As a child I was always excited by old airplanes. My dad was a 20-year U.S. Air Force vet and United Airline mechanic. My mother was also an aviation enthusiast and still is today at 80+.
Every chance I got I begged my parents to take me to air shows and air museums. I watched every old movie that had anything to do with airplanes and studied each page of every aircraft book in the house. And of course, like most boys growing up before computers, I built plastic model airplane kits and hung them my bedroom ceiling. At one point, my collection topped 100 models.
Since then I have been fortunate enough to visit air museums and see air shows all over the U.S. and Canada. I discovered that the museum’s size or wealth doesn’t matter as each works tirelessly and with passion to present their slice of aviation history.
A few years back I volunteered at the Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum in Horsham Pennsylvania. I had the honor and privilege to spend each Sunday morning working with three WWII veterans. Forget athletes and celebrities, as part of the Greatest Generation, these guys are my heroes. Jack Durkin was a ball turret gunner on B-17Gs. Lou Murphy taught radar to B-29’s crews on Tinian and John Morris was a loadmaster on C-46 Commandos flying the Himalayan “Hump”.
The Air Museum network was started as a way for me to give back to the aviation history museum that works tirelessly to preserve and promote aviation history and to remember those who contributed great and small, to aviation history.
The site is 100% self-funded and was designed and built by me and is constantly evolving. It features aviation and air museum news and events as well as directory of aviation museums and organizations. We hope you enjoy your visit!
Best,
David Eckert, Director
Air Museum Network
