Coordinates: 35°13′29″N 80°55′59″W / 35.22472°N 80.93306°W / 35.22472; -80.93306

Sullenberger Aviation Museum

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Sullenberger Aviation Museum
Sullenberger Aviation Museum is located in North Carolina
Sullenberger Aviation Museum
Location in North Carolina
Sullenberger Aviation Museum is located in the United States
Sullenberger Aviation Museum
Sullenberger Aviation Museum (the United States)
Former name
Carolinas Aviation Museum
Established1992 (1992)
LocationCharlotte Douglas International Airport, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
Coordinates35°13′29″N 80°55′59″W / 35.22472°N 80.93306°W / 35.22472; -80.93306
TypeAviation museum
Visitors50,000+
FounderFloyd Swinton Wilson[1]
Websitewww.sullenbergeraviation.org
Former logo
Main Display Hangar, June 2010
Main Display Hangar, August 2012

The Sullenberger Aviation Museum, formerly the Carolinas Aviation Museum,[2] is an aviation museum on the grounds of Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina.

It is one of a few aviation museums located at an airport which serves as a major hub (Charlotte is the No. 2 hub for American Airlines). Its centerpiece attraction is the Airbus A320 used on US Airways Flight 1549.

Overview

In 1992, Floyd and Lois Peithman Wilson founded the museum, which has a collection of over 50 static aircraft and many smaller historic items related to aviation in North Carolina and South Carolina. Most of the collection consists of Cold War military aircraft, including several historic jet aircraft from the 1950s and 1960s. Many of the aircraft came over from the now-closed Florence Air & Missile Museum, formerly in Florence, South Carolina. A significant number of aircraft have also come from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point and Marine Corps Air Station New River. Although the museum no longer operates flying aircraft, it has on occasion hosted historic aircraft for fly-ins, since it is located on Charlotte-Douglas International Airport property. Those aircraft include the B-17, B-24, B-29, and Berlin Airlift C-54.[citation needed]

Until April 2010, the museum was located in the airport's original 1932 hangar, built by the Works Progress Administration. The museum moved into a new facility at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport at 4672 First Flight Drive.[3] The new facility has enabled the majority of the aircraft to be inside a climate-controlled facility, as well as allowing for new displays.[citation needed]

In October 2012, the museum became a Smithsonian affiliate.[4][5]

In July 2019, the museum closed to the public and all aircraft were moved into temporary storage in preparation for the new facility. The museum developed plans for a new location with a planned re-opening in 2024.[6] In June 2021, the museum announced plans to reopen with a new main gallery and welcome center adjacent to the original 1932 hangar.[7]

On January 14, 2022, the museum announced that it would be renamed for Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger. The museum was to house a permanent Miracle on the Hudson exhibit. Also, the museum announced a US$1 million gift from Red Ventures CEO Ric Elias, who survived the flight, and a US$500,000 gift from Lonely Planet.[8] The museum broke ground on its new facility in September 2022.[9]

In October 2023, as part of the rebuilding process, the museum announced a new logo.[10]

In advance of the official opening, which took place on June 1, 2024, a ribbon cutting was held on May 29, 2024, with Sullenberger himself attending.[11]

Collections and aircraft

N106US on display in the museum

The museum's collections include:

Aircraft in collection

N106US with tail reinstalled
Museum's F-14D and AV-8B Harrier

US Airways Heritage Collection

1549 Exhibit Entrance
Overhead panel in cockpit of N106US

The museum holds a large collection of artifacts and memorabilia from various legacy airlines which merged into the now-defunct US Airways. The museum's special collections and archival material are currently in storage and inaccessible for research.

The collection includes artifacts from:

Acquisition of US Airways Flight 1549 Airbus

Case containing Capt. Sullenberger's and First Officer Skiles's uniforms.
Flight 1549 landing on the waters of the Hudson River.

On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 took off from New York's LaGuardia Airport for a flight to Charlotte, North Carolina, when multiple bird strikes a few minutes after takeoff forced a ditching in the Hudson River. The ditching and subsequent rescue operations were accomplished without loss of life.[49] The aircraft, an A320-214, was eventually recovered from the river.[citation needed]

In January 2011, the Carolinas Aviation Museum acquired the entire airframe from the insurance company, AIG, who donated the aircraft to the museum.[50][51] The airframe was transported by road from its storage location at J Supor & Son Trucking & Rigging Co. Inc. in Kearny, New Jersey to the museum at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte. The transportation took 7 days, between June 4 and 10, 2011, and covered 788 miles (1,268 km) through New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina.[52] Because the fuselage was transported in one piece, as it was when it was recovered from the river, the truck was 190 feet (58 m) long. Virtually everything except the passengers' personal belongings are still in the airplane. The landing gear pins, fire axe, and the manuals were still in the cockpit, and the Coke cans were still in the beverage carts.[53]

The airframe has been reassembled and was on display from 2011 to 2019 in the same configuration as it was when it was pulled out of the Hudson River in January 2009. The airframe is being preserved as opposed to restored with dents from the birds and tugboat.[54] In addition to the airframe, Captain Sullenberger and First Officer Skiles contributed their uniforms to the museum's 1549 exhibit.[citation needed]

The aircraft arrived in June 2011, and reassembly of the main components took about one year. The engines arrived in May 2012 and were planned to be reassembled in time for the fourth anniversary of the landing in the Hudson, on January 15, 2013. The museum opened a major new exhibit surrounding Flight 1549 with artifacts such as Captain Sullenberger's uniform in August 2012.[3]

The aircraft went into storage until the new facility opened in 2024.[11][55]

See also

References

  1. ^ Diana, John. "Carolinas Aviation Museum – Organizational History". Carolinas Aviation Museum. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  2. ^ Museum, Sullenberger Aviation. "Sullenberger Aviation Museum Prepares for Takeoff". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Campbell, Karen (January 23, 2014). "'Miracle on the Hudson' aircraft on exhibit at Carolinas Aviation Museum". The Boston Globe. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  4. ^ "Carolinas Aviation Museum joins Smithsonian affiliate network". WBTV.com. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  5. ^ "CAM News [October 2012]". Constant Contact. October 1, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  6. ^ "PREPARE FOR TAKEOFF". Carolinas Aviation Museum. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  7. ^ Spanberg, Erik (June 14, 2021). "Revamped and relocated Carolinas Aviation Museum likely to debut in late summer 2023". Charlotte Business Journal. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  8. ^ Marusak, Joe (January 14, 2022). "Charlotte museum to be renamed to honor 'Miracle on the Hudson' hero Captain 'Sully'". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  9. ^ Ablon, Matthew; DeVayne, Richard (September 27, 2022). "Ground broken on new Carolinas Aviation Museum campus". WCNC. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  10. ^ "Sullenberger Aviation Museum Unveils New Logo, Completing Identity Evolution Ahead of Summer Opening". PR Newswire. October 23, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  11. ^ a b Jordan, Chase (May 31, 2024). "Sullenberger Aviation Museum set for takeoff in Charlotte with grand re-opening". The Charlotte Observer.
  12. ^ "US Airways Flight 1549 "Miracle on the Hudson"". Carolinas Aviation Museum. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  13. ^ "Ercoupe". Carolinas Aviation Museum. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  14. ^ "PT-17 Stearman Kaydet". Carolinas Aviation Museum. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  15. ^ "CAM News [October 2015]". Constant Contact. October 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  16. ^ "CH-46D Sea Knight". Carolinas Aviation Museum. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  17. ^ "CAM News [May 2014]". Constant Contact. May 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  18. ^ "Restoring the CH-46 Sea Knight" (PDF). Carolinas Aviation Museum. Retrieved August 1, 2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  19. ^ "Cessna 150L". Carolinas Aviation Museum. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  20. ^ "CAM News [April 2014]". Constant Contact. April 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  21. ^ "[Untitled]" (PDF). Carolinas Aviation Museum. Retrieved August 1, 2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  22. ^ "Cessna 150L". Carolinas Aviation Museum. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  23. ^ "Piedmont DC-3". Carolinas Aviation Museum. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  24. ^ "[Untitled]" (PDF). Constant Contact. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  25. ^ "D-558-1". Carolinas Aviation Museum. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  26. ^ "CAM News [June 2014]". Constant Contact. June 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  27. ^ "[Untitled]" (PDF). Carolinas Aviation Museum. Retrieved August 1, 2017.[permanent dead link‍]
  28. ^ "Douglas A-4A Skyhawk". Carolinas Aviation Museum. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  29. ^ "Eastern Airlines DC-7B". Carolinas Aviation Museum. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  30. ^ Birch, Matt (Summer 2013). "The Last Flight of the First GII" (PDF). Waypoint. Savannah, Georgia: Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  31. ^ "Grumman F-14D Super Tomcat". Carolinas Aviation Museum. Archived from the original on March 6, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  32. ^ "Vought A-7 Corsair II". Carolinas Aviation Museum. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  33. ^ "EC-130E 62-1857". Carolinas Aviation Museum. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  34. ^ "History of EC-130E 62-1857" (PDF). Carolinas Aviation Museum. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 28, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  35. ^ "CAM News [June 2013]". Constant Contact. June 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  36. ^ "P-80". Carolinas Aviation Museum. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  37. ^ "AV-8 Harrier II". Carolinas Aviation Museum. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  38. ^ "AV-8B-1 Harrier arriving at Carolinas Aviation Museum" (PDF). Constant Contact. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  39. ^ "McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II". Carolinas Aviation Museum. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  40. ^ "[Untitled]" (PDF). Constant Contact. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  41. ^ "CAM News [September 2012]". Constant Contact. September 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  42. ^ a b "CAM News [February 2013]". Constant Contact. February 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  43. ^ "CAM News [August 2013]". Constant Contact. August 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  44. ^ "Savoia Marchetti S.56C". Carolinas Aviation Museum. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  45. ^ "CAM News [January 2013]". Constant Contact. January 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  46. ^ "Sopwith Camel". Carolinas Aviation Museum. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  47. ^ "The Wright Flyer (Replica)". Carolinas Aviation Museum. Retrieved April 10, 2019.
  48. ^ "CAM News [April 2013]". Constant Contact. April 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2017.
  49. ^ McFadden, Robert D. (January 15, 2009). "All Safe as US Airways Plane Crashes Into Hudson River in New York". The New York Times. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  50. ^ "Charlotte Museum to Display Flight 1549 Airbus". January 6, 2011. Archived from the original on January 10, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  51. ^ McGeehan, Patrick (January 5, 2011). "Flight 1549 May Be Headed to Carolinas Aviation Museum". The New York Times. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  52. ^ "Flight 1549 plane arrives in Charlotte after long voyage". WECT TV6-WECT.com. June 7, 2011. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  53. ^ Rouse, Karen (February 26, 2011). "'Miracle on the Hudson' plane stored in N.J. ready to take final journey". Northjersey.com. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  54. ^ "US Airways Flight 1549, Known For The 'Miracle On The Hudson' Headed To Charlotte Museum For Display". Newyork.cbslocal.com. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  55. ^ "Prepare for Takeoff". Retrieved May 24, 2020.
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