| The National Naval Aviation Museum is a place | | | | actually flew the plane comes and checks it |
| that brings together different people who | | | | out," said Eckhouse. "We try to restore them |
| have one thing in common: a love of aviation. | | | | as close to the factory specs as we can." |
| | | | |
| Located at Pensacola Naval Air Station in | | | | Volunteer Jeff Peyronnin, 62, who served in |
| Florida, the museum has a flight simulator | | | | the Coast Guard, has spent the last two years |
| that depicts a jet fighter swooping into | | | | working on the Coronado's tail section. |
| battle during the first Iraq war, a | | | | |
| seven-story atrium that features a collection | | | | "Every time you mess with it you feel like |
| of Blue Angels jets hanging from the ceiling, | | | | you are touching history," he said. "I like |
| an IMAX theater that shows a film about the | | | | to picture this old lady at Tokyo Bay." |
| acrobatic fliers, and a café that is a | | | | |
| recreation of the Cubi Point officer's club | | | | World War II veteran Les Schnyder, 82, has |
| in the Philippines. | | | | logged more than 18,000 hours as a volunteer. |
| | | | His specialty is restoring the blimplike |
| However, the main attractions of the National | | | | airships that escorted convoys in WWII, and |
| Naval Aviation Museum, which opened in 1963 | | | | many of his restoration projects are already |
| and has been expanded three times, are its | | | | on display inside the museum. |
| restored aircraft. Among them is the Navy's | | | | |
| S-3B Viking that President Bush flew when he | | | | Some of the planes were brought back to life |
| landed on the carrier Abraham Lincoln and | | | | after being pulled from the water years |
| made his "Mission Accomplished" speech about | | | | later, including an early World War II era |
| the Iraq war. | | | | Brewster Buccaneer that was at Pearl Harbor |
| | | | when the Japanese attacked. It later flew in |
| The PB2Y Coronado, the first US plane that | | | | the Battle of Midway before becoming a |
| landed in Tokyo after World War II, is the | | | | training aircraft for pilots practicing |
| latest restoration project of the museum. | | | | carrier landings in Lake Michigan, where it |
| Restorations are undertaken by mostly | | | | sank after a crash. It was only salvaged from |
| volunteers composing of hundreds of military | | | | the lake six decades later. |
| retirees. | | | | |
| | | | Wally Farrand, after 22 years in the Navy, |
| The volunteers often draw on their own | | | | now restores the museum's vintage aircraft |
| military experience to make the restorations | | | | engines, including the Brewster's. He joked |
| authentic. Thousands of hours in labor are | | | | that his best work is never seen by visitors |
| contributed each year to the museum, making | | | | because it is inside the aircraft. |
| the volunteer program a model for other | | | | |
| museums. | | | | "But everything I do here, I just love it," |
| | | | he said. |
| Former Navy pilot Mort Eckhouse, 79, has | | | | |
| logged thousands of volunteer hours over | | | | And it is that kind of tireless dedication |
| almost 20 years of working in the restoration | | | | from the volunteers that keeps the museum |
| area's machine shop. He meticulously | | | | running smoothly. |
| recreates rusted and broken aircraft parts on | | | | |
| donated 1950s era milling machines. His work | | | | For operation hours, activities and other |
| is then tested whenever a pilot or crew | | | | information about the National Naval Aviation |
| member of a restored aircraft sees the | | | | Museum, visit |
| finished product in the museum. | | | | |
| | | | Source: community.warplanes. |
| "It's a wonderful moment when the guy who | | | | |