A world-class museum that will be the magnet of Aerospace Valley

As tens of thousands of visitors make their way to the western gate boundary of Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., the weekend of Oct. 15-16 for the Aerospace Valley Air Show, their side view south of Rosamond Boulevard will encompass the construction area for Southern California’s newest tourist attraction, the Air Force Flight Test Museum and the STEM Education Center.

During a presentation at the Antelope Valley Chambers of Commerce luncheon on April 13, leaders of the nonprofit Flight Test Historical Foundation updated the business community on the status of the museum project and the development activities.

Art Thompson, co-owner of Lancaster-based Sage Cheshire Aerospace and chairman of the FTHF board, reported that although the completion of the museum’s foundations last year paved the way for the walls to be raised , the pandemic has disrupted the building materials supply chain and created spikes in the price of steel rebar.

Nonetheless, Thompson and Lisa Sheldon Brown, the museum foundation’s director of education and community outreach, reported initiatives to turn air show traffic in 2022 into the first wave of an ongoing technology pilgrimage. aerospace industry and restoring an unmissable West Coast Air Show Classic launched in 1957.

Noting that the museum’s existing collection on base has outgrown available space and that the museum is now largely inaccessible to civilian visitors due to safety and health concerns, Thompson pointed out that the museum’s new site just on the outside the perimeter of the base is an ideal location. to accommodate foreign and domestic visitors.

More than a museum, the new campus will be a center for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) studies and professional technical education, an archive and a library for the archives and offices of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots , and the home of Bob Hoover Library.

Recovering from the setbacks of the pandemic, the museum foundation has ramped up its private sector fundraising campaign for major sponsorships, while maintaining and enhancing existing outreach for community members and donor support.

Families, charitable foundations and businesses can sponsor aircraft and/or exhibits and have the opportunity to sponsor a classroom or building in the new museum.

Sponsorship opportunities range from an entire aircraft or historic structure to brick walkways and donor walls. The FTHF’s marketing materials and website are designed to recognize donors and sponsors at all levels.

“We have museum friend levels that include giveaways with donations, inclusion on our donor wall, and invitations to special events,” Brown said.

There’s also a paving program: For a donation of $100, the name of the donor, or that of someone else to be honored or remembered, will be engraved on a brick walkway bordering the already existing Century Circle. of famous military aircraft.

This display area overlooks the new location of the Flight Test Museum just outside the west gate of Edwards AFB.

Brown said: “The Sponsor-an-Airplane program is an opportunity to support the preservation of the iconic aircraft in our collection and to support the construction of the new museum. The director added: “Companies, organizations and individuals are recognized in various ways for their contributions. Each sponsored aircraft will include a plaque on display in the museum, recognition on our website, and recognition as partners in our education and preservation efforts.

Each sponsorship is also associated with a construction milestone (i.e. concrete, insulation, etc.) to show exactly what each contribution is helping to support during construction.

For more information or to contribute, email [email protected]

Annual friend

Friends of the Museum who wish to make an annual donation as an Annual Friend receive an FFTM card, a certificate, a Foundation crest, a 15% discount in the shop, a newsletter and invitations to Friends events and activities. The contribution levels are: Regular – $50, Student – ​​$25; and Corporate – $500 (same as Regular and Student plus 2 tickets to a gala of the donor’s choice.

patron of life

All Life Patrons receive an FFTM card, a Foundation crest, 15% off in the gift shop, a newsletter, an invitation to FTHF events, as well as a certificate of lifetime membership, the book “Flight Testing at Edwards and a “Golden Age of Flight Test” fine art lithograph signed by aviation artist Mike Machat.

Senior Patron (60+) – $500

Bronze Patron – $1,000. (Same as main patron plus nameplate on museum patron wall.

Silver boss – $5,000 Same as bronze plus a plaque near the museum entrance.

Gold Patron – $15,000 (Same as Silver plus exhibition sponsorship with a second recognition plaque at the exhibition and a third for home or office.

Platinum Patron – $25,000 (Same as Silver plus aircraft sponsorship with a second recognition plaque at the aircraft site and a third for home or office.

Diamond Patron – $50,000 (same as Silver plus sponsorship of an area of ​​the museum with a second recognition plaque in that area and a third for home or office.

Become a friend

At the most recent count, there are 86 aircraft at various locations on Edwards or elsewhere in the Aerospace Valley, each to be taken under wing and adopted by a sponsor of the Flight Test Historical Foundation Museum.

In no particular order, the birds are:

1. Beech UC-45J Expeditor, BuNo 67161
2. Bell P-59A Airacomet, s/n 44-22633
3. Bell X-1 (model)
4. Bensen X-25B Gyrocopter, s/n 68-10771
5. Boeing C-135A Stratolifter, s/n 60-0377
6. Boeing C-135C Stratolifter, s/n 61-2669, “Speckled Trout”
7. Boeing NB-52B Stratofortress, s/n 52-0008
8. Boeing “Phantom Eye” test vehicle, s/n 001
9. Boeing XB-47 Stratojet, s/n 46-0066
10. Boeing X-48C “Mixed Wing”
11. Boeing YC-15, serial number 72-1875
12. Cessna NA-37B Dragonfly, s/n 73-1090
13. Convair F-106B Delta Dart, s/n 59-0158
14. Convair TF-102A Delta dagger, s/n 54-1353
15. Convair YB-58A Hustler, s/n 55-665
16. DeHavilland C-7B Caribou, s/n 63-9765
17. Douglas A3D-1 Skywarrior, BuNo 135434
18. Douglas C-53D Skytrooper, s/n 41-20093
19. Douglas F-10B Skyknight, BuNo 125850
20. Douglas PGM-17 THOR
21. Douglas TB-26B Invader, s/n 44-34165
22. Fairchild T-46A Eaglet, s/n 84-0492
23. General Dynamics F-111A Aardvark, s/n 63-9766
24. General Dynamics F-16B Fighting Falcon, s/n 75-0751
25. General Dynamics F-16B Fighting Falcon, s/n 80-0634
26. General Dynamics F-16XL, s/n 75-0747
27. General Dynamics F-16XL, s/n 75-0749
28. General Dynamics NF-111A Aardvark, s/n 63-9778
29. Meteor Gloster TT.20, s/n WD592
30. Grumman X-29, s/n 82-0049
31. Gulfstream G2/G3 Shuttle Trainer Aircraft, (N944NA)
32. Lockheed A-12 (oxcart), s/n 60-6924
33. Lockheed C-130E Hercules, s/n 61-2358
34. Lockheed C-140A JetStar, s/n 59-5962
35. Lockheed D-21B, serial number 525
36. Lockheed EF-80A Shooting Star, s/n 44-85123
37. Lockheed F-104A Starfighter, s/n 56-801
38. Lockheed NC-141A Starlifter, s/n 61-2779
39. Lockheed NF-104A Starfighter, serial number 56-756 (56-760)
40. Lockheed NF-104A Starfighter, s/n 56-790
41. Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird, s/n 61-7955
42. Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird, s/n 61-7973 (on loan),
43. Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star, s/n 52-9846
44. Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star, s/n 58-0669
45. Lockheed U-2D, s/n 56-6721
46. Lockheed YF-117A Nighthawk, s/n 79-10783
47. Lockheed YF-22 Lightning II, s/n 87-0700
48. Lockheed YF-94A Starfire, s/n 48-356
49. Lo-FLYTE
50. Martin B-57B Canberra, s/n 52-1576
51. Martin Marietta MMC-845, s/n 01454
52. McDonnell F-4C Phantom II, s/n 64-0741
53. McDonnell Douglas F-15B Eagle, s/n 73-0114
54. McDonnell Douglas YF-15A Eagle, s/n 71-0287
55. McDonnell Douglas YF-4E Phantom II, s/n 65-0713
56. McDonnell Douglas/Boeing X-36
57. McDonnell F-101B Voodoo, s/n 58-288
58. McDonnell NF-4C Phantom II, s/n 63-7407
59. McDonnell RF-4C Phantom II, s/n 64-1004
60. North American CT-39A Sabreliner, s/n 60-3505
61. North American F-100A Super Saber, s/n 52-5760
62. North American F-86F Saber, s/n 52-5241
63. North American Trojan T-28B, BuNo 137702
64. North American X-15 (mock-up)
65. North American YF-100A Super Saber, s/n 52-5755
66. Northrop T-38A Talon, s/n 61-0849
67. Northrop F-89D Scorpion, serial number 52-1959
68. Northrop T-38A Talon, s/n 61-0810
69. Northrop X-21, s/n 55-408
70. Northrop X-21, s/n 55-410
71. Northrop X-4 Bantam, s/n 46-676
72. Northrop YA-9A, s/n 71-1367
73. Piasecki H-21B workhorse, s/n 52-8623
74. Piper PA-48 Enforcer, s/n 48-8301002
75. Republic F-105D Thunderchief, s/n 61-146
76. Republic F-84F Thunderstreak, s/n 51-9350
77. Republic YA-10B Thunderbolt II, s/n 73-1664
78. Rockwell B-1B Lancer, s/n 84-0049
79. Rutan Vari-eze, s/n N309V
80. Ryan AQM-34J Firebee
81. ATTT Scale Composites (Model 133)
82. Scale Composites (Model 226), “Raptor D-2”
83. Sikorsky CH-34G Seabat, s/n 53-4477
84. Sikorsky H-3C, s/n 62-12581
85. Vought YA-7D Corsair II, s/n 67-14583
86. Vought YA-7F Strikefighter, s/n 71-0344