Carolinas Aviation Museum
Encyclopedia
The Carolinas Aviation Museum is an aviation museum on the grounds of Charlotte/Douglas International Airport
Charlotte/Douglas International Airport
Charlotte Douglas International Airport is a joint civil-military public international airport located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Established in 1935 as Charlotte Municipal Airport, in 1954 the airport was renamed Douglas Municipal Airport after former Charlotte mayor Ben Elbert Douglas, Sr...

 in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...

. The mission of the Museum is to educate the public about the importance of aviation to our society and inspire the next generation to excel academically in the areas of math, science, and history through the preservation of our aviation heritage.

The Museum was founded in 1992 by Floyd and Lois Wilson, and has a collection of over 50 static aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...

 and a wealth of smaller historic items related to aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...

 in the North and South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...

. Most of the collection consists of Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

 military aircraft, including several historic jet aircraft
Jet aircraft
A jet aircraft is an aircraft propelled by jet engines. Jet aircraft generally fly much faster than propeller-powered aircraft and at higher altitudes – as high as . At these altitudes, jet engines achieve maximum efficiency over long distances. The engines in propeller-powered aircraft...

s from the 1950s and 1960s. Several aircraft came from the closed Florence Air & Missile Museum
Florence Air & Missile Museum
The Florence Air & Missile Museum was an aviation museum which was located at the entrance to the Florence Regional Airport , in Florence, South Carolina. This airport was original known as Florence Field, a World War II U.S. Army Air Corps training field for A-26 Invader attack aircraft...

, Florence, South Carolina
Florence, South Carolina
-Municipal government and politics:The City of Florence has a council-manager form of government. The mayor and city council are elected every four years, with no term limits...

. A significant number of aircraft have also come from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point or MCAS Cherry Point is a United States Marine Corps airfield located in Havelock, North Carolina, USA, in the eastern part of the state...

 and Marine Corps Air Station New River
Marine Corps Air Station New River
Marine Corps Air Station New River is a United States Marine Corps helicopter base in Jacksonville, North Carolina, in the eastern part of the state. In 1972, the airfield was named McCutcheon Field for Brigadier General Keith B. McCutcheon, one of the fathers of Marine Corps helicopter aviation...

. The Museum also operates a number of flying aircraft, and with access to four runways, one over 10000 feet (3,048 m) in length, historic aircraft including the B-17, B-24, B-29
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...

 and Berlin Airlift C-54
C-54 Skymaster
The Douglas C-54 Skymaster was a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces and British forces in World War II and the Korean War. Besides transport of cargo, it also carried presidents, British heads of government, and military staff...

 have flown in to visit the museum from time to time.

Until April 2010, the Museum was located in the airport's original 1932 hangar, built by the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...

. In April 2010, the Museum moved into a new facility at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport at 4672 First Flight Drive. The new facility has enabled the majority of the aircraft to be inside a climate-controlled
HVAC
HVAC refers to technology of indoor or automotive environmental comfort. HVAC system design is a major subdiscipline of mechanical engineering, based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer...

 facility along with new displays.

In addition to the Main Museum, the Museum also operates an aviation library and a storage and restoration facility. The Museum is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday's 1pm to 5pm.

Facilities

The Museum operates three facilities, all located at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport:
  • Main Museum (4672 First Flight Drive): This facility is open to the public Monday through Saturday and contains a wide array of aircraft and artifacts. Admission $12 for adults, $9 for children.
  • Dolph Overton Aviation Library (Morris Field Drive): This research library contains over 9,000 volumes, and is staffed by eight volunteers on Tuesday and Thursdays. This is the largest dedicated historical aviation research archive in North and South Carolina. It is named in honor of Dolphin D. Overton, III, an Air Force
    United States Air Force
    The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

      Korean War
    Korean War
    The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

     ace
    Flying ace
    A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...

     from North Carolina. Charles Wagner is the Chief Librarian.
  • Bat Cave Storage & Restoration Facility (4401 Yorkmont Drive): This is a 50000 sq ft (4,645.2 m²) storage and restoration facility located in the air cargo section of the Airport near the US Airways
    US Airways
    US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....

     hangar
    Hangar
    A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...

    s. This facility is not open to the public.

Collections and aircraft

The Museum's collections include:
  • Major Dolph D. Overton III USAF Photographic Collection
  • Piedmont Airlines Historical Society
  • Preddy Memorial Foundation (World War II
    World War II
    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

     Preddy Brothers artifacts)
  • US Airways Heritage Collection

Flying aircraft

The Museum also operates a small group of flying historic aircraft. These include a DC-3 in airline configuration in the representative markings of Piedmont Airlines
Piedmont Airlines (1948-1989)
Piedmont Airlines was a major airline in the United States which operated from 1948 until its operations were merged into USAir in 1989. Its headquarters were located at One Piedmont Plaza in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a building which is now part of Wake Forest University.As of April 1989,...

', and two Grumman OV-1D Mohawks
OV-1 Mohawk
The Grumman OV-1 Mohawk is an armed military observation and attack aircraft, designed for battlefield surveillance and light strike capabilities. It is of twin turboprop configuration, and carried two crewmembers with side by side seating...

.
  • Piedmont Airlines DC-3 - N44V -This aircraft was acquired by Piedmont Airlines several years after the Airline stopped flying DC-3s and restored to an original airline configuration. Thereafter the aircraft was based in Winston-Salem, NC (KINT) and the Airline operated the airplane as a goodwill flagship taking it to numerous airshows each year. In 1998 US Air, which had acquired Piedmont Airlines, put the aircraft up for sale, and the Museum launched a fund raising campaign to acquire the aircraft. When the aircraft was acquired by the Museum it was moved to Charlotte and has been housed in the Airport's original hangar which was built by the WPA. For the last several years the aircraft has been supported by US Airways and sports the US Airways heritage logo next to the passenger door.

  • US Army Grumman OV-1D Mohawks -The Museum operates two Mohawks which were acquired in 1996 from the final operational US Army squadron of Mohawks which were based at Hunter Army Airfield in GA. These aircraft are veterans of Vietnam and Desert Storm.

Non-flying aircraft

The Aircraft Collection includes:
  • Airbus
    Airbus
    Airbus SAS is an aircraft manufacturing subsidiary of EADS, a European aerospace company. Based in Blagnac, France, surburb of Toulouse, and with significant activity across Europe, the company produces around half of the world's jet airliners....

     A-320-214 CN/MSM 1044 N106US US Airways
    US Airways
    US Airways, Inc. is a major airline based in the U.S. city of Tempe, Arizona. The airline is an operating unit of US Airways Group and is the sixth largest airline by traffic and eighth largest by market value in the country....

     "Miracle on Hudson" Aircraft (now on exhibit)
  • Bell Helicopter AH-1 - On loan from Museum of US Marine Corps.
  • Bell Helicopter OH-58 - From Charlotte Police Dept. former NC National Guard - Storage
  • Bell Helicopter UH-1 - Former NC National Guard Helicopter
  • Bellanca 1940 14-9L Crusair c/n 1037 / N1KQ (State Airlines) - Hanging in the D Concourse at the Airport (KCLT)
  • Ercoupe 1946 415-C c/n 3805 / N3180H - Could be Flyable
  • Piper Cub (In storage)
  • Long/Schweizer 1948 Midget Mustang c/n 100001 - Goodyear Air Racer - Possibly flyable
  • Boeing
    Boeing
    The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...

     1953 KC-97 Stratotanker Serial 53-0335 - Texas Air National Guard (Cockpit Only)
  • Boeing 1941 PT-17/ N2S Kaydet BuNo 15923 / N48272 - United States Navy
  • Boeing CH-46D Sea Knight BuNo 153389 USMC - Medal of Honor Winner Vietnam War
  • Cessna
    Cessna
    The Cessna Aircraft Company is an airplane manufacturing corporation headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Their main products are general aviation aircraft. Although they are the most well known for their small, piston-powered aircraft, they also produce business jets. The company is a subsidiary...

     150 (Storage)
  • Convair
    Convair
    Convair was an American aircraft manufacturing company which later expanded into rockets and spacecraft. The company was formed in 1943 by the merger of Vultee Aircraft and Consolidated Aircraft, and went on to produce a number of pioneering aircraft, such as the Convair B-36 bomber, and the F-102...

     1956 YF-102 Delta Dagger 53-1788 - USAF 2nd of 10 YF prototypes produced - SC Air Guard
  • Douglas Aircraft Company
    Douglas Aircraft Company
    The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, based in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas...

     1944 DC-3 N44V (Piedmont Airlines markings) - Flyable - Former C-47
  • Douglas Aircraft Company 1944 C-47 Dakota c/n 12907/ 43-49926 - Royal Canadian Air Force - Burma Veteran
  • Douglas Aircraft Company 1944 A-26C Invader Serial 44-35752 - Donated by Vern Reyburn as "Rude Invader" (Storage)
  • Douglas Aircraft Company 1947 D-558-1 Skystreak BuNo 37972 - This was third Skystreak of three, last flown by Scott Crossfield
  • Douglas Aircraft Company 1956 A4D-1 Skyhawk BuNo 142226 - US Marines 156th of 2960 built
  • Douglas Aircraft Company 1957 DC-7B N836D (Eastern Airlines) - Flyable
  • Grumman 1962 OV-1D Mohawk Serial 62-5890 / N1209P - United States Army - Vietnam Veteran - Flyable
  • Grumman 1962 OV-1D Mohawk Serial 62-5874 / N1171Y - United States Army - Flyable - Vietnam, Korea, Honduras
  • Grumman F-14D Super Tomcat BuNo 161166 of VF-213 - The Last F-14 Squadron to see combat
  • Kaman 1953 HOK-1 BuNo 139990
  • McDonnell Douglas
    McDonnell Douglas
    McDonnell Douglas was a major American aerospace manufacturer and defense contractor, producing a number of famous commercial and military aircraft. It formed from a merger of McDonnell Aircraft and Douglas Aircraft in 1967. McDonnell Douglas was based at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport...

     1982 AV-8B-1 Harrier BuNo 161397 - United States Marines, #3 U.S. Built Harrier / #2 Flight test aircraft - 5000+ hrs of test flight time.
  • McDonnell Douglas 1985 F-4S Phantom II BuNo 155872 - USMC VMFA-235 Barbers Point / MCAS Cherry Point
  • McDonnell Douglas 1985 F-4S Phantom II BuNo 158353 - USMC VMFA-235 Barbers Point / (Cockpit Only)
  • McDonnell Douglas 1957 F-101B Voodoo Serial 56-0243 - Flew with Nevada Air National Guard
  • North American 1950 T-28B Trojan BuNo 138258 - United States Army
  • North American 1962 T-2A Buckeye BuNo 148239 - United States Navy - Last Single Engine Airframe built
  • North American 1952 F-86L Sabre Jet Serial 52-4159 - United States Air Force - (In Storage)
  • North American F-100D "Super Saber" Serial ?? - United States Air Force (In Storage)
  • LTV 1956 A-7E2 Corsair II BuNo 159971 of VA-72, Desert Storm, USS John F. Kennedy
  • Lockheed
    Lockheed Corporation
    The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...

     1944 TV-1/P-80 (#1) Shooting Star BuNo 33866 - United States Marines
  • Lockheed 194? P-80 (#2) United States Navy - (In Storage)
  • Lockheed 194? TV-2/T-33 (#3) Shooting Star Ser ?? United States Navy - (In Storage)
  • Lockheed 194? TV-2/T-33 (#4) Shooting Star Ser ?? United States Navy - (#2 In Storage)
  • Republic P-47D-1RA
    P-47 Thunderbolt
    Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...

     42-22331
    Republic P-47 Survivors
    The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was an American fighter aircraft. Beginning in 1942, 15,686 P-47’s were produced, the last of which was accepted by the United States Army Air Forces from Republic Aviation' Evansville factory.-Background:...

     - Wreckage from WWII Training Mission Crash - Ocean Isle, NC (In Storage)
  • Republic F-84G-30-RE Thunderjet Serial 53-3253 - United States Air Force Korean War Jet Fighter - Donated by Charlotte Aircraft Corporation
    Charlotte Aircraft Corporation
    Charlotte Aircraft Corporation is a company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina which deals in used aircraft and aircraft parts. The company was founded by Jenks Caldwell Sr. in 1953. Today the company is run by his son Jenks Caldwell Jr...

  • Sikorsky HH-3 USAF Jolly Green Giant - On Loan from the US Army
  • Sikorsky S-51 Dragon Fly - On Loan from Museum of the US Marine Corps.
  • Wright brothers
    Wright brothers
    The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...

     1902 Wright Glider (Reproduction) - On Display at Charlotte-Douglas Airport
  • Wright brothers 1903 Wright Flyer (Reproduction) - In reassembly
  • Waco Aircraft Company 1941 CG-15 Waco Combat Glider - United States Army Air Forces - In Storage recovered from South Carolina

US Airways Heritage Collection

The Museum has possibly the largest collection of artifacts and memorabilia from the various legacy airlines which have merged over the years to form the current US Airways. The largest and most visible artifact is the Piedmont Airlines DC-3, which still flies to air shows and sports the US Airways heritage logo just like mainline US Airways jets next to the passenger door.

The collection includes artifacts from:
  • Allegheny Airlines
    Allegheny Airlines
    Allegheny Airlines was an airline operating out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, from 1952 to 1979. It was a forerunner of today’s US Airways. Its headquarters were located on the grounds of Washington National Airport in Arlington County, Virginia....

  • America West
  • Mohawk Airlines
    Mohawk Airlines
    Mohawk Airlines was an airline that operated in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, primarily the states of New York and Pennsylvania from the mid-1940s until its acquisition by Allegheny Airlines in 1972...

  • Piedmont Airlines
    Piedmont Airlines (1948-1989)
    Piedmont Airlines was a major airline in the United States which operated from 1948 until its operations were merged into USAir in 1989. Its headquarters were located at One Piedmont Plaza in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a building which is now part of Wake Forest University.As of April 1989,...

  • Pacific Southwest Airlines
    Pacific Southwest Airlines
    Pacific Southwest Airlines was a United States airline headquartered in San Diego, California, that operated from 1949 to 1988. It was one of the first large discount airlines in the United States and is considered a precursor to Southwest Airlines...

     (PSA)
  • Other legacy carriers


Artifacts include, but are not limited to: dishes, uniforms, manuals, airport signs, old baggage carts, an early de-icing truck, airline models, and a significant amount of documents.

Many of the volunteers at the Museum are active and former US Airways employees, including the pilots of the DC-3.

Acquisition of US Airways Flight 1549 Airbus

On 15 January 2009, US Airways Flight 1549
US Airways Flight 1549
US Airways Flight 1549 was US Airways' scheduled domestic commercial passenger flight from LaGuardia Airport in New York City to Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina...

 took off from New York's LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport
LaGuardia Airport is an airport located in the northern part of Queens County on Long Island in the City of New York. The airport is located on the waterfront of Flushing Bay and Bowery Bay, and borders the neighborhoods of Astoria, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst. The airport was originally...

 for a flight to Charlotte. Multiple bird strikes on climb out forced a ditching in the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...

. The ditching and subsequent rescue operations were accomplished without loss of life. The aircraft was eventually recovered from the river.

On January 3, 2011 it was reported in the New York Post that the Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina has acquired the entire airframe from Chartis Insurance. The New York Times, the Associated Press, and numerous others followed up with additional articles on January 5, 2011.

The airframe was transported by road from its storage location at J Supor & Son Trucking & Rigging Co. Inc. in Kearny, New Jersey to the display facility at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte
CHARLOTTE
- CHARLOTTE :CHARLOTTE is an American blues-based hard rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California in 1986. Currently, they are signed to indie label, Eonian Records, under which they released their debut cd, Medusa Groove, in 2010. Notable Charlotte songs include 'Siren', 'Little Devils',...

 starting on June 4th and arrived on June 10th 2011. The road trip took 7 days, and covered 788 miles in NJ, DE, MD, WV, VA & NC. J Supor & Son has been selected by the Museum to transport the aircraft. The fuselage was transported in one piece, as it was when it was recovered from the river. Virtually everything except the passenger’s personal effects are still in the airplane. The landing gear pins, fire axe, and the manuals are still in the cockpit, the Coke cans are still in the food carts.

The airframe is now on display and will be reassembled and displayed in the same configuration as it was when it was pulled out of the Hudson River in January 2009. The airframe will be conserved, as opposed to restored. The dents from the birds and tugboat are no less historic than the charred and blackened streaks on the Apollo 13 command module.

In addition to the airframe, Captain Sullenberger has contributed his uniform to the Museum's 1549 exhibit.

The Museum plans on having the aircraft reassembled and the exhibit completed in time for the 3rd anniversary of the landing in the Hudson.

The Museum, in conjunction with the North Carolina School of the Arts Film School, is producing a movie about the project to save, move, reassemble, and display the aircraft. The movie should be completed sometime in the middle of 2012.

The aircraft is an A-320-214. CN/MSM is 1044.

See also

  • Florence Air & Missile Museum
    Florence Air & Missile Museum
    The Florence Air & Missile Museum was an aviation museum which was located at the entrance to the Florence Regional Airport , in Florence, South Carolina. This airport was original known as Florence Field, a World War II U.S. Army Air Corps training field for A-26 Invader attack aircraft...

  • Myrtle Beach Air Force Base
    Myrtle Beach Air Force Base
    Myrtle Beach Air Force Base is a closed United States Air Force facility, located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was established in 1940 as a World War II training base and was also used for coastal patrols during the war...

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