Planes of Fame Air Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 12 January 1957 |
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| Location | |
| Type | Aviation museum |
| Collection size | 150+ planes |
| Founder | Edward T. Maloney |
The Planes of Fame Air Museum is an exciting place in Chino, California. It's a special museum all about airplanes! You can see many amazing planes here. Some of them can even fly, and others are being fixed up to fly again. It's a great spot to learn about aviation history.
Contents
Discovering the Museum's History
How the Museum Started
The Planes of Fame Air Museum was created by Edward T. Maloney on January 12, 1957. He wanted to save important old airplanes. Back then, it was simply called "The Air Museum." A small group of helpers, including future museum president Steve Hinton, worked hard. Their goal was to make the museum's planes able to fly again.
Moving to New Homes
In 1962, the museum's collection grew too big for its first home. So, it moved to Ontario Airport in California. Later, in 1970, the airport needed its space back. This meant the museum had to move once more.
The planes that couldn't fly went to a place called "Movie World" near Knott's Berry Farm. The planes that could fly moved to Chino Airport. This airport was once a training ground for over 10,000 pilots during World War II. When Movie World closed in 1973, all the planes were brought together at Chino. That's when it officially became the "Planes of Fame" museum.
Growing Bigger and Better
Over the years, more planes were fixed up and added to the collection. In 2002, the Chino museum opened its "Enterprise Hangar." This hangar looks like the inside of a World War II aircraft carrier. It even has items from the famous USS Enterprise (CV-6) ship.
The museum kept growing between 2004 and 2008. They added new hangars, offices, a gift shop, and a library. They also created the "Hands-On Aviation" center for young people. New areas were made to show off jets and planes from the Korean War, Cold War, and Vietnam War. In 2009, another hangar was built by the 475th Fighter Group. It stores their special items and the museum's rare Lockheed P-38 Lightning plane.
Amazing Aircraft Collection
The Planes of Fame museum has one of the largest collections of Japanese aircraft in the world. This includes the only real, flying Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter plane. It still has its original engine! You can also see an Aichi D3A plane that was used in the movie Tora! Tora! Tora!.
Many other rare planes are kept in flying condition. These include a North American P-51A Mustang, a Boeing P-26A Peashooter, and a Lockheed P-38J Lightning. The museum has about 150 aircraft in total. Around 30 of these can still fly! Others are being carefully restored by experts.
Exciting Airshows and Events
Monthly Hangar Talks
The museum hosts special events every month called "Hangar Talk." Each event focuses on a different theme, like "World War I Aviation" or "Airplanes In The Movies." During these talks, people who worked with the planes, like combat pilots, share their stories. After the talks, you get to see two or three planes related to the theme fly!
Annual Airshow Fun
The museum also puts on a huge annual airshow. All of its flying planes take to the sky. Many other warbirds from different museums and private owners also come to join. This is the biggest gathering of warbirds in the western United States. You can see many rare and unique aircraft flying high.
In 2022, the museum started a new event called "Wheels, Tracks, and Wings." This event brings together military vehicles and people who act out historical scenes. It's a chance to see tanks, trucks, and planes all in one place! For 2024, it's called "Wings, Tracks, and Wheels" and will feature over ten warbird aircraft flying. You can also see special presentations, military vehicles, and even a demonstration of an M4A1 Sherman Tank.
Cool Military Vehicles
The museum also has a group called the Military Vehicle Corps, or "Motor Pool." This small team of volunteers takes care of military vehicles, mostly from World War II. They keep these vehicles in great shape and even operate them. You might see them in parades, public events, or historical re-enactments. Some of the vehicles on display include:
- M4A1 Sherman Tank
- 1941 WC-54 Dodge Ambulance
- GMC CCKW
The 475th Fighter Group Exhibit
In the late 1990s, members of the 475th Fighter Group (also known as "Satan's Angels") wanted a permanent home for their memories and items. This U.S. Army Air Forces unit was very successful in the South Pacific during World War II. They were the first group to use only P-38 Lightning planes.
In 2005, the 475th Fighter Group decided to join forces with the Planes of Fame Air Museum. Now, a special hangar at the Planes of Fame museum is dedicated to the 475th Fighter Group. It's a great place to learn about their brave pilots and their amazing planes.
See also
- Yanks Air Museum, another air museum located at the Chino Airport.
- List of aerospace museums
