Texas Air Museum
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Established | 1985[1] |
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Location | |
Type | Military aviation museum |
Founder | John Houston[1] |
Website | texasairmuseum |
The Texas Air Museum is an aviation museum run by volunteers in two locations—Stinson Municipal Airport in San Antonio[2] and City of Slaton/Larry T. Neal Memorial Airport near Lubbock, Texas.[3] Texas Air Museum was founded in 1985 by John Houston in Rio Hondo.[4][5] The Slaton location opened in March 1993.[4] The Stinson Municipal Airport location opened in November 1999.
The museums are run by groups of volunteers predominantly made up of "winter Texans" and military retirees.[5][4]
The original Rio Hondo location closed on February 28, 2005 due to aging volunteer support, lower attendance,[1] and the damaging salty air of the Rio Grande Valley.[6] Its exhibits and aircraft were transferred to the other two locations.[7]
Both museums focuses on early aviation, and lesser-known aviation related to Texas and Mexico in particular. The Texas Air Museum - Stinson Chapter museum acquired a Bleriot to commemorate the Stinson family, namesakes of Stinson Municipal Airport.[8]
The Slaton museum dedicated the John Beck Hangar in June 2020.[9]
The Stinson museum acquired one PT-23A, two PT-19, and one Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner projects in October 2023.[10]
Slaton location gallery
[edit]-
German Battleship Tirpitz hardware recovered from its salvage operation on display in the World War II section of the museum.
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P-47D S/N: 42-75417 vertical stabilizer signed by the pilot who flew it when shot down, Charles Screws.
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Gemini Training Capsule
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Saying goodbye". Valley Morning Star. February 23, 2005. pp. A9, A11 – via Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Texas Air Museum - San Antonio, TX".
- ^ "Texas Air Museum – Preserving and sharing the history of military aviation in Slaton, TX". Retrieved 2021-03-09.
- ^ a b c Wischkaemper, Jay (March 2002). "The Texas Air Museum — Slaton, Texas". SW Aviator Magazine. Southwest Regional Publishing, Inc.
- ^ a b "About". Texas Air Museum. Archived from the original on 2003-04-17.
- ^ "Valley unit of Texas Air Museum closing". The Marshall News Messenger. February 11, 2005. p. 6A – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Essex, Allen (February 11, 2005). "Rio Hondo air museum flying off". Valley Morning Star. pp. A1, A7 – via Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Airshow celebrates aviation contributions". Valley Morning Star. November 30, 1995. p. B6 – via Newspaper Archive.
- ^ McCaghren, Melissa (18 June 2020). "Airport dedicates new hangar, conducts Fly-In". The Slatonite. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
- ^ Davis, Vincent T. (31 October 2023). "'A hell of a good airplane': San Antonio family donates vintage aircraft to Texas Air Museum". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
External links
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