Florence Air & Missile Museum

The Florence Air & Missile Museum was an aviation museum previously located at the entrance to the Florence Regional Airport, in Florence, South Carolina. The museum closed at the end of 1997.

Florence Air & Missile Museum
Florence Air & Missile Museum is located in South Carolina
Florence Air & Missile Museum
former location
Established1963
Dissolved1997
LocationFlorence, South Carolina, United States
Coordinates34.19678°N 79.728003°W / 34.19678; -79.728003
TypeAviation museum
FounderThomas C. Griffin
DirectorRocky Gannon

The airport was originally known as Florence Army Airfield, or more simply as Florence Field,[1] a World War II U.S. Army Air Corps / U.S. Army Air Forces training field for P-39 Airacobra and P-40 Warhawk pursuit aircraft and A-20 Havoc and A-26 Invader attack aircraft. Because of its former military connection and available runways, the military was able to fly in aircraft and leave them at the museum as they were retired from service.

The museum was founded by Thomas C. Griffin.[2] After the war, he served as executive director of the Florence Airport.

During the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s, the museum built up a collection of World War II and Cold War era U.S. military aircraft and early 1950s/1960s military space hardware. The museum was located along routes once frequented by travelers between the southeastern and northeastern United States and between Florence and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, but once Interstate 95 was built, attendance declined.[3] The museum closed on 8 October 1997 and much of the collection transferred to the newly established Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Exhibits

References
  1. Murdock, Scott D. (2013). "WWII Army Air Fields - Database Summary". Scott's USAF Installations Page. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  2. Grantham, A. Kevin (May 1999). "Death of a Museum". Warbirds International. Vol. 18, no. 2. Canoga Park, California: Challenge Publications.
  3. Dumbell, Jim (2 February 1986). "Relics of Flight". Charlotte Observer. pp. 1C, 5C. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  4. "Martin RB-57 (Canberra)". Wings of Eagles Discovery Center. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
  5. Goodall, Geoff (1 February 2018). "GRUMMAN ALBATROSS / G-111 CARIBBEAN" (PDF). Geoff Goodall's Aviation History Site. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  6. "Airframe Dossier - North American F-86H-5-NH Sabre, s/n 52-5737 USAF, c/n 187-159". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  7. "Airframe Dossier - Northrop F-89J Scorpion, s/n 53-2646 USAF, c/n N.4777". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  8. "Airframe Dossier - Piasecki-Vertol H-21B Work Horse, s/n FR09 AdT, c/n B.155". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  9. "Airframe Dossier - Boeing TB-29 Superfortress, s/n 44-70113 USAAF, c/n 10945". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
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