Fort Worth Aviation Museum facts for kids
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| Former name | Veterans Memorial Air Park |
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| Location | Fort Worth, Texas, United States |
| Type | Aviation Museum |
The Fort Worth Aviation Museum is an exciting place in Fort Worth, Texas, right next to Meacham International Airport. It's a museum all about airplanes and flying! In 2013, it got a new name; before that, it was called the Veterans Memorial Air Park.
Contents
What the Museum Does
The Fort Worth Aviation Museum (FWAM) works hard to save and share the amazing history of aviation in Fort Worth, the North Texas area, and even around the world. The museum shows off many aviation items and explains their stories, covering both civilian and military aircraft. FWAM is run by a non-profit group.
Besides an outdoor area with twenty-four airplanes, FWAM has two indoor museums. One is the B-36 Peacemaker Museum. The other is the Forward Air Controllers' Museum. This museum tells about how "Forward Air Control" (FAC) helps guide planes to support troops on the ground (called "Close Air Support" or CAS). It also shares the history of the North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco plane. Plus, it covers the story of aviation in North Texas, especially focusing on Air Force Plant 4 (which is now run by Lockheed Martin, a big aerospace company).
FWAM's motto is "Bringing Aviation History to Life." Its main goals are "Preservation, Inspiration, Education," which they call PIE.
Museum History
The museum has grown over the years. In 2025, the museum added two special planes to its collection: an F-100F and the only remaining F6U plane.
Amazing Aircraft Collection
The museum has a collection of twenty-five "warbirds," which are military airplanes. These planes date from 1943 all the way up to today.
| Model | Manufacturer | Serial # | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A-4 Skyhawk | Douglas | 147715 | This is an A-4C model. |
| A-4 Skyhawk | Douglas | 158073 | This is a TA-4J model. |
| A-7 Corsair | Ling-Temco-Vought | 154479 | This is an A-7B model. |
| A-12 Avenger | McDonnell Douglas General Dynamics |
Mockup | This plane is a "mockup," meaning it's a model, not a real flying plane. Its nickname is "Flying Dorito." |
| BT-13 Valiant | Vultee | 8408 | This plane is from 1943. |
| CH-53 Sea Stallion | Sikorsky | 153715 | This is a CH-53A model, nicknamed "Patches." |
| F-4 Phantom | McDonnell Douglas | 64-0825 | This is an F-4C model. |
| F-4 Phantom | McDonnell Douglas | 153821 | This is a QF-4S model, nicknamed "Shamrock 201." |
| F-5 Tiger | Northrop | 74-1558 | This is an F-5E Tiger II model. |
| F-8 Crusader | Vought | 146898 | This is an RF-8G model. |
| F-14 Tomcat | Grumman | 159600 | This is an F-14D model, nicknamed "Christine." |
| F-18 Hornet | McDonnell Douglas | 162826 | This is an F/A-18 model. It used to be a Blue Angels airplane, which is a famous flight demonstration team. |
| F-102 Delta Dagger | Convair | 56-2337 | This is a TF-102A model, nicknamed "Hewy." |
| F-105 Thunderchief | Republic Aviation | 60-5385 | This is an F-105D model, nicknamed "Fireball Express." |
| F-111 Aardvark | General Dynamics | 68-0009 | This is an F-111E model, nicknamed "Balls 9." |
| O-1 Bird Dog | Cessna | 51-16953 | This is an O1-A (L-19A) model. |
| O-2 Skymaster | Cessna | N/A | This is an O-2A model, nicknamed "Kudy Jay." |
| O-2 Skymaster | Cessna | 67-21430 | This is an O-2A model. |
| OH-58 Kiowa | Bell Helicopter | 71-20606 | This is an OH-58A model. |
| OV-1 Mohawk | Grumman | 69-17021 | This is an OV-1D Mohawk model. |
| OV-10 Bronco | North American Rockwell |
Mockup | This is an OV-10A model, which is an original factory mockup. |
| OV-10 Bronco | North American Rockwell |
68-03825 | This is an OV-10A model. |
| OV-10 Bronco | North American Rockwell |
155426 | This is an OV-10A model. |
| T-33 Shooting Star | Lockheed | 53-5215 | This is a T-33A model. |
| T-37 Tweet | Cessna | 57-2261 | This is a T-37A model. |
Museum Programs and Projects
The museum offers several cool programs to teach people about aviation.
North Texas Aviation Landmarks
To help people learn more about how aviation has shaped North Texas, the FWAM created a list of important aviation landmarks and sites. This list includes twenty-five key locations and suggests which ones should be officially recognized first.
First Flight Park
The museum worked with the City of Fort Worth to create First Flight Park in August 2013. This park is close to where the first powered airplane flight happened in Fort Worth. This historic flight was made by Roland Garros and the Moisant International Aviators in January 1911. A special marker was placed at the site in January 2014 to remember this event.
Historic Aviation Preservation Project
The museum also runs the Historic Aviation Preservation Project, or HAPP. This project helps save the rich history of aviation in the North Texas area. HAPP works with the City of Fort Worth to find and protect important places, items, and landmarks related to aviation history. It shows how aviation helped turn the region from a place known for cattle and oil into one of the world's top aviation centers. This project also includes taking care of items from the Fort Worth Air and Space Museum Foundation, which is no longer active.
Aviation Book Fair
Every year, FWAM partners with the Fort Worth Public Library to host a book fair called "Women, Pilots, and Writers in Aviation." Many of the authors featured at the fair are there to sign books and talk about their work.
BroncoFest
FWAM holds an annual reunion called "BroncoFest." This event brings together Forward Air Controllers and Pilots who flew in the OV-10 Bronco airplane.
