Lone Star Flight Museum

The Lone Star Flight Museum, located in Houston, Texas, is an aerospace museum that displays more than 24 historically significant aircraft,[3] and many artifacts related to the history of flight. Located at Ellington Airport, the museum is housed on about 100,000 ft2 (10,000 m2) of property, including its own airport ramp. The museum, formerly located in Galveston, moved to Houston to avoid a repeat of the devastation suffered during Hurricane Ike.

Lone Star Flight Museum
New location of museum at Ellington Field
Lone Star Flight Museum is located in Texas
Lone Star Flight Museum
Location within Texas
LocationHouston, Texas
Coordinates29.603833°N 95.175082°W / 29.603833; -95.175082
TypeAviation museum
FounderRobert L. Waltrip[1]
CEODouglas Owens[2]
Websitelonestarflight.org
Lone Star Flight Museum, December 2008, after damage from Hurricane Ike. Pictured here is a North American F-100D Super Sabre.
The largest aircraft owned and operated by the museum was a Boeing B-17G, christened Thunderbird.
Douglas SBD Dauntless

History

The museum began as a private collection of historic aircraft in 1985. By 1990, that collection had grown enough that its owner decided to place them on public display. The Lone Star Flight Museum, a non-profit organization funded entirely through private donations, was formed for that purpose.

2008 damage and restoration

The museum reported heavy damage from Hurricane Ike, stating on September 16, 2008, that the hangars and Hall of Fame had received seven to eight feet of water and the lobby three to four. Damaged aircraft included a TB-58A and F-100 on loan from the US Air Force Museum, Consolidated PBY-5A, Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer, de Havilland DH-82A, Grumman F3F-2, Lockheed PV-2D, and Stinson L-5. Aircraft flown out of harm's way in advance included their B-17, B-25, DC-3, P-47, F6F, F4U, SBD, PT-17, T-6 and the F8F. Most of the airworthy planes were flown out of the museum prior to the hurricane. Those remaining as well as the static displays were largely destroyed or heavily damaged.[4] The TB-58 went to Little Rock Air Force Base.[5] The PBY-5A and the PB4Y-2 went to the Pima Air & Space Museum.[6]

TF-51 crash

On October 23, 2013 a P-51 (TF-51) Mustang owned by the museum crashed in Halls Lake, just south west of the museum. Both the pilot and a paying passenger from the UK were killed in the crash.[7]

Move to Houston

Following the destruction of Hurricane Ike, the museum made the decision to move to Ellington International Airport in Houston. It is working with the Collings Foundation and Texas Flying Legends to create a combined aviation museum complex.[8] In March 2014, the museum received $7.6 million from FEMA.[9] The museum broke ground at its new location on November 9, 2015.[10] Initially scheduled to be dedicated on September 1, 2017, the opening was postponed to September 16 due to Hurricane Harvey.[11][12][13]

The museum acquired a former NASA Motion Base Simulator from Texas A&M University.[14]

Exhibits

The museum has featured exhibits on the September 11th attacks and Women Airforce Service Pilots.[15][16]

Texas Aviation Hall of Fame

The Texas Aviation Hall of Fame, located within the museum, honors the contributions of residents or natives of Texas to aviation and spaceflight. Inductees include Howard Hughes, Gordon Bethune, Emma Carter Browning, Alan Bean, Senator Lloyd Bentsen, Azellia White and President George H. W. Bush.[17][18]

Airshows

The museum's collection often participates in airshows across the country. As of 2005, the museum's aircraft annually log more than 40,000 miles (60,000 km) of cross-country flying to various air demonstrations.

The museum's P-47 Thunderbolt participates in USAF Heritage Flights throughout the year. The USAF Heritage Flight program was established in 1997 to commemorate the Air Force's 50th anniversary. It involves today's state-of-the-art fighters flying in close formation with World War II, Korean and Vietnam era fighters such as the P-51 Mustang and the F-86 Sabre. The flight's mission is to safely and proudly display the evolution of US Air Force airpower and to support the Air Force's recruiting and retention efforts.

The museum's North American B-25 Mitchell also serves closely with the Disabled American Veterans program. The DAV Airshow Outreach Program was developed to increase public awareness of disabled veterans and to serve veterans in communities across the nation. Using two B-25 medium bombers, the program reminds the public of the sacrifices veterans have made.

In 2007, the museum launched its newest program by offering rides in some of its warbirds. The LSFM now operates flights for passengers in the B-17 Flying Fortress, North American B-25 Mitchell, T-6 Texan and the PT-17 Stearman.

The Museum also has a flying Douglas DC-3 in the paint scheme of Continental Airlines. The Museum's DC-3 was produced in 1940 and flew seven years for American Airlines. It was later bought by TransTexas Airways, which would later acquire Continental Airlines. When Gordon Bethune, CEO of Continental Airlines, was inducted into the TAHF in 2004, Continental Airlines donated the aircraft to the Flight Museum.[19]

Collection
PBY Catalina

See also

References
  1. Lips, Jesse (1 July 2006). "The Baton Passes at the Lone Star Flight Museum And Texas Aviation Hall of Fame". Airport Journals. Retrieved 10 December 2018.
  2. "Douglas Owens". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  3. 24 historically significant aircraft
  4. Lezon, Dale; Tolson, Mike (29 September 2008). "Ike damages Lone Star Flight Museum artifacts". Chron. Hearst Newspapers, LLC. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  5. Weeks, John A. "TB-58 Hustler". John A. Weeks III. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  6. "Pima Adds a Catalina… and a Privateer!". Warbird Digest. 23 August 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  7. Paschenko, Chris (23 October 2013). "Denton pilot, UK passenger killed when vintage fighter crashed". The Daily News. Galveston Newspapers, Inc. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  8. Rice, Harvey (20 August 2011). "Lone Star Flight museum moving inland to Ellington". Chron. Hearst Newspapers, LLC. Retrieved 17 August 2017.
  9. Mitelman, Josh (24 March 2014). "Lone Star Flight Museum to get $7.6 million from FEMA for relocation". Houston Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  10. Furr, Laura (6 November 2015). "Lone Star Flight Museum to break ground on new facility". Houston Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  11. Para, Jen (23 August 2017). "Lone Star Flight Museum to open over Labor Day weekend". Houston Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  12. Para, Jen (29 August 2017). "Lone Star Flight Museum experiences no damage, opening postponed". Houston Journal. American City Business Journals. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  13. Owens, Douglas H. (1 September 2017). "Museum Opening Rescheduled for 9/16". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
  14. Talley, Chris (6 June 2022). "Texas A&M transfers NASA Space Shuttle Simulator to Lone Star Flight Museum". KRHD 25. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  15. Ferguson, Colleen (6 September 2021). "Lone Star Flight Museum near Houston's Ellington Airport opens 9/11 exhibit". Community Impact. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  16. Devadanam, Steven (25 January 2022). "Lone Star Flight Museum salutes fierce female WWII pilots in soaring new exhibit". Culture Map Houston. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  17. Lone Star home of the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame Archived 2014-11-05 at the Wayback Machine
  18. General Aviation News (2018-04-08). "Texas Aviation Hall of Fame Names Class of 2018". Texas A&M Transportation Institute. Retrieved 2018-12-13.
  19. "Douglas DC-3".
  20. "Anderson Greenwood AG-14". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  21. "Beecraft Honey Bee". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  22. "Boeing PT-17 Stearman". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  23. "Airframe Dossier - Stearman-Boeing N2S-3 Kaydet, s/n 07718 USN, c/n 75-7322, c/r N84LK". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  24. "FAA REGISTRY [N84LK]". Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  25. "Airframe Dossier - Stearman-Boeing N2S-5 Kaydet, s/n 38490 USN, c/n 75-8111, c/r N75272". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  26. "FAA REGISTRY [N75272]". Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  27. "T-41 Mescalero". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  28. "FAA REGISTRY [N15138]". Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  29. "Cessna L-19 / O-1A Bird Dog". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  30. "Culver Dart GC". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  31. "Douglas SBD Dauntless". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  32. "FAA REGISTRY [N93RW]". Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  33. "Douglas DC-3". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  34. "FAA REGISTRY [N25673]". Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  35. "Fairchild F-24". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  36. "Fairchild PT-19 Cornell". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  37. "FAA REGISTRY [N1941N]". Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  38. "General Atomics MQ-1B Predator". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  39. "General Motors TBM Avenger". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  40. "Lockheed Howard 250 Tri-Gear". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  41. "Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  42. "Luscombe T8F Observer". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  43. "North American B-25 Mitchell". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  44. "Airframe Dossier - North American B-25J Mitchell, s/n 44-86734 USAAF, c/r N333RW". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  45. "FAA REGISTRY [N333RW]". Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  46. "North American T-6 Texan". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  47. "Airframe Dossier - North American SNJ-6 Texan, s/n 112316 USN, c/n 121-43279, c/r N147FG". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  48. "FAA REGISTRY [N566TX]". Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  49. "Piper L-4 Grasshopper". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  50. "Piper L-4H Grasshopper". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  51. "Piper PA-39 Twin Comanche". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  52. "Sikorsky S-76A++". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  53. "Chance Vought F4U-5N Corsair". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  54. "Airframe Dossier - Vought F4U-5 Corsair, s/n 0389 ARA, c/r N43RW". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  55. "FAA REGISTRY [N43RW]". Federal Aviation Administration. U.S. Department of Transportation. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  56. "Vultee BT-13". Lone Star Flight Museum. Retrieved 24 October 2023.

Further reading

Magazine

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29°36′13″N 95°10′30″W

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