Warbird Information Exchange

Anyone heard of this collection??
Sounds like it will be quite an attraction...

The Paris News
http://web.theparisnews.com/story.lasso?wcd=14006
Published June 15, 2004

Paris is closer to landing Old Southern Airplane Works, although other communities are are trying to entice the World War II air museum to relocate elsewhere.

“It’s looking really good for us,” Paris Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Gary Vest said of the relocation that could possibly bring thousands of visitors to Paris each year.

“I think right now it’s a matter of the city negotiating with Mr. Nichols,” Vest said of what is left to do on the project. “I expect it to be within the next two weeks.”

City Council members tabled an item on the agenda last night to approve the lease with the Nichols in order to make sure Federal Aviation Administration and Texas Department of Transportation guidelines are met.

However, attempts to bring the museum to Paris are being met with opposition not only from Corsicana, but from Bonham. Recently Fannin County commissioners discussed possible relocation of the the museum to Jones Field in Bonham. The project manager for the relocation was impressed by the air field in Fannin County, according to a June 9, 2004, article published in the Herald Democrat, a newspaper serving Sherman and Denison.

Vest said he feels that Fannin County’s consideration of luring Old Southern Airplane Works is unethical because Paris has already almost closed the deal. However, he said PEDC has nothing to worry about.

“This deal at Fannin County is nothing,” he said, “We weren’t too worried about it.”

Jan and Novaro Nichols, owners of the air base, have shopped all around the state for the place they feel is best for them, Vest said, adding that he feels Paris is a very suitable relocation spot.

“We have the infrastructure to support this,” Vest said, noting that Paris has restaurants and hotels to accommodate tourists who would travel to the air museum.

Earlier this month Paris Visitors and Convention Council approved incentives to help bring the museum to Cox field in Paris. Incentives approved by the council included extending a water line to 200 acres northeast of Cox Field and paying the lease on the property which is owned by the city.

The possible relocation of the vintage air base to Cox Field would bring World War II planes, vehicles memorabilia and a war-era museum. There would also be a restoration shop for World War II vehicles. The air base would also construct 15 buildings and hire nine or 10 employees. Several fly-ins would be conducted during the year and would potentially bring thousands of tourists to the Paris area.

Well I feel embarressed! I have not heard of this particular group and I live in Texas! OK, so now, just a little investigative work might be in order. I'll make a few calls and do a few searches to see if I can snag something from the web...... can anyone provide information on this collection???????? Alan

Don't feel too bad Alan, they are not in Texas yet. Right now they are based in North Carlina.
Aircraft registered to the Nicholls include a BT a slew of N3N's and a couple of T-50's....
Another news article can be found here:
http://web.theparisnews.com/story.lasso?wcd=13807

That's a coincidence! Charles Nichols of Yanks Museum fame owns a BT-13, a UC-78, and a slew of N3N's too... But I think that he is committed to the west coast.