Wikipedia

Santa Maria Museum of Flight

The Santa Maria Museum of Flight is an aviation museum located at the Santa Maria Public Airport in Santa Maria, California.

Santa Maria Museum of Flight
Santa Maria Museum of Flight is located in California
Santa Maria Museum of Flight
Location within California
Established1984 (1984)
LocationSanta Maria, California
Coordinates34°54′18″N 120°27′17″W / 34.9050°N 120.4547°W / 34.9050; -120.4547
TypeAviation museum
Websitewww.smmuseumofflight.com

History

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The origins of the museum lie in the efforts of fifteen business leaders who formed a committee in 1983 to evaluate the possibility of an aviation museum. Less than one year later, the Santa Maria Aeronautical Museum and Exhibits was chartered.[1] The museum initially opened in 1988 as a gift shop in the Santa Maria Airport terminal building.[2] Construction on a 6,000 sq ft (560 m2) hangar began in June 1989, with plans at the time eventually calling for a 140,000 sq ft (13,000 m2) facility.[3] The museum opened to the public in July 1990.[4]

A second hangar, built as a set for the movie The Rocketeer, was brought in from a different location at the airport and by 1994 was being renovated for use by the museum.[5][6] Two years later, after the Western Spaceport Museum and Science Center failed, the Museum of Flight acquired its collection.[7]

The museum received an F-4S on loan from the National Museum of Naval Aviation in February 2000.[8][9]

The museum was engaged in fundraising to build a 7,200 sq ft (670 m2) hangar in 2003.[10]

A memorial garden for the Ninety-Nines women's pilots association was dedicated in 2012.[11][a]

While the museum was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic it added a new member of the board of directors and replaced the roof and siding on one of the hangars.[13][14]

Facilities

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The Edward J Horkey Memorial Research Library is located in the museum's Early Aviation Hangar and holds over 4,000 books.[15][1]

Collection

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Events

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The museum held an annual airshow called Thunder Over the Valley until 2015.[25][b]

References

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ It built upon an existing garden called the Runway of Roses.[12]
  2. ^ The later Central Coast AirFest was unrelated to the museum.[26]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b "Museum & Ramp". Santa Maria Museum of Flight. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Volunteers are Paying Off at Santa Maria Airport Shop". Five Cities Times-Press-Recorder. 30 November 1988. p. 13. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Work Under Way on Flight Museum". South County Tribune. 29 June 1989. p. 8. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  4. ^ Jackoway, Richard (20 July 1990). "Air Museum Ready to Take Initial Flight; Opening Next Week". Five Cities Times-Press-Recorder. p. 8. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Fans, Cast, Locals Blast Off with 'Rocketeer'". Santa Maria Times. 16 November 2021. p. A6. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  6. ^ Scully, Janene (18 February 1994). "Board Considers Movies". Santa Maria Times. pp. A-1, A-6. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  7. ^ Carter, Matt (18 September 1996). "Spaceport Museum Plans Shelved". Lompoc Record. pp. A1, A3. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  8. ^ Scully, Janene (31 January 2000). "Phantom Flight". Santa Maria Times. p. A-1. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  9. ^ Scully, Janene (3 February 2000). "Phantom Delivery". Santa Maria Times. p. A-1. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  10. ^ Scully, Janene (19 August 2003). "Museum Expansion Slowly Taking Off". Santa Maria Times. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  11. ^ "Pilots Dedicate Garden, Celebrate History". Santa Maria Times. 9 September 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  12. ^ Bullock, Brian (1 February 2012). "Remembering Amelia, Others". Santa Maria Times. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  13. ^ Hodgson, Mike (9 November 2020). "Former Fairpark CEO Persons Joins Board of Santa Maria Museum of Flight". Santa Maria Times. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  14. ^ Hodgson, Mike (18 April 2021). "Santa Maria Museum of Flight Takes Wing Again at Santa Maria Public Airport". Santa Maria Times. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  15. ^ "Research Library". Santa Maria Museum of Flight. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  16. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Douglas A-4C Skyhawk, s/n 147825 USN, c/n 12589". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  17. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Consolidated-Fleet 2, c/n 157, c/r N7629B". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  18. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Hughes H-1B (replica), c/n 2, c/r N258Y {2}". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  19. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Lockheed P-38 (replica) Lightning, c/n 003, c/r N238P". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  20. ^ "Airframe Dossier - McDonnell F-4S Phantom II, s/n 153868 USN, c/n 2403". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  21. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Rotorway Exec 90, c/n 5066, c/r N92SF". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  22. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Rutan Quickie". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  23. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Stinson L-5 Sentinel, c/r N63393". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  24. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Stinson-Vultee V-77 Reliant, c/n 77-0104, c/r N9280H". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  25. ^ Anderson, Logan B. (4 April 2016). "Santa Maria's Thunder Over the Valley Has Been Grounded". Santa Maria Times. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  26. ^ Syed, Razi (16 April 2018). "Central Coast AirFest to Host Inaugural Airshow at Santa Maria Airport". Santa Maria Times. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
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