1 / 23

Chico Air Museum

Chico Air Museum. An Opportunity for the Community. May 2011. Presented by…. Brian Baldridge. Gary Thompson. Chico Air Museum. 501(c)3 Non-Profit Status, Established 2004 Successful Fulfillment of Mission Statement Many Contributors and Supporters

palila
Download Presentation

Chico Air Museum

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Chico Air Museum An Opportunity for the Community May 2011 Presented by… Brian Baldridge Gary Thompson

  2. Chico Air Museum • 501(c)3 Non-Profit Status, Established 2004 • Successful Fulfillment of Mission Statement • Many Contributors and Supporters • Growing Fleet of Display Aircraft and Artifacts • Acceptance by Local Schools as Educational Venue • World Class Aviation History Speaker Series • Well Developed Relationships Within Museum Circles • Certified Recipient of Military and NASA Surplus • Extremely Dedicated Volunteer Staff

  3. Vic AlvisturCAM Board President • CAM Co-founder • Former CEO Aero Union • Previous Chico Planning Commission Chairman • Lifetime Chico resident

  4. Norm Rosene D.D.S.CAM Board Member • CAM Co-Founder • Established Local Dentist • Lifetime Chico Resident • PV High School, UC Davis, UCSF School of Dentistry • Pilot and Aircraft Owner • Aircraft Acquisition Specialist

  5. Noel WheelerCAM Board Member • CAM Co-Founder • Former Shell Oil Executive • Longtime Chico Resident • Docent Manager • Former Butte County ALUC Commissioner • Speaker Series Coordinator

  6. Brian BaldridgeCAM Board Member • CAM Co-Founder • Former President NVPA • Commercial/Instrument Pilot • Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic • Former Chico Airport Employee • CSU Chico Graduate • Former Manager, Tech Support Diamond Aircraft, Eclipse Aviation • Department of Defense Program Manager, Surveillance Aircraft Contractor

  7. Gary Thompson • CAM Co-founder • Former Executive Director Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum • Former Executive Director Pearson Air Museum • Vintage Aircraft Restorer • Author and Pilot • Barnstormer • Aviation Historian

  8. CAM Mission Statement • The Chico Air Museum was founded to collect, preserve, document and display artifacts significant to the rich aviation and aerospace history of Chico Army Air Field and the North Valley. Our primary purpose is to educate and inspire people of all ages, while honoring the creativity, dedication and sacrifices of the men and women who contributed to the remarkable aviation heritage in the Northern Sacramento Valley.

  9. Rich Aviation History Friesley Falcon 1921 Thad Kearns 1911 Vultee BT-13 in Formation 1944 WASP’s 1943 Titan ICBM’s 1963

  10. Thaddeus S.Kerns Chico Boy Pilot 1910 • Built and flew first aircraft in Chico at age 16 only 7 years after Wright Bros. (1910) • Renowned airshow pilot • Granted several U.S. patents for aircraft design

  11. Chico Army Air Field (CAAF)

  12. Historic Chico Army Air Field 1942 to 1945 • 5,500 Combat Pilot Cadets trained, BT-13, P-39, P-63, P-38, B-29 Aircraft, Aerial Gunnery, Advanced Tactics • Thousands of Combat Support Personnel trained for overseas deployment • Women Air Service Pilots utilized (WASP’s) to reposition aircraft • Women aircraft maintenance mechanics employed • Development of the famous 555th Operation Firefly of African American smokejumpers to counteract to Japanese incendiary balloons threat to U.S. West Coast

  13. Notable Chico Airport History • Chico City Council leases Airport Land to Army Corps of Engineers for $1 per year to build Army Training Base 1941 • Site of Nuclear Missile Silo Explosion and Early Anti-Nuclear Vigils at Titan I-C Missile Base 1962 • Site of First Airline Hijacking in the U.S. 1961 • Launch Site of Top-Secret High Altitude Unmanned Balloon world record of 186,240 feet, the greatest altitude ever reached by a flying object requiring the surrounding air. Guinness Book Record 1972

  14. North Valley Aviation History • 1921 Freisley Falcon built at Eddie Rickenbacker's farm in Gridley. First aircraft to fly a baseball team.

  15. North Valley Aviation History • 1953 Invention of Aerial Fire Suppression, Willows • Tactical U-2/SR-71 Base

  16. Original CAAF Hangar Now Available

  17. The Opportunity • Built in 1943 as line maintenance and engine change hangar for CAAF • Classic 40’s style construction • In-buildings perfect for museum displays, meeting rooms, gift shop

  18. The Goals of Growth • Create First Class Tourist Destination • Inspire and Educate all Ages • Provide Jobs • Build Aviation Reference Library • Acquire and Preserve Historic Aircraft and Artifacts • Provide Mentorship Program Opportunities (CHAMPS) and CSUC Museum Management Program • Stimulate Redevelopment of CMA • Establish Corporate/Service Organization Meeting Facility

  19. The Opportunity

  20. The Opportunity

  21. The Vision

  22. WeNeedYourSupport Together We Can Make It Happen

More Related