Wurtsmith Air Museum

Wurtsmith Air Museum
Wurtsmith Air Museum is located in Michigan
Wurtsmith Air Museum
Location within Michigan
Former name
Wurtsmith Division (of the Yankee Air Force)
Established8 December 1993 (1993-12-08)[1]
LocationOscoda, Michigan
Coordinates44°27′31″N 83°21′27″W / 44.4586°N 83.3576°W / 44.4586; -83.3576
TypeAviation museum
FounderJames McLaughlin[1]
Websitewww.wurtsmithairmuseum.net

The Wurtsmith Air Museum is an aviation museum located at Oscoda–Wurtsmith Airport in Oscoda, Michigan focused on the history of Wurtsmith Air Force Base and aviation in northeastern Michigan.

History

Establishment

Further information: Wurtsmith Air Force Base

Following the end of the Cold War, the U.S. Air Force announced the closure of a number of air force bases in Michigan. This led to efforts to found aviation museums at the former bases such as the K. I. Sawyer Heritage Air Museum.[2] A group at Wurtsmith Air Force Base partnered with the Yankee Air Force to establish as the Wurtsmith Division on 8 December 1993.[3] It opened in 1997 in three hangars at the base.[1][a]

Independence

By July 2012, the museum had separated from the Yankee Air Force and become the Wurtsmith Air Museum.[5]

The museum received the navigators seat from a B-52 in 2020.[6]

The museum opened three new exhibits in 2023.[7]

Exhibits

Exhibits at the museum cover subjects such as women in aviation, General Paul Wurtsmith, 920th Air Refueling Squadron, the Army Air Service and a Link Trainer.[8]

Collection

See also

References

Footnotes

  1. ^ Plans to locate another museum, a branch of the National Korean War Museum, in a former headquarters at the airport were announced in 2004.[4]

Notes

  1. ^ a b Pruit, Tiffany L. (16 September 2002). "History's Lessons". Livingston County Daily Press & Argus. Associated Press. p. 12A. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  2. ^ "Group Hopes to Land Site for Aviation Museum". Detroit News and Free Press. Associated Press. 20 February 1994. p. 3C. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Our History". Wurtsmith Air Museum. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Former Air Force Base to House Museum". South Bend Tribune. AP. 21 July 2004. p. D1. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  5. ^ "[Homepage]". Wurtsmith Air Museum. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2023. Original museum website redirects to URL with new name from this point.
  6. ^ Alvord, Patricia (7 July 2020). "Wurtsmith Air Museum Receives Original Navigator Seat Donation". Oscoda Press. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  7. ^ Kress, Manuela (23 May 2023). "New Exhibits Welcome Visitors to Wurtsmith Air Museum". Iosco County News-Herald. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  8. ^ "Museum". Yankee Air Museum Wurtsmith Division. Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Exhibits". Wurtsmith Air Museum. Retrieved 28 December 2023.