Sullenberger Aviation Museum facts for kids
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| Former name | Carolinas Aviation Museum |
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| Established | 1992 |
| Location | Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States |
| Type | Aviation museum |
| Visitors | 50,000+ |
| Founder | Floyd Swinton Wilson |
The Sullenberger Aviation Museum is an exciting place to learn about airplanes and flying! It used to be called the Carolinas Aviation Museum. This museum is located right at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina.
It's special because it's one of the few aviation museums found at a big airport. Charlotte is a major hub for American Airlines. The most famous airplane at the museum is the Airbus A320 from US Airways Flight 1549. This plane is famous for its amazing emergency landing on the Hudson River.
Contents
Discovering the Museum's History
How the Museum Started
The museum was founded in 1992 by Floyd and Lois Peithman Wilson. They wanted to create a place to show off the history of aviation. The museum has over 50 airplanes and many smaller items. These items tell the story of flying in North Carolina and South Carolina.
Many of the aircraft are military jets from the 1950s and 1960s. These planes were used during the Cold War. A lot of them came from the old Florence Air & Missile Museum. Others came from important Marine Corps air stations.
Moving to a New Home
For a long time, the museum was in the airport's original hangar. This hangar was built in 1932. In April 2010, the museum moved to a new, modern building. This new facility is also at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
The new building has a special climate-controlled area. This helps protect the airplanes. It also allowed for many new and exciting displays. In October 2012, the museum became a partner with the Smithsonian Institution.
A New Name and Reopening
In July 2019, the museum closed its doors to the public. All the airplanes were moved to a temporary storage area. This was to prepare for an even newer facility. The museum planned to reopen in 2024.
In June 2021, the museum announced its plans for a new main gallery. It also planned a new welcome center. These new buildings are right next to the original 1932 hangar.
On January 14, 2022, the museum shared big news. It would be renamed the Sullenberger Aviation Museum. This name honors Captain Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger. He was the pilot of US Airways Flight 1549. His heroic landing on the Hudson River in 2009 is known as the Miracle on the Hudson. The museum has a special exhibit about this amazing event.
The museum broke ground for its new facility in September 2022. In October 2023, a new museum logo was announced. The museum officially opened its doors on June 1, 2024. Captain Sullenberger himself attended a special ribbon-cutting event on May 29, 2024.
Exploring the Museum's Collections
The museum has many interesting collections. These include:
- Items from Major Dolph D. Overton III USAF.
- History of Piedmont Airlines.
- Artifacts from the Preddy Brothers, who were heroes in World War II.
- The Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger collection. This includes letters and items given to Captain Sullenberger after the "Miracle on the Hudson" flight.
Amazing Aircraft on Display
The museum has a wide variety of aircraft. Here are some of the highlights:
- Airbus A320-214 N106US – This is the famous "Miracle on the Hudson" airplane.
- Beechcraft T-34 Mentor – A training plane.
- Bell AH-1 Cobra – A powerful attack helicopter.
- Bell UH-1 Iroquois – A well-known helicopter.
- Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter – Only the cockpit of this large refueling plane is on display.
- Douglas DC-3 N44V – Painted in Piedmont Airlines colors.
- Douglas D-558-1 Skystreak – A very fast research plane.
- Grumman F-14D Super Tomcat – A famous fighter jet.
- LTV A-7E Corsair II – A jet used in Desert Storm.
- Lockheed EC-130E Hercules – A large transport plane with a long history.
- McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II – A unique jet that can take off and land vertically.
- McDonnell Douglas F-4S Phantom II – Another well-known fighter jet.
- Sikorsky HH-3 USAF Jolly Green Giant – A large rescue helicopter.
- Sopwith Camel – A replica of a famous World War I biplane.
- Wright brothers 1902 Wright Glider (Reproduction) – A copy of an early glider.
- Wright brothers 1903 Wright Flyer (Reproduction) – A copy of the first successful airplane.
US Airways Heritage Collection
The museum also has a large collection of items from different airlines. These airlines later merged to form US Airways. This collection includes items from:
- Allegheny Airlines
- America West
- Mohawk Airlines
- Piedmont Airlines
- Pacific Southwest Airlines (PSA)
The Famous US Airways Flight 1549 Airbus
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On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 took off from New York's LaGuardia Airport. It was headed for Charlotte, North Carolina. Soon after takeoff, birds flew into the engines. This forced the pilots to land the plane on the Hudson River. Everyone on board survived this amazing landing and rescue!
In January 2011, the museum received the entire airplane. It was transported by road from New Jersey to the museum in Charlotte. The journey took 7 days, from June 4 to 10, 2011. The plane was so long that the truck carrying it was 190 feet long!
Almost everything from the flight was still inside the plane. This included the landing gear pins and even Coke cans in the beverage carts. The plane was put back together and was on display from 2011 to 2019. It looked just as it did when it was pulled from the Hudson River. The museum chose to preserve the plane as it was, dents and all.
Captain Sullenberger and First Officer Skiles even gave their uniforms to the museum. These are part of the special Flight 1549 exhibit. The aircraft was stored while the new facility was built. It is now a main attraction at the reopened museum.
See also
In Spanish: Museo Carolinas Aviation para niños
- List of aerospace museums
