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The Lone Star Flight Museum starts a new era with today's unveiling of the master plan to build a 130,000-square-foot museum at Ellington Airport.

The museum has been located in Galveston for 20 years and was renovated after damage from Hurricane Ike. The new plan includes a spring 2015 groundbreaking on the project that will reopen in 2016 at Ellington.

On hand for today's event were Houston Mayor Annise Parker, who taxied in on a Stearman airplane, as well as museum president Larry Gregory, Houston Airport System director Mario Diaz, retired NASA astronaut Bonnie J. Dunbar, former U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige and museum vice-chair Scott Rozzell. Dunbar and Paige are also co-chairs of the museum's education committee.

Museum officials and patrons have already raised $25 million of the $35 million needed for the project that will include an enriched educational experience. The new museum will feature examples of historic aircraft, of course, but will include a hands-on interactive learning environment for students, focusing on science, technology, engineering and math.

This photo shows the Lone Star Flight Museum's B-17 "Flying Fortress" (top) and its P-51 Mustang "Galveston Gal" (bottom).