Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey facts for kids
Lockheed L-402 Bushmaster on display in front of the museum
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| Established | 1972 |
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| Location | Teterboro, New Jersey |
| Type | Aviation museum |
| Founder | Pat Reilly & Donald G. Borg |
The Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum of New Jersey is a special place that keeps New Jersey's amazing aviation and space history alive. It was started in 1972. The museum shows off old airplanes, space gear, and cool items from the past. You can also see photos, art, and a huge collection of model airplanes. The museum has a library with over 4,000 books and many aviation videos. It is located at Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, New Jersey. This airport is the oldest one still running in the Tri-State Region.
Contents
Museum History
The museum was created in 1972 by two people, Pat Reilly and Donald G. Borg. It first opened in a radio tower at Teterboro Airport. In 1985, it moved to a different building nearby. Then, in 1997, it moved again to a much bigger place. This allowed the museum to display more of its amazing collection.
Aircraft on Display
The museum has several real aircraft that you can see up close. These planes show different parts of aviation history.
- Bell 47
- Bell AH-1 Cobra
- Grumman OV-1 Mohawk
- Lockheed L-402 Bushmaster
- Martin 2-0-2
- Sikorsky HH-52 Seaguard
- Part of a Convair 880 airplane, including the cockpit and some seats.
Honoring Aviation Heroes
The museum also celebrates many brave and important people who made history in aviation and space. These "honorees" include pilots, astronauts, inventors, and others who helped aviation grow. They are recognized for their amazing achievements and contributions.
New Jersey's Aviation Timeline
New Jersey has a rich history in aviation, with many important "firsts" happening right here!
Early Flights and Balloons
- In 1793, a French balloon pilot named Jean-Pierre Blanchard flew from Philadelphia. He crossed the Delaware River and landed in Deptford Township, New Jersey. This was the first flight in the Western Hemisphere! It took 45 minutes and covered 15 miles.
- In 1830, Charles Durant from Jersey City, New Jersey became the first American to fly a balloon.
- In 1863, Solomon Andrews (balloonist) from Perth Amboy, New Jersey built and flew America's first dirigible, which is like a steerable balloon.
Pioneering Aircraft and Engines
- In 1909, the Boland brothers from Rahway, New Jersey built and flew New Jersey's first fixed-wing aircraft. They were also the first to fly in South America.
- In 1912, Oliver G. Simmons flew a Wright Flyer carrying the first official mailbag across the Raritan Bay.
- In 1921, the world's largest hangar and America's first dirigible, the USS Shenandoah (ZR-1), were built in Lakehurst, New Jersey.
- In 1922, the world's largest airplane at the time, the Barling Bomber, was built at Teterboro Airport by the Wittemann brothers.
- In 1923, Wright aeronautical air-cooled Whirlwind engines were built in Princeton, New Jersey. These engines became very famous.
Famous Flights and Airports
- In 1925, Hadley Field in South Plainfield, New Jersey became an important hub for airmail.
- In 1926, a Fokker trimotor plane built in Teterboro, powered by a Whirlwind engine, was the first to fly over the North Pole. Richard Byrd and Floyd Bennett were the pilots.
- In 1927, Charles Lindbergh flew solo across the Atlantic in the Spirit of St. Louis, also powered by a Whirlwind engine. Other famous pilots like Clarence Chamberlin and Richard Byrd also used Whirlwind engines for their record-breaking flights.
- In 1928, Newark Airport opened.
- In 1929, William Conrad (New Jersey) at Newark Airport became America's first air traffic controller.
- In 1930, Fokker built the world's largest passenger plane, a Fokker F.32, at Teterboro Airport.
- In 1932, Amelia Earhart got ready for her solo flight across the Atlantic at Teterboro Airport.
Innovations and Achievements
- In 1933, Teaneck, New Jersey started the first high school aviation course in the country.
- In 1936, Chester Decker from Glen Rock, New Jersey became the National Soaring Champion.
- In 1937, the famous Hindenburg airship caught fire at Lakehurst Naval Air Station.
- From 1942 to 1945, during World War II, many planes and engines were built in New Jersey. General Motors built 13,500 Grumman fighter planes, and Curtiss-Wright Corporation built many engines and propellers.
- In 1945, Major Thomas McGuire from Ridgewood, New Jersey became America's second-best flying ace with 38 enemy planes shot down.
- In 1947, Reaction Motors in Denville, New Jersey developed the rocket engine for the Bell X-1, which was the first plane to break the sound barrier.
- In 1953, Charles J. Fletcher from Sussex, New Jersey invented and flew the world's first hovercraft.
- In 1968, Walter M. Schirra from Oradell, New Jersey became the only astronaut to fly in all three early American spacecraft: Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo.
- In 1969, Edwin Aldrin from Montclair, New Jersey was the first astronaut to land a vehicle on the Moon and the second person to walk on the Moon.
- In 1973, Malcolm Forbes from Far Hills, New Jersey made the first coast-to-coast flight in a hot air balloon.
- In 1980, Leo Loudenslager from Sussex, New Jersey won the World Aerobatic championship. He won seven National Aerobatic championships during his career.
- In 1984, Astronaut Kathryn Dwyer Sullivan from Paterson, New Jersey was the first woman to walk in space.
- In 1991, during Desert Storm, Major Marie Rossi from Oradell, New Jersey was the first American woman to fly in combat.
- In 1994, Kenneth Johnson (pilot) and Larry Cioppi from Ringoes, New Jersey flew around the world in their Glasair monoplane.
See also
- List of aviation awards
- List of aerospace museums
- North American aviation halls of fame
Images for kids
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A GlideMobile inside the museum
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A Wright R-2160 Tornado engine inside the museum
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A Bell AH-1 Cobra helicopter on display
