Warbird Information Exchange

Howdy all

With the official opening this weekend of the National Museum of World War 2 Aviation, here is some exciting previews of what's to come ! This new Museum is dedicated to all the Men and Women who served or played their part during WW2 in Aviation . Aswell as the aircraft involved

http://www.worldwariiaviation.org/index ... news-press

Get behind and support this new exciting Museum anyway you can

Lightning

Is this actually a National Museum or something that is merely calling itself a "National Museum" (there is a difference). If the former, to which government agency is it associated? Does it have congressional designation as a "national museum"?

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Kevin McCartney

I was wondering that as well.

Also, it's hard to tell from the site what planes and other artifacts it has, i.e. whether it would be worth even a 15 minute detour to go and see.

Other than that it sounds great!

August

This is what got my interest as seen at the bottom of About Us-->Museum Development

I think I'm gonna' wait until a couple of our WIX troops have visited and given us a review before I jump on my Schwinn and go visit.

Mudge the hesitant

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Land of the free because of the brave

To get National Museum status, is that an offical title bestowed upon an institution by some sort of committee? Just how does that work? I see where in Kansas City the Airline History Museum is now called the National Airline History Museum. www.airlinehistory.org

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

I always wondered that as well. For example, many in the railroad preservation field have taken exception to the train museum in Green Bay calling themsevles the "National railroad museum," as a similar named museum in England really is the national museum. Green Bay isn't in that class at all.
How about the "National Museum of WW2" in New Orleans? The name is a joke, if you've actually been there.

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Life member, 91st BG Memorial Association
Owner, 1944 Willys MB #366014
Former REMF (US Army, O3)

Ah okay, that explains it. The museum seems to be a (tax deductible) appendage of WestPac. I looked up the museum's form 990, and William Klaers is listed as its principal officer, he appears to be the driving force behind this. Well, that's actually good news -- it opens up a cool restoration shop and its projects to the public. I'd stop by if I were in the area.

August

Can you expound on your visit to the NMoWW2? Was it a disappointment?

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

In the US, a National Museum must be so designated by Congress. The National Museum of WWII in New Orleans has been so designated. According to its web site, the National Museum of WWII Aviation has applied for, but not yet received, such a designation. See:

http://www.worldwariiaviation.org/index ... resolution

In most other countries a national museum is defined as one owned and run by the national government.

It's not clear what criteria Congress uses to award a museum the designation of being the US's "National [Subject] Museum", but the NMWW2A's Congressional sponsor represented in introducing its bill that "the National Museum of World War II Aviation in Colorado Springs, Colorado is the only museum in the United States that exists to exclusively preserve and promote an understanding of the role of aviation in winning World War II." Hmm.

For what it's worth, since it's been mentioned, the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay received its Congressional designation in 1956. It does not appear that the National Airline History Museum is a real National Museum, but it's hard to be sure. It strikes me as a bit deceptive to name your museum the "National [Subject] Museum" or "National Museum of [Subject]" if it is not a designated National Museum, but I don't know if it's specifically prohibited.

And if you're wondering about the web site's reference to the process being tabled because of Congressional Rule 28: http://www.gop.gov/about/rules?rule-28

August

Thanks to the man who owns the Tennessee Museum of Aviation, I was able to have a guided tour of West Pac two years ago. The staff members at WestPac were very cordial and I watched work being done on Jim Tobul's F4U-4 Corsair "Korean War Hero" and a P-38 (perhaps the one seen in the video). It is likely that some of us do not value our time on the same scale, but the tour, even without the Museum, was most definitely "worth even a 15 minute detour to go and see"

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Steve Turner, USAF aircraft refueler 54+ years ago.

Interesting info. If a museum decides one day to call itself the National Museum of this or that without gettting the offical nod from Congress, will the National Police Force come after them?

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

When you posted, I was just editing my post to say I don't know the answer to this. I'll look it up when I have time. Even if there's no specific federal prohibition, I could imagine another museum contending that the pseudo National Museum is unfairly competing for charitable donations by implicitly misrepresenting that it has the Congressional endorsement. I'd probably counsel to leave "National" out of your name until you have the designation.

August

I know it's way off topic, but yeah, I wasn't impressed at all.
I paid $21 a head for my wife and I to go inside. Not being a huge history buff, she actually liked it. Being well versed in WW2 history and wanting to see, "stuff," I felt it was a gigantic rip off. Most of what you see is interactive and representational stuff (many items are reproductions). There are artifacts there, but not nearly as much as you'd expect. Any decent military museum anywhere would have most of the same stuff. They do have a PT boat and a LCVP (modern reproduction) which sets them apart. They also have some tanks and trucks on the main exhibit floor, but they're all pushed together and impossible to photograph. Frankly, any decent re-enactment of airshow display has the same things.
I'd long been warned that the museum is for the general public, not for collectors. Nobody I know in the re-enacting or collecting community who has gone there was impressed. I never thought I'd be in a WW2 museum where I'd stand around waiting for my wife to finish reading all the stuff plastered to the walls but that's how I spent most of my time there.
I know it's the thing for museums to tell stories over showing stuff from the collection. In that, they do a great job. But if you're like me and want to see stuff, you're wasting both your time and an awful lot of money.

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Life member, 91st BG Memorial Association
Owner, 1944 Willys MB #366014
Former REMF (US Army, O3)

Howdy All

The National Museum Of World War II Aviation is now open for tours

http://www.worldwariiaviation.org/

http://articles.springsmilitarylife.com ... d=16408484

Lightning