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Santa Maria Museum of Flight

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Coordinates: 34°54′18″N 120°27′17″W / 34.9050°N 120.4547°W / 34.9050; -120.4547
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Santa Maria Museum of Flight
Santa Maria Museum of Flight is located in California
Santa Maria Museum of Flight
Location within California
Established1984 (1984)
LocationSanta Maria, California
Coordinates34°54′18″N 120°27′17″W / 34.9050°N 120.4547°W / 34.9050; -120.4547
TypeAviation museum
Websitewww.smmuseumofflight.com

The Santa Maria Museum of Flight is an aviation museum located at the Santa Maria Public Airport in Santa Maria, California.

History

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The origins of the museum lie in the efforts of fifteen business leaders who formed a committee in 1983 to evaluate the possibility of an aviation museum. Less than one year later, the Santa Maria Aeronautical Museum and Exhibits was chartered.[1] The museum initially opened in 1988 as a gift shop in the Santa Maria Airport terminal building.[2] Construction on a 6,000 sq ft (560 m2) hangar began in June 1989, with plans at the time eventually calling for a 140,000 sq ft (13,000 m2) facility.[3] The museum opened to the public in July 1990.[4]

A second hangar, built as a set for the movie The Rocketeer, was brought in from a different location at the airport and by 1994 was being renovated for use by the museum.[5][6] Two years later, after the Western Spaceport Museum and Science Center failed, the Museum of Flight acquired its collection.[7]

The museum received an F-4S on loan from the National Museum of Naval Aviation in February 2000.[8][9]

The museum was engaged in fundraising to build a 7,200 sq ft (670 m2) hangar in 2003.[10]

A memorial garden for the Ninety-Nines women's pilots association was dedicated in 2012.[11][a]

While the museum was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic it added a new member of the board of directors and replaced the roof and siding on one of the hangars.[13][14]

Facilities

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The Edward J Horkey Memorial Research Library is located in the museum's Early Aviation Hangar and holds over 4,000 books.[15][1]

Collection

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Events

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The museum held an annual airshow called Thunder Over the Valley until 2015.[25][b]

References

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ It built upon an existing garden called the Runway of Roses.[12]
  2. ^ The later Central Coast AirFest was unrelated to the museum.[26]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b "Museum & Ramp". Santa Maria Museum of Flight. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Volunteers are Paying Off at Santa Maria Airport Shop". Five Cities Times-Press-Recorder. 30 November 1988. p. 13. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Work Under Way on Flight Museum". South County Tribune. 29 June 1989. p. 8. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  4. ^ Jackoway, Richard (20 July 1990). "Air Museum Ready to Take Initial Flight; Opening Next Week". Five Cities Times-Press-Recorder. p. 8. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Fans, Cast, Locals Blast Off with 'Rocketeer'". Santa Maria Times. 16 November 2021. p. A6. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  6. ^ Scully, Janene (18 February 1994). "Board Considers Movies". Santa Maria Times. pp. A-1, A-6. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  7. ^ Carter, Matt (18 September 1996). "Spaceport Museum Plans Shelved". Lompoc Record. pp. A1, A3. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  8. ^ Scully, Janene (31 January 2000). "Phantom Flight". Santa Maria Times. p. A-1. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  9. ^ Scully, Janene (3 February 2000). "Phantom Delivery". Santa Maria Times. p. A-1. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  10. ^ Scully, Janene (19 August 2003). "Museum Expansion Slowly Taking Off". Santa Maria Times. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  11. ^ "Pilots Dedicate Garden, Celebrate History". Santa Maria Times. 9 September 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  12. ^ Bullock, Brian (1 February 2012). "Remembering Amelia, Others". Santa Maria Times. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  13. ^ Hodgson, Mike (9 November 2020). "Former Fairpark CEO Persons Joins Board of Santa Maria Museum of Flight". Santa Maria Times. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  14. ^ Hodgson, Mike (18 April 2021). "Santa Maria Museum of Flight Takes Wing Again at Santa Maria Public Airport". Santa Maria Times. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  15. ^ "Research Library". Santa Maria Museum of Flight. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  16. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Douglas A-4C Skyhawk, s/n 147825 USN, c/n 12589". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  17. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Consolidated-Fleet 2, c/n 157, c/r N7629B". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  18. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Hughes H-1B (replica), c/n 2, c/r N258Y {2}". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  19. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Lockheed P-38 (replica) Lightning, c/n 003, c/r N238P". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  20. ^ "Airframe Dossier - McDonnell F-4S Phantom II, s/n 153868 USN, c/n 2403". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  21. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Rotorway Exec 90, c/n 5066, c/r N92SF". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  22. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Rutan Quickie". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  23. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Stinson L-5 Sentinel, c/r N63393". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  24. ^ "Airframe Dossier - Stinson-Vultee V-77 Reliant, c/n 77-0104, c/r N9280H". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  25. ^ Anderson, Logan B. (4 April 2016). "Santa Maria's Thunder Over the Valley Has Been Grounded". Santa Maria Times. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  26. ^ Syed, Razi (16 April 2018). "Central Coast AirFest to Host Inaugural Airshow at Santa Maria Airport". Santa Maria Times. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
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