does anyone remember lane aviation museum columbus ohio??

[tom d. friedman]

the lane aviation museum is named in memory of foster lane, an early aviation pioneer who worked with the wright brothers. the museum was located at port columbus, but got kicked out due to airport expansion. it's a shame because they focused on ohio aviation history as well as general civilian aviation history. all aircraft & exhibits were well maintained. last i heard was all aircraft & exhibits were moved for storage to the ohio historical society. i haven't been to columbus since college. (go bucks!!) i was wondering if the museum contents are displayed at the historical society located off of east 17th street from rt. 71, or was the collection broken up & sold. the memorabilia just fell off the planet. the museum was in the process of closing around the late 90's or early 2000's if that time frame helps.

[cooper9411]

Wow Tom, Lane Aviation, I aint heard that in a long time. Maybe we should get a bunch of us WIX'ers from this area and go investigate some weekend!

[tom d. friedman]

Wow Tom, Lane Aviation, I aint heard that in a long time. Maybe we should get a bunch of us WIX'ers from this area and go investigate some weekend!

i'm game!!

[CAPFlyer]

Been through their terminal at Port Columbus a couple of times when I was there in 2004, but don't remember a museum. The only museum I knew of was the one that was in storage at the time and looking for a home. Beyond that, the only thing I ever really saw around CMH was the marker for Norton Field which I took a few pics of for Paul Freeman's Abandoned Airfields site.

[K5DH]

Was that the same group who had the ex-Airborne Express Caravelle jetliner sitting on the ramp across the runway from the passenger terminal? I used to do business with a supplier in Powell (north of Columbus) and I'd see that Caravelle sitting out there when I flew into and out of Port Columbus Airport.

[tom d. friedman]

Been through their terminal at Port Columbus a couple of times when I was there in 2004, but don't remember a museum. The only museum I knew of was the one that was in storage at the time and looking for a home. Beyond that, the only thing I ever really saw around CMH was the marker for Norton Field which I took a few pics of for Paul Freeman's Abandoned Airfields site.

the museum was off in a separate building ahead of the airport's arrival terminal.

[barnbstormer]

Wow Tom, Lane Aviation, I aint heard that in a long time. Maybe we should get a bunch of us WIX'ers from this area and go investigate some weekend!

It sure "rang a bell" with me! Only yesterday, I was going through the folders of Clayton Brukner's personal files, photos, memberships and contacts, section, of my original Waco Co. archives (Brukner was the long-time President). I remembered seeing these cards, and just scanned them for old times sake..The one Foster Lane card has a flip-open feature

One of nicest cards in there was probably Brukner's metal Antique Airplane Association, Lifetime member card.

Most intersting item (along with some rare Wright Bros photos)was likely the very ODD bank account with Brukner's signed name. Unlike all the other Waco, Advance and Weaver Aircraft bank accounts for the entire history of the Waco Co. This personal bank account goes from 1928-1946, with the most bizarre and wild fluctuations. from hundreds of dollars on some days, all the way up to 622,000 in 1929! (at time of transformation to the (formal)WACO Co. and issuing stock!) then back again to hundreds and thousands! Wow! That was REAL Money back in those days..Also noteworthy that it was the very same Ohio bank the Wright Brothers used.

[barnbstormer]

Out of curiosity, just did a fast bit of research on Foster's many accomplishments in aviation.
I "think" we had done some business with him, back in the 70's or 80's.

I did not recall any of Lane's history with the Wright Bros, in all my years of studying the Wrights and their company. Unlikely that he did anything with "the Wright Bros" as he was only born in 1903. Would have been only 9 years old when Wilbur died, and only about 12-13, when Orville sold the company. *But he WAS an Early Bird member, so there may be a connection there?

But I did find it odd that he was a lifetime member of The Early Birds, and even an influential Governor on their board. So I guess he must have made his first solo at around the age of 13! to qualify for Early Bird membership. The Early Bird membership was stated to be for those who had flown, prior to Dec 17, 1916.

[Baldeagle]

Some of the stuff, including Foster Lane's Waco 9, went to the Waco Air Museum in Troy, OH:
http://www.wacoairmuseum.org/



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[tom d. friedman]

i'm getting a feeling the collection was broken up. warning..... this post is possessed!! my 6666 post.

[myteaquinn]

Was that the same group who had the ex-Airborne Express Caravelle jetliner sitting on the ramp across the runway from the passenger terminal? I used to do business with a supplier in Powell (north of Columbus) and I'd see that Caravelle sitting out there when I flew into and out of Port Columbus Airport.

Yes it was, the Caravelle was on display just in front of the museum. If memory serves me correct there was at one time another aircraft there as well. I'll have to look through my pictures to see if I have any. Drove by that museum many a time but never went in. What was I thinking. If I have time the next time I'm in Columbus I'll try and stop by the Ohio Historical Society and have a look.


Went through my pictures and didn't find any of the Caravelle.

[Canso42]

The Caravelle was still sitting off to one side looking derelict in June '09 when I flew into Pt of Col. going to the Waco fly-in that year.

[tom d. friedman]

i recall a culver drone their that could be piloted or unpiloted.... any body remember that 1??

[Jerry O'Neill]

I was there in 1985 and remember the building and the Caravelle. It was closed, so I couldn't go in.
Jerry

[wacoykc]

I can speak directly to this as I not only worked there while in college, I was the one to get all the artifacts for the Waco Museum in Troy. I was allowed to go in and pick what I wanted from the storage site that would be put on long term loan to the Waco Museum. I naturally selected the Waco 9 and the Waco 10. I then selected the Ford AA gas truck and the Saxon automobile. I then selected a number of engines Waco related...Warner, Jacobs, Pratt and Whitney, OX-5 and OXX-6 as well as the collection of wooden propellers that again would fit a Waco. This all came about after nearly two years of discussion with the Ohio Historical Society. We retrieved the items and moved them all at the same time one cold and snowy day nearly three years ago. The remainder of the aircraft were still disassembled and in storage as well as all the other items from the defunct museum. The Alliance Argo is at the Ohio Historical Society on display. The Culver hangs in the terminal at Port Columbus. The Dart was just sold within the last two months. The Willard Curtiss pusher was being retained by the OHS.

The Museum itself was closed after Foster Lane passed and the contents donated to the OHS. The museum closed its doors around 2000, give or take a couple years. The Caravelle was scrapped. The OHS has been downsized so much that that was the reason I was able to secure the artifacts for the Waco Museum, where they are all on display where people can enjoy them.