RESTORATION UPDATES

HANGAR NEwS

MUSEUM EDUCATION

EVENTS IN REVIEW

As we move into the winter of 2020, we have had an opportunity to look back

over the impact that this year has had on the museum. I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has continued to support the museum during this difficult year, whether as members, donors or volunteers. It is clear that we are by no means out-of-the-woods yet, and the museum staff as well as our dedicated Volunteers continue to find ways to adapt our operations to further prioritize guest safety, cleanliness and to resume some of our regular programs with an added emphasis on social distancing.

Losing the opportunity to host all three of our major air show events in a single year has certainly presented the museum with a financial hurdle to overcome. However, these unusual times have also given us the opportunity to focus on what really matters to our museum – creating engaging educational experiences leveraging a world-class collection of airworthy vintage military aircraft. While it has not been easy, staff and volunteers have found a range of creative ways to keep forging ahead with our mission amidst a sea of regulations and vital public health guidance.

We are especially thankful to those members and donors who made contributions during the 11 weeks that the museum was closed by Executive Order (Don’t forget that

memberships active during the closure have been credited with an additional 11 weeks, to make up for the time we were closed!). These contributions ensured that we could retain our excellent staff and allowed the museum to be well positioned to re-open when it was safe to do so. I am pleased to say that the support we enjoyed from our community, when taken alongside grants we were able to receive, including CARES Act Support from Virginia Humanities, allowed us to avoid laying off a single employee.

Responsibilities shifted as staff stepped into non-traditional roles. Our part-time Museum Store staff supported our educators in creating behind the scenes video content out on the flight line, and everyone pitched in to remodel the Museum Store.

It has been a tough year for us, just as it has been for businesses across our community, with service interruptions and cancelled activities, and patience needed from all parties as we navigate the ever-changing landscape of what some are calling the new normal. However, with 2020 drawing to a close, we wanted this edition of Prop Noise to focus on everything that the museum has been able to achieve and all of the positivity that has come from redoubling our commitment to our mission in the face of adversity. We hope to see you all out at the museum soon!

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”With 2020 drawing to a close, we wanted this edition of Prop Noise to focus on everything that the museum has been able to achieve and all of the positivity that has come from redoubling our commitment to our mission in the face of adversity.

from the

from the

DirectorDirector

2020, A YEAR IN REVIEW | 1

TBM Avenger

�TBM second engine run

ReStoratioN

ReStoratioN

UPDATESUPDATES

T he team at the Fighter Factory has completed the restoration of our Avenger!

After an unfortunate mishap several years back, the aircraft required extensive overhaul. Waylaid by the need to create several complex custom parts, the restoration has progressed slowly but surely. Shortly before the conclusion of the restoration effort, Fighter Factory General Manager Tom Kurtz said, “As with any long-term project, we are always filled with excitement as we near completion. We all hope that our efforts have contributed in some small way to keeping WWII history alive.”

With a freshly overhauled engine, propeller and reconstructed cowling fitted, the aircraft was subjected to an extensive series of test runs and test flights before being returned to the museum for display. Now able to be viewed from the Navy Hangar, the Avenger was flown for the public on October 24th and will be included in our flying schedule again next year.

Originally designed by Grumman, 7,546 of the 9,837 Avengers produced during World War II were actually manufactured by General

Motors. Our TBM-3E (BuNo 53454) is one produced by General Motors and built at the Eastern Aircraft Division plant in Trenton, New Jersey. Delivered to the Navy on May 26, 1945, the aircraft did not see combat service during World War II, but features in the museum collection as a representation of the overall type.

Avengers, although originally developed as a carrier-based torpedo bomber to replace the obsolete TBD Devastator, would become widely used as conventional bombers, mine layers, scouts, anti-submarine patrol aircraft and even electronic countermeasures platforms across the fleet. From its first service in combat at the Battle of Midway, the Avenger would see service throughout the rest of the war with the US Navy and Marine Corps.

Our Avenger once again wears the markings of US Navy Ace Captain Richard “Zeke” Cormier of Compost Squadron 1 (VC-1) based on the USS Card (CVE-11). Cormier became an ace while flying the F6F Hellcat in the Pacific following his 75 Atlantic combat missions in the Avenger.

TBM in the shop before engine install and propeller fitting �

In addition to the Avenger being back on display in the Navy Hangar, she

is joined by the museum’s Stearman Biplane, also fresh from a restoration. The Stearman has received an extensive overhaul and has received all new fabric, control surfaces and a fresh coat of paint. This airplane is a fan-favorite and we are pleased to have it back in the air, with its first flight post restoration taking place on August 13th. Although our Ride Program has not yet resumed, our war veteran Stearman is now ready, willing and able!

Our Stearman, although marked as a US Navy N2S, was actually built in 1941 as a PT-17 Model A75N1 (serial number 41-25254) for the U.S. Army Air Corps. It served as a Primary Trainer throughout the war and remained in service until retired in 1945. The airplane, like so many others, was saved from the scrap heap by being used as an aerial applicator or crop duster. It was among the first airplanes to be placed on display at the Military Aviation Museum.

2 | RESTORATION UPDATES

Stearman

A Remodeled Lobby & New Museum Store

Although regulations required we close to the public through part of

our busiest season, the museum used this time to complete some much needed renovations that were begun during the winter. The primary focus of this effort was to create a new, more open space for our museum Store, and to adjust the entry experience for our guests. This new entry design was aimed at allowing our visitors to more quickly immerse themselves in aviation history and the museum’s remarkable collection of aircraft and artifacts from the World Wars.

Our museum Store in its previous location was rapidly outgrowing its limited space and more room was needed to showcase our great range of items, as well as to introduce some new ones! Some of the new items include vintage beach bags and totes made out of recycled army tents (a fast favorite!) as well as an expanded range of buildable warbird kits by Cobi. We have also made it easier to shop online for all of your favorite items and will be running several sales during the holiday season,

so keep an eye out on our Facebook and Instagram for our featured items.

The museum’s main floor exhibits have also been expanded to include some new items that have been in storage at the museum, including several unidentified pieces that visitors can help identify! Our engine exhibit now includes a cutaway Me-262 engine allowing visitors to look inside one of the war’s most significant and secret technological accomplishments, the first jet engine to be fitted to an operational combat aircraft!

The museum staff also took the opportunity to refresh the bathrooms on the main floor, with further improvements coming for our lobby and first floor exhibits in the near future.

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Visitors are welcome at the Museum Store even if they do not wish to purchase an admission to the museum. Much of our catalog is available for purchase online as well, with on-site pickup as an available option.

RESTORATION UPDATES | 3

Stearman

Rescheduled from its date earlier in 2020, the Arsenal of Democracy

Flyover was one of the most anticipated events on our schedule for this year. The plan was to join up with private collectors, and flying museums from all across the country, and to fly more than 70 Warbirds down the National Mall in Washington D.C. in celebration of the men and women who built, flew and maintained them during the war years, as well as highlighting the contributions airpower made to the overall Allied victory in WWII.

Our aircraft and their crews were made ready for the event over several weeks, and while security and safety precautions had to be met on board all participating aircraft, our PBY Catalina, Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane, FG-1D Corsair, FM-2 Wildcat, P-40 Warhawk and de Havilland

Mosquito made it to the staging airport in Culpeper, Virginia. Sadly, the weather did not cooperate, and the flyover was moved to its rain date, before ultimately being scrubbed altogether due to the weather conditions.

In spite of the weather, the Arsenal of Democracy team, supported by the AOPA and CAF staff, put together an amazing live broadcast featuring veteran’s interviews and amazing segments detailing the incredible effort that was mounted to produce aircraft and win the war. While many were disappointed that the airplanes were not able to fly as planned, the true mission of the event – calling attention to the incredible sacrifices and tremendous efforts made by the Greatest Generation – was accomplished.

Arsenal of Democracy: 75th World War II Victory Commemoration Flyover

When the Novel Coronavirus emerged late in 2019, plans were already underway

across the United States to mark the 75th Anniversary of the end of World War II. With bans on public gatherings in place across the country and many events intended to coincide with VE Day on May 8th postponed, the museum decided to take its celebration online!

Theresa Eaman, a voice familiar to any who have attended one of our air shows or events in the past, suggested to us that we host a special concert without an in-house audience and broadcast it live from one of our display hangars. With minimal personnel on site, extensive safety precautions taken throughout the performance, and Theresa’s considerable talent, the performance brought a little bit of World War II’s can-do spirit to everyone in the safety of their home.

Featuring the museum’s de Havilland Mosquito as her co-star, Eaman’s set list included period hits like We’ll Meet Again, I’m Beginning to See the Light and Danny Boy, performed in front of her USO Camp Show banner. If you missed the concert live, a recording is available on our Facebook page!

75th Anniversary of VE Day Concert Livestream

Theresa Eaman in the midst of her performance in the Military Aviation Museum Army hangar �

haNGARhaNGARNEwSNEwS

”We must be the great arsenal of democracy.– PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

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4 | HANGAR NEWS

Summer of Flight: Experience History First Hand!

The Military Aviation Museum has always been much more than just

airplanes and historic hangars! We strive to share the stories of the people who built, maintained, flew and fought in these remarkable aircraft. The men and women whose stories are immortalized by these airplanes made an indelible impact on the world, and Summer of Flight is one of the best ways to experience this history as it roars to life on the flight line.

Now concluding its third year as the flying season draws to a close, Summer of Flight this year ran from June 20th – September 26th, with a surprise 5 week extension through the end of October thanks to ongoing good flying weather. Two subsequent weekends in November were also added to include fan-favorites; our German 8.8cm Flak Gun and our Replica Argus Pulsejet Engine (as would have powered a V-1 Flying Bomb).

Throughout the summer, Saturdays at 1pm (weather and maintenance permitting), saw a cavalcade of airplanes take to the sky, with different featured aircraft and different stories to be told each week.

Flying the Flag on the Fourth of JulyWe were pleased to have been invited to support the City of Virginia Beach in its Fourth of July observance. Five of our most iconic American aircraft from World War II and the Cold War overflew the oceanfront at scheduled intervals throughout the day, providing beachgoers a front row seat to a patriotic aerial parade! This intense schedule of operations meant that Summer of Flight extended from Noon until 5 p.m., treating visitors to a great show of airplanes being launched and recovered throughout the day!

Recreating WWII Carrier OperationsOn July 11th, our TBM Avenger and our FM-2 Wildcat gave guests a terrific opportunity to see how the Navy conducted carrier operations during World War II. Packed tightly, wings folded in a space just 40 feet shorter than a real aircraft carrier deck, visitors witnessed wingfolds, engine runs and eventually a carrier style take-off from our Wildcat as a special tribute to our tailhook aviators!

The Few This Summer marked the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain, fought in 1940. As one of the few collections in the world home to a Spitfire and a Hurricane, we invited Summer of Flight attendees to help us mark the occasion with a special demonstration on September 19th. Sadly, the weather prevented us from flying, but both airplanes and their iconic Rolls-Royce Merlin engines were run up for the crowd.

De Havilland Centennial As one of the largest collections of de Havilland aircraft outside the UK, it seemed only right that we offer a stateside celebration of the company’s 100th Anniversary. Delayed one week from the anniversary date by our efforts to support the Arsenal of Democracy event, we were able to send our Tiger Moth, Chipmunk and the Mosquito into the air on October 3rd.

Summer of Flight is included with a regular Museum Admission and is free for museum members.

Worried about missing out on the great performances scheduled for 2021? Join now to ensure free access to all of the 2021 Summer of Flight Performances.

HANGAR NEWS | 5

With the museum’s mission being principally one of education, the

mandatory closure of the museum presented an unusual challenge. How could we share military aviation history with an audience that is unable to visit the museum as part of a school group or family trip? Our Education Department turned to social media to help carry exciting learning opportunities into people’s homes.

With staff from across the museum stepping up to support the effort, a considerable number of videos were

produced in-house to help our community stay connected to the museum. The majority of what was generated gave people behind the scenes opportunities to see how our aircraft are maintained and operated, with educational tidbits woven in. Cumulatively, these videos featuring pilot interviews, maintenance run-ups and in-flight footage from the cockpit have been viewed more than 800,000 times.

In addition to these videos, Museum Educator Abby Fulton created a series of short Hands-On at Home films designed to

provide families with experiments that could be performed inside their homes to learn about the forces of flight! Each experiment was designed to make use of materials they likely already had at home! This series of 5 videos was viewed more than 13,000 times.

While we have returned to more conventional programming in the museum, we continue to work on educational content for our social media pages since not everyone is able to visit again yet, particularly our international guests and members who live outside Virginia.

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Veterans Day Webinar

MUSEUM MUSEUM

EDUCATION

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Education Programs Continue at Home through Pandemic

In observance of Veterans Day 2020, the museum hosted a special edition of its

ongoing webinar programming that took us outside of our traditional focus on the World Wars. Joined by author and veteran Eileen Bjorkman, USAF (ret.), attendees were taken back through history to examine the US military’s commitment to leave no one behind. The presentation traced the evolution of combat search and rescue from World War II through the Vietnam War. The presentation also looked at the ongoing multi-year efforts to bring everyone home, including the emergence of POW/MIA repatriation efforts, and more recent endeavors to address post traumatic stress.

When it became apparent that the effort to flatten the curve across Virginia

would not be a matter of just a few weeks, the museum began an online speaker series as a way to stay connected with our members and volunteers. These programs were each designed to allow participants to take a deep dive into aviation history along with a guest speaker who would lead the exploration of a different aircraft, battle, or dimension of the Warbird community.

The webinars have been supported by donations and contributions from those who have been enjoying them. During the

lockdown period we hosted 24 sessions with topics ranging from How to fly a Sunderland Flyingboat to an Aerial Photography How-to with industry legend Paul Bowen!

Understanding that the opening of the museum in June would still not mean that all of our volunteers, or our at-risk visitors would be able to come visit right away, we made the decision to keep the webinar program going throughout the rest of the year. Our second season, rescheduled to Wednesday nights, featured amazing programs that looked at topics as varied as The Women Airforce Service Pilots, Marine Corps Aviators in WWII, The Role

of Aviation in Finland’s Winter War, and the Post-War use of Warbirds in the Middle East.

Having welcomed more than 17,000 participants, it is clear that our webinars are serving their purpose of keeping people engaged with military and aviation history, and we have already begun scheduling efforts for 2021!

Missed a Webinar? Visit the Archive! www.militaryaviationmuseum.org/webinar-archive/ to view the recordings!

To be the first to receive the schedule, sign up for our newsletter at https://qrgo.page.link/Rhdq8

MUSEUM EDUCATION | 7

Military Aviation Museum Webinar Program a Success

Warbirds Aviation Summer Camp

One of our most popular annual programs for young people is our Summer Camp.

After bringing our first full-time educator on board in 2019, we were very excited for a large expansion to our offerings in 2020. While this major expansion did not happen quite according to plan, we were able to host our Camp Programs with reduced capacities, spread over a longer period, to give as many families an opportunity to participate as possible.

After a careful review of the CDC’s guidelines for Summer Camps as well as recommendations from the Virginia Department of Health, and the issuance of a statement outlining our efforts to keep campers safe, we were able to welcome small groups of campers to the museum in June, July and August.

Our camps have always been a great way for young people to connect with engineering, science and history, and 2020 was no different. Offering a variety of different session focuses during the course of the summer, campers had unique opportunities to interact with our aircraft, work alongside veteran engineers and pilots, and so much more. Campers followed (virtually) in the footsteps of the Wright brothers as they discovered the science of powered flight and explored the World War II roots of modern marvels like computers, RADAR and even drones! A number of campers also had the opportunity to learn what it took to be a World War II fighter pilot and participate in the restoration of WWII equipment.

”Outstanding camp! Our son had a phenomenal time, learned a great deal. Really well rounded day hosted by a knowledgeable, welcoming and accommodating staff!

– HOLLY CONGER, AUGUST 13, 2020

I would definitely recommend this camp to all budding aviators. Special thanks to Abbey for her dedication to this camp. My son had the BEST time! Everyday he came home excited for what they had learned and the crafts they made. He looked forward to going every day! With most camps cancelled this summer it was a great relief to have this one continue.

– TRACEY RAY, AUGUST 2, 2020

””

”Although each camp session had its

own particular focus, all of our camps featured hands-on STEM challenges, special guided tours, and experiences specifically designed to inspire campers through aviation. 2020’s program offerings were geared towards students K-10, and the staff is looking forward to hosting Summer Camp once again in 2021.

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Seeing Double? The Museum Staff spotted this Ford Mustang with a striking resemblance to our own

Double Trouble Two

Although guests could not be present at the museum through the month of April, the

staff created a series of short clips available on our Facebook page that commemorated the April 18th anniversary of the daring raid that restored American morale in the wake of the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Accompanying a video of a full B-25 run-up and a short tour inside our “Wild Cargo”, we also recognized the special local connection to the raid, where a pair of B-25s were flown off the USS Hornet near Cape Henry to confirm that it could be done. Shortly after this successful test, the mission was approved and preparations began.

Museum Director of Operations Mitchell Welch, himself a Navy veteran, showcased the length of the deck run available to Doolittle’s lead B-25 by measuring 467 feet out on our ramp for an online audience as well.

Commemorating the Doolittle RaidAlthough the museum staff had hoped

to be able to re-open by Memorial Day, COVID-19 cases across the state had not reduced enough to make a conventional opening possible. A creative solution was sought to allow visitors to connect with the museum’s exciting collection of aircraft, as a way of marking Memorial Day and reflecting on America’s legacy of service and sacrifice.

With guest safety paramount to our plans, it was decided that a drive-through museum would be the perfect way to open up on such an important weekend. It took several weeks of planning and conversation with the Governor’s Office, as well as support from our local government to put together a roadmap to create a contactless experience for visitors that still captured the essence of a visit to the museum.

A special thank-you must go to Delegate Barry Knight and his staff for helping us

connect with the right people and to get timely answers to our many questions. It would not have been possible to open in this way were it not for the support we received.

Over the three day holiday weekend, the museum welcomed 1,265 cars, with an estimated total attendance of 4,000 people to the free drive-through. We debuted several new offerings to help visitors enjoy the experience from their cars. This included QR Codes linked to online videos featuring pilot interviews, behind the scenes looks at aircraft maintenance, in-flight footage, original WWII footage and even an interview with Jimmy Doolittle’s co-pilot, Lt. Col. Richard E. “Dick” Cole (shared with us by Steve Buss of Wisconsin).

We also featured a text-to-give system for the first time, allowing people to make a contribution to the museum by texting Airpower to 44-321.

Memorial Day Drive In

�Seeing Double? The museum staff spotted this Ford Mustang with a striking resemblance to our own Double Trouble Two.

�Four legged friends enjoyed the drive through as well! This is Fred taking in the sights!

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10 | EVENTS IN REVIEW

On October 31st, the museum hosted the first of what we hope will become

an annual event at the museum for families, our Hangar Halloween! With an emphasis this year on social distancing, and safely distributing candy using grabbers, the museum hosted an evening of non-scary, family friendly spooky fun!

Families were invited to walk through the hangars with Trick-or-Treating stations set up alongside fan favorite airplanes from our collection. Children 12 and under were admitted free in costume, and we certainly saw some amazing costumes throughout the night!

This free event for members also included Make-and-Take Halloween crafts, and a Scavenger Hunt that placed a Halloween spin on our aircraft collection. With space limited by the adjusted capacity in the museum, the event did sell out, and we do know that some eager Trick-or-Treaters were unable to participate this year, but we are hoping everyone will join us next time!

Hangar Halloween

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The Virginia Department of Aviation is on a mission to cultivate an advanced

aviation system across our state while promoting economic development and providing educational opportunities to our communities through aviation. We are pleased to count the department among the

many supporters of our museum, and are glad to acknowledge that their continued support of our Education Coordinator position throughout this trying time has been a big part of what has allowed us to continue offering Virtual Programming, as well as youth-focused efforts such as Summer Camp.

We know that the department, like our team here at the museum, is looking forward to what the future holds for Aviation Education in our region as we welcome the newest member of our staff team, Nicole Lutz to the Education Coordinator position recently vacated by Abby Fulton. Nicole joins us from Pennsylvania, having previous museum experience in College Park, MD and Manassas, VA as an educator.

Museum Welcomes New Educator with Support of Virginia Department of Aviation

Virginia Humanities Support for the Museum

The Military Aviation Museum was one of 110 Museums, Libraries, Historical Societies

and other cultural nonprofit organizations across the state to receive support from Virginia Humanities as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) passed by Congress in March. The grant provided much needed emergency operating funds to humanities-based organizations such as ours, that have seen their budgets dramatically impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The museum is grateful to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), its Chairman Jon Peede, and to Congress for their support of the humanities in the CARES Act. We also want to thank Virginia Humanities for working quickly to distribute the funds to those in need and we look forward to working with them in the future on subsequent grant opportunities.

Gone West

Maylea BeasleyRobert Reckner///

Doris “Rosie ” BakerJohn Resch

Chris CarterAlbert Grimstead

Jim GivenBenny Reed

Several volunteers and contributors to the museum

have passed away since the printing of our last newsletter. We will miss each of those who have Gone West, and will cherish the impact that they had on the museum during their time here; they may be gone, but are not forgotten.

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12 | 2020, A YEAR IN REVIEW

We hope you have enjoyed looking back at some of the bright spots from across 2020 through this edition of Prop Noise.

If you are interested in supporting the great work the museum is doing during this

challenging time, please consider making a donation! Donations can be made in person at the museum or over the phone by calling (757) 721-7767. You can also contribute online by visiting militaryaviationmuseum.org/donations or text-to-give by texting AIRPOWER to 44-321.

You can also support us through Amazon Smile. This donation doesn’t cost anything additional. Amazon simply donates a percentage of your purchase to the museum when the you specify us as the recipient on Smile.Amazon.com