Prairie Aviation Museum
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  Location within Illinois | |
| 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
Exhibits at the museum include an airport beacon and a Link Trainer.[17][18]
Collection
- Bell AH-1J SeaCobra 157771[19]
- Bell UH-1H Iroquois 67-17832[20]
- Cessna 310[21]
- Grumman F-14D Tomcat 161163[22]
- Lockheed T-33 35979[23][24]
- LTV A-7A Corsair II 152681[25]
- McDonnell Douglas A-4M Skyhawk 160036[26]
- McDonnell Douglas F-4N Phantom II 150444[27]
- North American F-100 Super Sabre[28]
- Northrop T-38A Talon 60-0549[29]
