Location | Bloomington, Illinois |
---|---|
Coordinates | 40°29′17″N 88°55′34″W / 40.488°N 88.926°W |
Type | Aviation museum |
Founder | Norm Wingler |
Website |
www |
The Prairie Aviation Museum is an aviation museum located at Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington, Illinois.
In 1982, a group of aviation enthusiasts led by Norm Wingler established the Gooney Bird Chapter of the Heritage in Flight Museum with the goal of acquiring and restoring a Douglas DC-3. However, due to legal and financial concerns the chapter decided to form the independent Prairie Aviation Museum in 1983. [1] [2] [3] The following year, the museum purchased a Douglas C-53 Skytrooper at an auction in Rockdale, Texas and flew it back to Indiana. [4] [5] [6] To complement the new acquisition, construction began on a 2,592 sq ft (240.8 m2) building in 1988. [7]
The museum opened a new exhibit featuring oral history interviews with World War II veterans in 1995. [8]
The museum's C-53 was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. [9] The historic designation was intended to help the museum qualify for funds that could be used to construct a new building. [10]
The museum opened a Challenger Learning Center in the former airport terminal in 2003, but was forced to transfer operations to the Heartland Community College due to a financial shortfall. [11] [12] [13] Further complications ensued and in 2009 the museum was forced to sell its DC-3, as it could no longer afford to maintain it in airworthy condition. [14] The museum again began developing a focus on space in 2010 and as part of this effort renovated the building in 2015. [15] [16]
Exhibits at the museum include an airport beacon and a Link Trainer. [17] [18]
Location | Bloomington, Illinois |
---|---|
Coordinates | 40°29′17″N 88°55′34″W / 40.488°N 88.926°W |
Type | Aviation museum |
Founder | Norm Wingler |
Website |
www |
The Prairie Aviation Museum is an aviation museum located at Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington, Illinois.
In 1982, a group of aviation enthusiasts led by Norm Wingler established the Gooney Bird Chapter of the Heritage in Flight Museum with the goal of acquiring and restoring a Douglas DC-3. However, due to legal and financial concerns the chapter decided to form the independent Prairie Aviation Museum in 1983. [1] [2] [3] The following year, the museum purchased a Douglas C-53 Skytrooper at an auction in Rockdale, Texas and flew it back to Indiana. [4] [5] [6] To complement the new acquisition, construction began on a 2,592 sq ft (240.8 m2) building in 1988. [7]
The museum opened a new exhibit featuring oral history interviews with World War II veterans in 1995. [8]
The museum's C-53 was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. [9] The historic designation was intended to help the museum qualify for funds that could be used to construct a new building. [10]
The museum opened a Challenger Learning Center in the former airport terminal in 2003, but was forced to transfer operations to the Heartland Community College due to a financial shortfall. [11] [12] [13] Further complications ensued and in 2009 the museum was forced to sell its DC-3, as it could no longer afford to maintain it in airworthy condition. [14] The museum again began developing a focus on space in 2010 and as part of this effort renovated the building in 2015. [15] [16]
Exhibits at the museum include an airport beacon and a Link Trainer. [17] [18]