Museum of Flying
  Museums location in Santa Monica, CA | |||
| Former name | Douglas Museum and Library | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Established | November 1974 | ||
| Location | Santa Monica, California | ||
| Coordinates | 34°01′01″N 118°27′10″W / 34.016811°N 118.452798°W | ||
| Type | Aircraft museum | ||
| Key holdings |
Aircraft
Artifacts
| ||
| Founder | Donald Douglas, Jr. | ||
| Director | Daniel Ryan[1] | ||
| President | David G. Price[1] | ||
| Website |
www | ||
| |||
The Museum of Flying is a private non-profit air and space museum in Santa Monica, California. It was founded in 1974 as the Douglas Museum and Library, renamed the Museum of Flying in 1989, closed in 2002, and reopened in 2012 in a new facility. The Museum exhibits the history of aviation, focusing on aviation history in Southern California.
History
Originally founded in 1974 by Donald Douglas Jr. as the Douglas Museum and Library located on the South side of the Santa Monica Airport, the Museum migrated to the North side of the Airport and reopened as the Museum of Flying in April 1989. The Museum gradually grew to a collection of over 50 vintage aircraft, many of which were built in Southern California and are still in flight-ready condition.[2][3]
The museum's collection of artifacts, exhibits, and aviation art chronicle the development of aviation in Southern California. The anchor aircraft for the Museum was the Douglas World Cruiser, "New Orleans" which made the first circumnavigation of the globe along with its sister ship, "Chicago", in 1924. The "Chicago" now resides at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air & Space Museum.
Over the next several years, the museum played host to many historic and memorable special events and activities, including "A Walk on the Moon" in 1999 in which seven NASA lunar astronauts were present and honored for their advancement in the discovery of space and the moon. In 2000, the museum held the 60th Commemorative Anniversary of the Battle of Britain. Attendees at this event witnessed first-hand accounts of this epic air battle, live and in person from several RAF and Luftwaffe pilots who joined us for this milestone occasion.
One of the most popular programs of the Museum was the children's A's Award Flight Program. On pre-selected dates, children achieving the letter grade "A" in any academic subject could receive a free airplane ride as a reward for dedication toward education. The museum also featured a number of other educational programs for both children and adults; including weekend family workshops and a volunteer presentation series.
The Museum was forced to temporarily close in July 2002 due to economic challenges. Since that time, Museum officials have been in discussion with the City of Santa Monica on a suitable new location at the Santa Monica Airport. Recently, the Museum executed a lease agreement with the City of Santa Monica for the leasehold at 3100 Airport Avenue. The new Museum expansion and remodeling project is estimated to cost nearly $2 million. Construction and the Capital Campaign to support it are in progress.
Exhibits and features
The Museum of Flying at the Santa Monica Airport in Santa Monica, California, features a display and exhibit area of nearly 22,000 square feet (2,000 m2).
The new Museum provides displays and interpretive exhibits on the history of flight and the development and growth of the aviation and aerospace industry in Southern California. The Museum places heavy emphasis on the Douglas Aircraft Company and the history of the Santa Monica Airport.
The new Museum features nearly two dozen aircraft chronicling flight from its beginning with a replica Wright Flyer, all the way to the jet age, with the BD-5 micro jet and the FedEx Boeing 727 nose section. The Museum also features a broad collection of aviation art, rare artifacts, and ephemera from famous aviators, as well as an extensive collection of photographs of historic aircraft and aircraft manufacturing.[4]
The museum creates a hands-on interactive and education center for children that includes a Lockheed T-33 cockpit trainer, a Convair 240 nose, and the world famous Jimmy Babinski K-3 mini flight simulator that allows children to learn about pitch, yaw, and roll. The Jimmy Babinski K-3 flight simulator also known as "The Babinskinator K-3000" was developed after years of extensive research and trials by Mr. Babinski. If lucky, one can meet Mr. Babinski as he is known to volunteer on the weekends giving extensive tours. Unfortunately, in the new year Mr. Babinski was forced out amidst other rumors, taking the opportunity to retire to Bhutan and breed racing yaks, while advising the Bhutanese government on improving Paro Airport.
The Mezzanine of the new Museum features a recreation of the Douglas Aircraft Company Executive Board room, and a recreation of the office of Donald W. Douglas, Founder & Chairman of the Douglas Aircraft Company. The mezzanine also houses the new Museum Theater and Screening Room.
New to the museum is the FS 3000 simulator which offers 360 degrees of full range motion with surround sound and HD 3-D capabilities. This is the only simulator of its kind in the Los Angeles area.
References
Notes
Bibliography
- Ogden, Bob. Aviation Museums and Collections of North America. Sudbourne, UK: Air-Britain, 2007. ISBN 978-0-85130-385-7.
- Parker, Dana T. Building Victory: Aircraft Manufacturing in the Los Angeles Area in World War II. Cypress, California: Dana T. Parker Books, 2013. ISBN 978-0-9897906-0-4.