Michigan Flight Museum facts for kids
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| Former name | Yankee Air Museum |
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| Established | 1981 |
| Location | Willow Run Airport Ypsilanti Township, Michigan, United States |
| Type | Aviation museum |
| Founder | Dennis E. Norton |
The Michigan Flight Museum is an exciting place where you can learn all about airplanes and Michigan's amazing aviation history! It used to be called the Yankee Air Museum. You can find it at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti Township, Michigan. The museum has many cool airplanes, including some that can still fly and others that are on display outside.
Contents
The Museum's Story
The museum started in 1981 as the Yankee Air Force Inc.. Its main goals were:
- To save a part of Michigan's rich aviation history.
- To get one of the original USAAF hangars and make it look new again.
- To find a B-24 Liberator bomber. This type of plane was built right where the museum is now, at the Ford Willow Run plant.
The Yankee Air Force also had other locations in different states.
The 2004 Fire
On October 9, 2004, a big fire destroyed the Yankee Air Museum's hangar at Willow Run Airport. It was a sad day, but brave museum volunteers managed to save three important planes: a B-17, a B-25, and a C-47. Another plane, a Stinson, was in a different hangar and was safe.
Sadly, everything else inside the burned hangar was lost. This included a special prototype plane, a glider, a former Thunderbirds jet, and many other valuable items.
Right after the fire, plans began to rebuild. The museum's fundraising group worked hard to create a new, even better aviation museum. Construction for the new building started in April 2007. In 2009, the museum bought another building to be its new home.
In the summer of 2010, the museum opened the David and Andrea Robertson Education Center. This center was in an old schoolhouse from 1938 that had been moved to the museum site. This building was once an officers' club for soldiers during World War II.
The museum officially reopened to the public on October 10, 2010. This was exactly six years after the fire. In July 2011, the museum became a Smithsonian Affiliate, which means it's connected to the famous Smithsonian museums.
Moving to the Bomber Plant
In April 2013, the Yankee Air Museum announced an exciting plan. They wanted to buy a part of the huge Willow Run factory. This factory was famous for building B-24 bombers during World War II. The museum needed to raise a lot of money to save this part of the factory.
The campaign to save a piece of the Willow Run bomber plant was called SaveTheBomberPlant.org. People could donate money on their website. The museum worked hard to reach its fundraising goal.
By May 2014, the museum had raised over $7 million! This was enough money to move forward with buying a part of the historic plant. The rest of the large factory building was sold to another company for a new research center. Much of the old factory was taken down, but the part the museum saved remained.
In October 2014, the museum changed its name to the National Museum of Aviation and Technology at Historic Willow Run.
The museum also needed a new home for its planes that could still fly. They chose a spot on the east side of the airport for the Roush Aeronautics Center.
A New Name for the Museum
In May 2024, the museum changed its name again to the Michigan Flight Museum. The following month, it announced the sale of its B-17 bomber.
Museum Collection
The museum's main building, called the Collections & Exhibits building, is very large. It has many permanent and changing displays about aviation and history. You can also see planes being restored, visit a gift shop, and watch movies in a theater. This building is also where the museum staff and volunteers work. Outside, there is an air park where more planes are displayed.
From 2007 to August 2011, the museum's planes that could fly were kept at an airport in Grosse Ile, Michigan.
Airplanes That Can Still Fly
The Michigan Flight Museum is proud to have several airplanes that are still airworthy, meaning they can fly!
- North American B-25D Mitchell 43-3634 Rosie's Reply (It used to be called Yankee Warrior). This plane flew 8 combat missions during World War II.
- Douglas TC-47D Skytrain 44-76716 "Hairless Joe"
- Bell UH-1 Iroquois "Greyhound" 66-01126
- Ford 4-AT-B Trimotor 42
Airplanes on Display
The museum has many other amazing aircraft that are on display for visitors to see up close.
- Boeing B-52D Stratofortress 55-0677
- SPAD S.XIII 4523 – This is a replica of an old plane.
- Consolidated PB4Y-2G Privateer 59876
- Convair C-131B (53-7813)
- Douglas A-4C Skyhawk 148543
- Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless 06626
- Lockheed EC-121K Warning Star 141311
- Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune 140443
- Martin RB-57A Canberra 52-1426
- McDonnell NF-101B Voodoo 56-0235
- McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 63-7555
- McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet
- North American F-86L Sabre 53-1060
- North American F-100C Super Sabre 54-1785
- Republic F-84F Thunderstreak 51-9501
- Republic RF-84F Thunderflash 52-7421
- Bell AH-1J SeaCobra "159212"
Gliders on Display
The museum also has a glider, which is an aircraft that flies without an engine.
- Franklin PS-2
See Also
- List of aviation museums
