident in October 1984. As a result, on 25 January 1985 he established the Historic Aircraft Memorial Foundation and began raising money for a museum.^[1][2][3]

Establishment

The museum reorganized in 1995 to focus on the construction of a museum.^[4] To that end, a three phase plan for 2,000 sq ft (190 m²) exhibit hall, 2,000 sq ft (190 m²) multipurpose hall and 13,000 sq ft (1,200 m²) hangar on the east side of the airport was announced.^[1][5]

Almost two years after construction was completed, the first phase, the Raiford L. Perry Exhibit Hall, opened on 9 June 2001.^[6][7] By that time, the organization had changed its name to the Historic Aviation Memorial Museum and construction had begun on phase two.^[1][8] The museum received its first airplane, an F-1E, on loan from the U.S. Navy in December 2001.^[9] It continued to grow, adding an F-111, F-105 and T-33 in 2004 – the latter two from the Pate Museum of Transportation.^[10][11] By July 2005, all three buildings had been completed and an F-4 had been acquired.^[5][12]

Move

The museum signed a lease for the 11,000 sq ft (1,000 m²) first floor of the old terminal building on the north side of the airport in June 2006. It began renovating the building, which opened to the public on 5 July 2007.^[13][1]

The museum received an F9F and an F-101 in 2011.^[14][15]

Facilities

A library is located at the museum.^[16]

The original museum, now used as a restoration hangar, has housed two MiG-17Fs that are part of FighterJets, Inc. since 2000.^[17][18][a]

Collection

Aircraft

Douglas AD-5 Skyraider

• Bell UH-1 Iroquois^[17]
• Cessna T-37B Tweet^[17]
• Douglas AD-5 Skyraider^[17]
• Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk^[17]
• General Dynamics F-111E Aardvark^[17]
• Grumman F9F Cougar^[17]
• Lockheed F-104A Starfighter^[17]
• Lockheed T-33^[17]
• McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II^[17]
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F^[17]
• North American F-100 Super Sabre^[17]
• North American FJ-4 Fury^[17]
• North American T-2C Buckeye^[17]
• PZL TS-11 Iskra^[17]
• Republic F-105D Thunderchief^[17]
• Sikorsky HO4S^[17]

Other

• ADM-20 Quail^[17]

Events

The museum held an annual airshow called the Thunder Over Cedar Creek Lake.^[20][21] It was replaced by the Rose City Airfest in 2021.^[22]

In 2016, the museum held the Rose City Rotor Fest featuring the American Heroes Air Show.^[23]

Programs

The museum has an educational outreach program, such as Aviation 101 Camp, and a series of heritage presentations and lectures.^[24][25]

See also

• List of aviation museums

References

Footnotes

1. One of the group's pilots was killed in a crash in September 2012.^[19]

Notes

1. "Museum History". Historic Aviation Memorial Museum. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
2. "CAF Fly-In". Tyler Courier-Times Telegraph. 7 April 1985. p. 2. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
3. Dean, Kenneth (9 December 2014). "Plane Crash Leads Aviation Museum to Open". Tyler Morning Telegraph. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
4. "An Effort to Preserve History". Tyler Courier-Times Telegraph. 1 October 1995. p. 4. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
5. May, Aaron (22 July 2005). "Flying High". Tyler Morning Telegraph. pp. 1B–2B. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
6. Seale, Senée (30 September 1999). "Acquisitions from the Past". Tyler Morning Telegraph. pp. 1, 3. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
7. Bell, Becky (27 May 2001). "Aviation Museum Taking Shape". Tyler Courier-Times Telegraph. pp. 1, 7. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
8. "Thank You Tyler and East Texas". Tyler Courier-Times Telegraph. 20 August 2000. p. 11. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
9. Wonzer, Shauna (9 December 2001). "Navy Plane Awaits Makeover by Tyler Group". Tyler Courier-Times Telegraph. pp. 1, 6. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
10. "Tyler Museum Lands Aardvark". Tyler Courier-Times Telegraph. 1 February 2004. pp. 1B, 3B. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
11. Vaughn, Chris (11 October 2004). "Air Force Treasures are Heading Elsewhere". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. pp. 1B, 6B. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
12. Taylor, Everett (8 May 2005). "Taylor's Yarns". Tyler Courier-Times Telegraph. pp. 1A, 6A. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
13. Junek, Greg (15 October 2006). "New Home for HAMM at Airport". Tyler Courier-Times Telegraph. pp. 1E, 3E. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
14. Russell, Adam (15 September 2015). "Fighter Plane Coming Back to Life at Aviation Museum". Tyler Morning Telegraph. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
15. "Airframe Dossier - McDonnell F-101B-120-MC Voodoo, s/n 59-0471 USAF, c/n 795". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
16. "Library". Historic Aviation Memorial Museum. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
17. "Military Aviation". Historic Aviation Memorial Museum. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
18. Wellerman, Zak (27 June 2021). "Pilot Who Houses Aircraft at Tyler Airport for Over 20 Years Excited to Showcase Jets at Rose City Airfest". Tyler Morning Telegraph. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
19. "Pilot Killed in Air Show Crash". Abilene Reporter-News. Associated Press. 3 September 2012. p. 2A. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
20. Campbell, Louanna (22 April 2017). "Historic Aviation Memorial Museum of Tyler Hosts Annual Fly-In". Tyler Morning Telegraph. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
21. Wick, Schuyler (1 July 2017). "Public Gets View of Air Show Jets at Tyler's Historic Aviation Memorial Museum". Tyler Morning Telegraph. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
22. Harrell, Katecey (20 April 2023). "Third Annual Rose City Airfest Will Feature Extensive Aircraft Lineup, New Concert Element". Tyler Morning Telegraph. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
23. "New Rose City Rotor Fest Will Bring Helicopters to Tyler". Tyler Morning Telegraph. 20 October 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
24. "Education". Historic Aviation Memorial Museum. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
25. Harrell, Katecey (3 June 2023). "Tyler Aviation Camp Back for Children After Pandemic Halts Program". Tyler Morning Telegraph. Retrieved 19 February 2024.

External links

• Official website