The Sad State of the Airline History Museum in Kansas City, Missouri
What seems to be a forgotten cause at least for now
Hangar 9 at the historic Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport
Currently, the National Airline History Museum in Kansas City is closed. Hanger 9 is the designated area for the private museum where some restored propeller-driven planes rest. It’s been over a decade since I was there during an air show and seeing the vintage planes up close was an experience especially since I was the daughter of an Air Force veteran.
It was the summer of 1985. At Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base in south Kansas City, Larry Brown, a corporate pilot, and Dick McMahon, retired Air Force, got to talking about planes. Brown reached for a picture of a military version of a Constellation. Admiring its triple-tail design, the two men wondered if they could find one, fix it up and fly it around to air shows. (Source.)
My father retired from Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base in the late 1960s. The museum founded by Larry A. Brown and Dick McMahon in 1986 reminded me of growing up in the military. It’s a fantastic educational opportunity for young children and anyone else who loves planes. That is, if the non-profit company and its board members didn’t have to…
