Great small museum. I'd heard about it for years (they've been there since about 1998) but never had a chance to stop in. Yesterday, I made things work. They were open, it was a nice day, I had free time.
Walking in was, for me, like going home. I used to volunteer at an air museum, and this had the same feel: friendly, knowledgeable people, mostly retired. Planes and artifacts wedged in a smallish space. The sounds, sights, and smells of aviation. And, a few familiar "faces": a couple of planes from our museum ended up here. One of them, a Culver Cadet, hung in the Columbus airport terminal for years, so many people will recognize it: yellow with red stripes, it was built in Columbus in the '40s.
They also have several Stinsons, a gyrocopter, a 3/4 scale P-51 replica, and a Folland Gnat. I gnew Gnats were small, but standing beside it really makes that obvious. It could almost fit in my garage, and yet was an effective fighter. Outside was a Pober Baby Ace homebuilt, and a Beech 18 (look for that as you drive up.) They also have several military vehicles, lots of uniforms, a reading room, etc. There's a helicopter school next door, so there was also the noise and activity of a typical small airport.
Stop by and see them, and soak up some aviation history. They have an open house in May with free plane rides for kids. read more