Fort Worth Aviation Museum facts for kids
 |
|
| Former name | Veterans Memorial Air Park |
|---|---|
| Location | Fort Worth, Texas, United States |
| Type | Aviation Museum |
The Fort Worth Aviation Museum is an exciting place to visit in Fort Worth, Texas. It's right next to Meacham International Airport. This museum helps everyone learn about the amazing history of airplanes and flying. Before 2013, it was known as the Veterans Memorial Air Park.
Contents
What the Museum Does
The Fort Worth Aviation Museum (FWAM) has a special job. It wants to save and share the history of aviation in Fort Worth. This includes the North Texas area and even stories from around the world.
Learning About Aviation
The museum shows off many aviation artifacts. These are old items related to airplanes and flying. They also explain the history of different civil and military aircraft. FWAM is run by a group called the OV-10 Bronco Association, Inc. This group is a non-profit organization.
Museums Inside the Museum
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 stories about "Forward Air Control" (FAC). This is when people on the ground guide airplanes to help soldiers. It also covers the history of the North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco plane. You can also learn about aviation history in North Texas. A big focus is on Air Force Plant 4, which is now run by Lockheed Martin.
Museum's Motto
The museum's motto is "Bringing Aviation History to Life." Their main goal is summed up as "Preservation, Inspiration, Education," or PIE. This means they want to save history, inspire people, and teach them.
Amazing Aircraft Collection
The museum has a collection of twenty-five "warbirds." These are military airplanes that date from 1943 to today. You can see many different types of planes up close!
| Model | Manufacturer | Serial # | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A-4 Skyhawk | Douglas | 147715 | type: A-4C |
| A-4 Skyhawk | Douglas | 158073 | type: TA-4J |
| A-7 Corsair | Ling-Temco-Vought | 154479 | type: A-7B |
| A-12 Avenger | McDonnell Douglas General Dynamics |
Mockup | nickname: "Flying Dorito" |
| BT-13 Valiant | Vultee | 8408 | year: 1943 |
| CH-53 Sea Stallion | Sikorsky | 153715 | type: CH-53A; nickname: "Patches" |
| F-4 Phantom | McDonnell Douglas | 64-0825 | type: F-4C |
| F-4 Phantom | McDonnell Douglas | 153821 | type: QF-4S; nickname: "Shamrock 201" |
| F-5 Tiger | Northrop | 74-1558 | type: F-5E Tiger II |
| F-8 Crusader | Vought | 146898 | type: RF-8G |
| F-14 Tomcat | Grumman | 159600 | type: F-14D; nickname: "Christine" |
| F-18 Hornet | McDonnell Douglas | 162826 | type: F/A-18; former Blue Angels airplane |
| F-102 Delta Dagger | Convair | 56-2337 | type: TF-102A; nickname: "Hewy" |
| F-105 Thunderchief | Republic Aviation | 60-5385 | type: F-105D; nickname: "Fireball Express" |
| F-111 Aardvark | General Dynamics | 68-0009 | type: F-111E; nickname: "Balls 9" |
| O-1 Bird Dog | Cessna | 51-16953 | type: O1-A (L-19A) |
| O-2 Skymaster | Cessna | N/A | type: O-2A; nickname: "Kudy Jay" |
| O-2 Skymaster | Cessna | 67-21430 | type: O-2A |
| OH-58 Kiowa | Bell Helicopter | 71-20606 | type: OH-58A |
| OV-10 Bronco | North American Rockwell |
Mockup | type: OV-10A; original factory mockup |
| OV-10 Bronco | North American Rockwell |
68-03825 | type: OV-10A |
| OV-10 Bronco | North American Rockwell |
155426 | type: OV-10A |
| T-33 Shooting Star | Lockheed | 53-5215 | type: T-33A |
| T-37 Tweet | Cessna | 57-2261 | type: T-37A |
Museum Programs and Projects
The Fort Worth Aviation Museum runs several cool programs. These help people learn more about aviation history.
North Texas Aviation Landmarks
The museum created a list of important aviation spots in North Texas. This report helps everyone understand how aviation has changed the area. It also suggests which places should be officially recognized.
First Flight Park
The museum worked with the City of Fort Worth to open First Flight Park. This happened in August 2013. The park is close to where the first powered airplane flight in Fort Worth took place. This historic flight was in January 1911. It was done by Roland Garros and the Moisant International Aviators. A special marker was placed there in January 2014.
Saving Aviation History
The museum has a project called the Historic Aviation Preservation Project (HAPP). It helps save the rich aviation history of North Texas. They work with the City of Fort Worth to find and protect important aviation items and places. This shows how aviation turned the area from a cattle and oil center into a major aviation hub.
Aviation Book Fair
Every year, FWAM hosts a book fair with the Fort Worth Public Library. It's called "Women, Pilots, and Writers in Aviation." Many authors come to sign books and talk about their work.
BroncoFest Reunion
FWAM also holds an annual reunion called "BroncoFest." This event brings together Forward Air Controllers and Pilots. These are the brave people who flew in the OV-10 Bronco aircraft.
