New Santa Monica Museum of Flying?

[bdk]

It is not an exaggeration to say that Santa Monica is the city that the Douglas Aircraft Company built. Proximity to a coastline and the never-ending sprawl of Los Angeles helped, but Douglas was the primary employer in Santa Monica for 50 years and the reason homes were built and population expanded.

But today the Douglas legacy in Santa Monica resides only in the memories of those who were there sometime between 1920 and 1975. That is about to change. A DC-3 monument park honoring the Douglas Aircraft Company will open this December at the south end of the Santa Monica Airport, adjacent to a new aviation museum.

The monument park, as imagined in the rendering below, will be built around an elevated DC-3 that came off the Santa Monica assembly line in 1942. Primary construction funds are being provided by a challenge grant from the Douglas White Oaks Ranch Trust, which is administered by the Employees Community Fund of Boeing California, the successor to the old McDonnell Douglas Personnel Community Service operation and Douglas Aircraft Welfare Foundation.

Donald W. Douglas set up the Douglas Aircraft Welfare Foundation, now known as the Douglas White Oaks Ranch Trust, in 1964 with the money received for the sale of the assets of the former Welfare Division, including the company stores and vending machines and 364 acres of undeveloped recreation land in what is now Simi Valley.

“We think it’s crucial to preserve the historical ties between the Douglas Aircraft Company and the citizens of Santa Monica, many of whom are Douglas retirees and their families. They were practically one and the same for so many years. The city, which is committed to keeping its heritage alive for the citizens of today as well, will take on financial and physical responsibility for maintaining the site. It’s a renewed partnership,” said Beverly Hoskinson, ECF executive director of the Employees Community Fund.

The illuminated and elevated DC-3 that will be on display is courtesy of David Price, who operated the old Museum of Flying and is the man behind the new aviation museum set to open next to the memorial park. Among the historic airplanes likely to be on exhibit is the New Orleans, one of the Douglas World Cruisers which first circumnavigated the globe in 1924.

Employees and others who would like to aid in preserving the history of the Douglas Aircraft Company are invited to make contributions also. “While the Douglas Trust and the city are covering primary costs, there will be additional enhancements and expenses. Contributions will be matched dollar for dollar by the Douglas Trust grant.

“We plan to honor all those whose contributions are received by Sept. 30 by including a founders wall with their names,” said Hoskinson. Those who would like to participate can do so by sending a contribution in any amount to Donald W. Douglas Trust, P.O. 8113, Long Beach, CA 90808, telephone 562-593-2612 or 800-606-3639, access code 00. All contributors, in addition to being listed on the founders’ wall, will also receive invitations to the opening ceremony and commemorative pins created from the original Douglas logo die cut.

[daveymac82c]

sounds great!

I'm excited to hear more about this project as it continues on.

Thanks for posting.

-David M.

[Jack Cook]

My cousin Earl Carisile ran a flying school at Clover Field in the late 1920s. He was killed there when his student froze at the controls and the plane "went into the infamous tail slide". He flew in the RCAF in WWI and was Ruldolph Valentino's chaueffer. After Valentino died he flew over his funeral and dropped rose pedals. His also made the papers for landing his plane of the street next to the Santa Monica pier and then hitting a light pole. He was supposidly the first pilot ever to get a traffic ticket
Anyone with any info on Clover Field or which to look for such please drop me a line.

[corsair166b]

Cloverfield is the name of a movie whereby a giant monster of Godzilla size comes out of the water in NY harbor and destroys the city....

Oh...not that Cloverfield.....good movie anyway...

Love to see this museum up and running again....My best friend here in Greeley is one DJ price, nephew of David Price (can you guess what the DJ stands for)....funny thing....he has never met his uncle but I have...3 times....

Mark

[warbird1]

Speaking of David Price.....it seems like he just dropped off the face of the earth. I know he was having financial difficulties and sold off most of the planes in the now defunct MOF.

Some questions:

1) Does David Price still own any warbirds? If so, which ones? Do any of them fly?

2) What happened to the authentic Russian Yak-9 that was supposedly on loan to the MOF that had the big flap about being "sold", even though title of it still was in possession of the Russians.

3) Where are the static planes from the old defunct MOF, such as the Douglas Cruiser, and others being held at?

4) Does David still fly at all or is he still out of it?

5) What happened to the whole MOF gang? Specifically, I would like to know what Alan Preston and Bruce Lockwood are doing. Do they still fly at all? It seems like they dropped off the face of the planet also. I know Bruce still writes pilot articles about flying warbirds for Challenge Publications, but all of his articles are about flying warbirds in the past.

[ZRX61]

Speaking of David Price.....it seems like he just dropped off the face of the earth. I know he was having financial difficulties and sold off most of the planes in the now defunct MOF.

Jeeze, I sure wish I had his "financial difficulties" It must really suck to not know how to spend your last $40M....

Last edited by ZRX61 on Thu Jun 26, 2008 11:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[bdk]

2) Yak is on display with the CAF in Camarillo. Don't know anything about the title though.

[hang the expense]

Back in the day one of the secretaries got Breast augmentation(we called it something else back then on the museums nickle.Some wild stuff went on back then.I also hold the record for the fastest pass in a 1966 GTO at 1 oclock in the morning on the runway.This would have been in 92 0r 93.

[DaveM2]

The Yak-3, Russian ace aircraft was supposedly on loan for 10 years (back in the 90's). I tried in vain to contact David when it was suggested that it was put up for sale a few years back. The Russian authorities would like to correspond about the return of the aircraft with David, they are NOT on a witch hunt.

Dave

[F4U-7]

1) He still has his P-51 'Cottonmouth' as it is/was called. He led the flyover for my father's memorial in the '51 two years ago. Two '51s and the CAF Bearcat from Camarillo. They beat up VNY pretty good - low and fast - David made sure to mention that !!!

After American Golf, he founded American Airports. http://www.americanairports.com/

[stumac]

Speaking of David Price.....it seems like he just dropped off the face of the earth. I know he was having financial difficulties and sold off most of the planes in the now defunct MOF.

Some questions:

1) Does David Price still own any warbirds? If so, which ones? Do any of them fly?

2) What happened to the authentic Russian Yak-9 that was supposedly on loan to the MOF that had the big flap about being "sold", even though title of it still was in possession of the Russians.

3) Where are the static planes from the old defunct MOF, such as the Douglas Cruiser, and others being held at?

4) Does David still fly at all or is he still out of it?

5) What happened to the whole MOF gang? Specifically, I would like to know what Alan Preston and Bruce Lockwood are doing. Do they still fly at all? It seems like they dropped off the face of the planet also. I know Bruce still writes pilot articles about flying warbirds for Challenge Publications, but all of his articles are about flying warbirds in the past.


Well since you havn't heard anything about these events on a credible source like the wix, this would be my guess....

David is probably broke and homless (he must be because you just said he has money problems) and he is probably sitting with Alan and Bruce discussing why they have nothing to do with aviation anymore. Better yet thay probably pitched a tent under the wing of the Zero in Mojave. You know the Zero that is owned by the "LA Buisnessman" that keeps his Zero "locked away in Mojave never to be seen by the public".

[warbird1]

David is probably broke and homless (he must be because you just said he has money problems) and he is probably sitting with Alan and Bruce discussing why they have nothing to do with aviation anymore. Better yet thay probably pitched a tent under the wing of the Zero in Mojave. You know the Zero that is owned by the "LA Buisnessman" that keeps his Zero "locked away in Mojave never to be seen by the public".

Are you being facetitious or are you speaking in code? What are you trying to say?

[Vital Spark]

[quote="Jack Cook"]He flew in the RCAF in WWI

Just because it's you Jack, usually an absolute fount of accuracy and information..Surely he was in the Royal Flying Corps, or Royal Naval Air Service....the RCAF did not exist in WW1