Museum of Flight and Aerial Firefighting

Museum of Flight and Aerial Firefighting
Museum of Flight and Aerial Firefighting is located in Wyoming
Museum of Flight and Aerial Firefighting
Location within Wyoming
Established1987 (1987)
LocationGreybull, Wyoming
Coordinates44°30′37″N 108°05′06″W / 44.5104°N 108.0851°W / 44.5104; -108.0851
TypeAviation museum
Websitewww.museumofflight.us

The Museum of Flight and Aerial Firefighting is an aviation museum located at the South Big Horn County Airport in Greybull, Wyoming focused on the history of aerial firefighting.

History

Hawkins and Powers Aviation was founded at the airport in 1969 as an aerial firefighting outfit. It maintained a large collection of stored airtankers remained as a boneyard at the airport and, over time, a number of the airframes were towed to the south side of the airport and a small museum was opened in 1992.[1][2] The museum was initially established five years prior, when the company became embroiled in the U.S. Forest Service airtanker scandal, in which former U.S. military aircraft that were allegedly to go to the Forest Service in exchange for older retired military aircraft instead ended up in the hands of private companies. This was followed by a pair of accidents which led to the grounding of their fleet and the company was sold in 2006.[3][4][5]

Exhibits

Museum interior

Exhibits include a memorial to the flight crews killed in the 2002 airtanker crashes.[6]

Collection

Consolidated PB4Y Privateer

References

  1. ^ Prevost, Ruffin (31 January 2006). "Greybull Aviation Firm Slowly Grew Mighty, Hit Bottom Fast". Billings Gazette. p. 10A. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  2. ^ "Greybull Company Plans Aircraft Museum". Casper Star-Tribune. AP. 25 May 1992. p. B1. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  3. ^ "Our History". Museum of Flight and Aerial Firefighting. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  4. ^ "Former Aerial Firefighting Giant, Industry Facing Uncertain Futures". Daily Sentinel. Associated Press. 25 December 2005. p. 5B. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  5. ^ Prevost, Ruffin (16 February 2006). "Greybull Aircraft Company Bought". Billings Gazette. pp. 1C, 11C. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  6. ^ Rossi, Andrew (2 September 2023). "Wyoming Places: Greybull's Seriously Cool — And Rare — Military Planes". Cowboy State Daily. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "About our Aircraft". Museum of Flight and Aerial Firefighting. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  8. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Beech C-45F Expeditor, s/n 44-87201 USAF, c/n 8460, c/r N7391C". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  9. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar, s/n 22108 RCAF, c/n 10773, c/r N5215R". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  10. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar, s/n 22113 RCAF, c/n 10824, c/r N3935". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 25 November 2023.