| Yankee Air Museum |
Avg. visitor rating:  (190 visitors) |
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- History of YAF
- In 1981 a few people shared the desire to preserve the facts and glamour of southeastern Michigan's aviation history and laid the plans for an imaginative venture.
The idea caught fire -- a spark fanned by the enthusiasm of others who shared this goal.
From a historic hangar at Willow Run Airport, the idea grew. The 1941 hangar, which played a role in the production of nearly 8,700 B-24 "Liberator" bombers, became the focal pointof our aviation museum which includes flyable examples of historic aircraft as well as static displays and designated rooms filled with historic artifacts.
The idea has spread to other locales. Today there are YAF members throughout the United States. Our membership is over 1,700 and growing!
We take pleasure in inviting you to help yourself to a slice of aviation history.
- Today
- Even before you set foor on the Yankee Air Museum grounds, the excitement begins. The imposing shape of the giant B-52 eight engine jet bomber guards the vintage hangar which is the heart of the museum's activites.
The museum has historic aircraft on display. Many are flyable. Others are on static display. You may view skilled mechanics and restoration crews actively involved in the process of slowly bringing these "national treasures" back to life.
- Museum
- The Yankee Air Museum consists of an indoor aircraft display, an outdoor aircraft display,and numerous room devoted to specific aviation themes or time periods. Display room topics include: WWI aviation, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Women in Aviation, and the B-24 Liberator bomber.
In addition to the museum there is an aviation reference library which contains a wide variety of aviation related materials. (Available by appointment.)
To its visitors and all-volunteer staff of members, the Yankee Air Museum literally has 'something for everyone." Volunteers restore, maintain and fly the aircraft, administer the daily business of the museum, keep the facilities maintained, publish periodic publications and conduct fund raising events and museum tours that we invite you to take.
Visit our Gift Shop for unique aviation-related books, posters, patched, souvenirs, and more.
- Aircraft
- Among the aircraft that you will see are
- B-17G "Yankee Lady"
flying fortress WWII bomber which took the war deep into enemy territory. Our aircraft was used in the film "Tora! Tora! Tora!" - C-47D "Yankee Doodle Dandy"
world-class, award winning restoration of an aircraft which changed aviation history. - B-25D "Yankee Warrior"
medium bomber of the type used in Jimmy Doolittle's raid on Tokyo. This aircraft saw combat in WWII and is one of the few B-25D models flying today.
- In 1981 a few people shared the desire to preserve the facts and glamour of southeastern Michigan's aviation history and laid the plans for an imaginative venture.
General Information
- Hours of operation
- Tuesday - Saturday: 10:00am - 4:00pm
Sunday: 12:00pm - 4:00pm
Special hours available on request
Closed Mondays and Holidays - Free Parking
Reviews / Comments by our visitors
| Rodney L. Wright Centreville, MI, Virginia |  Someone has been hacked your comments. Look at the junk shown on your comments page. 12/10/2009 @ 06:48 [ref: 9187] |
| Lea Trager Waterford, Michigan |  I have just discovered pictures that my grandfather, Alexander Weiss, took of The American Flagship in approximately 1932. I say this because there is nothing on the pictures to indicate where and when and why the pictures were taken, but I have done some research. From the autos, it looks like the 30's. He lived in Detroit, MI. Can I bring them to the museum so that someone knowledgeable can look at them and tell me some more info? The pictures are 4x6 black and white photos, and they must have meant something to my grandfather as they have survived all these years. They do not look like they were done professionally. Help, Lea Trager from Waterford I did not know how else to contact you. 03/15/2007 @ 21:20 [ref: 5741] |
| Hard working weekend volunteer Westland, Michigan | Hello All, I think Mr. Quigley has a misguided point about the foundation that was drawn with inaccurate information.. Personally the foundation is needed in order to raise money, and it takes money to raise money. Mr. Stevens also gives a great point when he talks about how Quigley doesnt know everything happening behind the scenes. I volunteer every weekend at Hangar 2, along with countless other members who all have a common attitude. The attitude is more of a state of mind in my opinion but it is that we should do whatever it takes to keep those planes flying and to rebuild the museum. We need to stop the finger pointing, becuase what's done is done. From here on out we should all be working to raise money and volunteer at Hangar 2. Feel free to comment on this message board. Sincerely, Hard working weekend volunteer 03/06/2005 @ 11:35 [ref: 3879] |
| Jon Stevens Southfield, Michigan | As President of the Yankee Air Museum, I'd like to thank everyone for their support, their prayers, and their donations. A lot of people, including Dennis Norton and Dwight Koslowski below, have rolled up their sleeves over the years, and gone to work on our behalf. This has been especially true this past week. The fire was devastating to our hangar and collections, but not to the dedication of our staff and active volunteers. While the clean up efforts are just beginning, the behind the scenes work to get the organization back up and running again has been going on since the night of the fire. As a result, we will be able to salvage a small amount that’s left from the fire, as well as take in the influx of new donations, and get our flyable aircraft ready for next year. And again, it’s been the efforts of a lot of people pitching in that is making that happen. Needless to say, Mr. Quigley is not one of those individuals. All volunteer organizations have a few who rarely ever come around (let alone do any of the work), but exaggerate their roles and efforts; often trying to pass themselves off as being knowledgeable of what’s going on behind the scenes. Please do not buy into what he’s said below. Instead, appreciate those who took this past week off from their jobs, manned the phones, donated computers and coffee pots, and offered up their services. My phone has wrung off the hook this week, with people asking what they could do. I know that I appreciate all of them! Planning for next year is already going on. We will be flying as we did this year, and intend to present our annual Thunder Over Michigan air show next August. It will be a while, but the Yankee Air Museum will be back at Willow Run as a museum. This one step backwards may well take us two steps ahead. Again, our thanks for your support! 10/17/2004 @ 10:11 [ref: 3498] |
| Hugh Montgomery Jr Bethel, Ohio | My wife and I were shocked and deeply saddened to learn about this heart breaking tragedy! It's been a tough couple of months for air enthusiasts with two stunt pilots perishing recently and this wonderful museum burning to the ground! We attended the 2002, 2003 and 2004 shows and seminars, and really enjoyed them. 2002 was one of the first air shows we ever attended. I now regret not having taken another tour of the museum this year- my wife especially enjoyed the Willow Run time line and the Women in Aviation room. The 2004 show as especially outstanding with more planes than I remember from previous shows. We will be making a donation with the sure hope that soon again we will make the trip north for one of the more fun air shows we look forward to every year! God Bless and Godspeed! 10/15/2004 @ 23:37 [ref: 3491] |
| Dwight Koslowski , Michigan |  Quigley, you really don't know what you're talking about. Mr. Norton was one of the leaders of the Yankee Air Museum/Force from its earliest times. Why would you want to stop a foundation that was created to raise funds? Can the members do better? No, we've seen that. If you've attended the board meetings, which are open to the membership but no more than a dozen members ever show up, you'd see that. Have you actually paid admission to the fundraisers? I doubt it. I'd remember you, because the same people do the work on the events, and you're not one of them. Look, no one complained about the ton of money that was poured into the B-25 while it sat in the hangar for nearly 5 years? Why? Because it was known that, in time, it would become a valued part of the organization. The foundation is the same way. It also took money to get it off the ground (no pun intended), but now it is flying on its own, as well. If you want to make changes, become a part of the system. Attend all of the meetings, run for office, work for change...instead of grousing about it on a message board. I'll see you in the new hangar. I'll be the guy in the Yankee Air Museum hat, probably with a paint brush in my hand, or pushing a broom, or talking to a visitor. I'll bet you'll be the guy over by the coffee pot, complaining about how things used to be and what "they" should do. 10/15/2004 @ 22:00 [ref: 3490] |
| Sean Quigley westland, Michigan | Dear aviators son since you did not leave your name I don't know what to call you but let me ask when was the last time you were at the hanger to help? I have been going on and off since 01 and helped to restore the 25 also since 01 the membership has been trying to get our president Jon Stevens to cut our relationship with the Foundation in the last four years the foundation has mooched 100,000 dollars off us with promises of a new hanger and all kinds of goodies if it wasn't for the foundation we would have been able to fit the hanger with a fire supression unit last year instead our leadership decided to keep funding this foundation also since when does a foundation engaged only in raising funds need a building and education director we already had vollenteers doing that for us. 10/15/2004 @ 14:47 [ref: 3473] |
| Navy Aviator\'s Son Rossmoor, California | There are surely thousands in mourning over the destruction of the hangar and its treasures. The overwhelming majority of comments show how appreciative and concerned folks are about the loss, and now about replacing the Museum. Unfortunately, The selfish and bitter comments left by Mr. Quigley (just below), along with Mr. Sierello's on 7/31/04 reflect concern only for their own issues. Replacing the loss and preserving what's been saved is the issue. I've already sent my donation, to the Museum's website that was clearly listed. 10/15/2004 @ 14:01 [ref: 3472] |
| Sean Quigley westland, Michigan | Dear Mr.Norton please if you are going to make a comment on what the MEMBERSHIP VOTES FOR OR AGAINST please make sure and tell the MEMBERSHIP WHAT THEY VOTED, instead of making FALSE statments when actualy the board only voted. Funny but the hanger Burnt down the same day the voting ballots were due. In Future MR Norton it might be wise to hold your yap shut until we THE ACTUAL MEMBERS know WHY THE HANGER BURNT DOWN and WHY YOUR FOUNDATION NEED'S A EDUCATION DIRECTOR IF YOUR ONLY RESPONSABILITY IS TO RAISE MONEY FOR THE YAF.If people really want to help the YAF please send money direct to the Yankee Air Force in stead of this PHONY.Thanks RADAR. 10/15/2004 @ 10:43 [ref: 3471] |
| Greg Bishop Los Alamitos, California | Such a deep loss of America's precious, irreplacable history. I was so fortunate to have visited twice in 2002. When you walked into the hangar you were swept back to the 40's... I swear I heard Rosie the Riviter, and Glen Miller's band playing "In The Mood" in the background. In the display area, priceless memories of the lives of those who served our country during wartime. The people who pulled the aircraft out of the hangar changed what would have been a much bigger tragedy. Being a firefighter for 30 years, I couldn't ignore the fire danger, inherent in such an old building; unfortunately, the funds were so limited that the condition was not alleviated. The person below who couldn't see past the peeling paint lost a great opportunity to have been able to say "Yeah, I was able to see the Museum as it can never again be seen". Greg Bishop, son of Earl C. Bishop, USN Aviator 1941-1955 (KIA 7/20/55). 10/13/2004 @ 14:40 [ref: 3466] |
External pages about this museum
| http://www.yankeeairmuseum.org/ |
Last updated: 02/14/00.
Send corrections/additions by e-mail to museum-info@brooklyn.cuny.edu