Prairie Aviation Museum

Prairie Aviation Museum
Prairie Aviation Museum is located in Illinois
Prairie Aviation Museum
Location within Illinois
LocationBloomington, Illinois
Coordinates40°29′17″N 88°55′34″W / 40.488°N 88.926°W / 40.488; -88.926
TypeAviation museum
FounderNorm Wingler
Websitewww.prairieaviationmuseum.org

The Prairie Aviation Museum is an aviation museum located at Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington, Illinois.

History

In 1982, a group of aviation enthusiasts led by Norm Wingler established the Gooney Bird Chapter of the Heritage in Flight Museum with the goal of acquiring and restoring a Douglas DC-3. However, due to legal and financial concerns the chapter decided to form the independent Prairie Aviation Museum in 1983.[1][2][3] The following year, the museum purchased a Douglas C-53 Skytrooper at an auction in Rockdale, Texas and flew it back to Indiana.[4][5][6] To complement the new acquisition, construction began on a 2,592 sq ft (240.8 m2) building in 1988.[7]

The museum opened a new exhibit featuring oral history interviews with World War II veterans in 1995.[8]

The museum's C-53 was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996.[9] The historic designation was intended to help the museum qualify for funds that could be used to construct a new building.[10]

The museum opened a Challenger Learning Center in the former airport terminal in 2003, but was forced to transfer operations to the Heartland Community College due to a financial shortfall.[11][12][13] Further complications ensued and in 2009 the museum was forced to sell its DC-3, as it could no longer afford to maintain it in airworthy condition.[14] The museum again began developing a focus on space in 2010 and as part of this effort renovated the building in 2015.[15][16]

Exhibits

Exhibits at the museum include an airport beacon and a Link Trainer.[17][18]

Collection

An A-7 and A-4 on display at the museum

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^ Wagely, June (9 May 1982). "Organization Seeks Assistance to Start Local Aircraft Museum". The Pantagraph. p. A4. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  2. ^ Zehr, Melinda (22 August 1993). "Norm Wingler Proved Dreams Can Fly". The Pantagraph. p. 2. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  3. ^ "History of PAM". Prairie Aviation Museum. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  4. ^ Marquardt, Susan (9 February 1984). "Old Plane Fanciers Land Museum Piece". The Pantagraph. p. A5. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  5. ^ Zehr, Melinda (16 December 1985). "Plane Lovers Give 'Miss Moss Back' Her Second Wind". The Pantagraph. p. A3. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  6. ^ Thompson, Stephen A. (21 August 1996). "The DC-3: Aviation History Graces Bloomington Skies". Journal Gazette. p. C1. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  7. ^ Raker, Dan (24 March 1988). "Aviation Museum to Spread Wings in New Home". The Pantagraph. p. A3. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  8. ^ Moewe, Karen (18 August 1995). "B-N Exhibit Honors Fliers of WWII". The Pantagraph. p. A3. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  9. ^ Pierce, Victoria (19 October 1996). "Restored DC-3 Flies into History". The Pantagraph. p. A5. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  10. ^ Richardson, Scott (26 April 1997). "Aviation Museum Gets Lift". The Pantagraph. p. A5. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  11. ^ Wolfe, Sharon K. (17 December 2003). "Visitors Up to the Challenge". The Pantagraph. p. A3. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  12. ^ Mannlein, Arlene (5 March 2004). "Old Terminal Transformed". Herald & Review. p. 8. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  13. ^ Steinbacher, Michele (3 June 2007). "Challenger Center Seeks Rescue Mission". Pantagraph. pp. A1, A8. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  14. ^ Ford, Mary Ann (14 April 2009). "An Icon Leaves for Bluer Skies". The Pantagraph. pp. A1, A12. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  15. ^ Guetersloh, M. K. (19 March 2010). "Eyes on the Stars". The Pantagraph. pp. A1, A10. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  16. ^ Ford, Mary Ann (31 March 2015). "Prairie Aviation Museum Looking Up". The Pantagraph. p. A3. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  17. ^ "Airport Beacon". Prairie Aviation Museum. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  18. ^ "Link Trainer". Prairie Aviation Museum. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  19. ^ "Bell AH-1J SeaCobra". Prairie Aviation Museum. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  20. ^ "Bell UH-1H Iroquois (Huey)". Prairie Aviation Museum. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  21. ^ "Cessna 310". Prairie Aviation Museum. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  22. ^ "Grumman F-14D Tomcat". Prairie Aviation Museum. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  23. ^ "Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star". Prairie Aviation Museum. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  24. ^ Mays, Gary (16 July 1994). "Historic T-33 Jet Makes Slow 'Flight' to Airport Museum". The Pantagraph. p. A4. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  25. ^ "Vought A-7A Corsair II". Prairie Aviation Museum. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  26. ^ "McDonnell-Douglas A-4M Skyhawk". Prairie Aviation Museum. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  27. ^ "McDonnell-Douglas F-4N Phantom II". Prairie Aviation Museum. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  28. ^ "North American F-100 Super Sabre". Prairie Aviation Museum. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  29. ^ "Northrop T-38A Talon". Prairie Aviation Museum. Retrieved 19 October 2022.

Bibliography

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Prairie Aviation Museum.