Iowa Aviation Heritage Museum

03/01/2025

Picture from the Boeing Aircraft Complex in Seattle - 1943

LIFE Magazine Archives - Peter Stackpole Photographer WWP-PD

03/01/2025

03/01/2025

Meet Willa Beatrice Brown, the first Black, Native American woman to earn her commercial pilot's and aircraft mechanic's licenses. Willa was born in 1906 in Glasgow, Kentucky. As a student, Willa worked hard, immediately heading to Indiana State University upon graduating high school. Earning her bachelor's degree at age 21, Willa Brown was hired as a teacher at Roosevelt High School in Gary, Indiana.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Willa held positions as a teacher, post office clerk, secretary, and laboratory assistant in colleges, even though it was an economically trying time. Later, she was employed by the Works Projects Administration (WPA) as a social worker. Eventually, she would find herself at Northwestern University and earn her Master’s degree in Business Administration. While enrolled in a master's degree program at Northwestern University, Brown joined the Challenger Air Pilots Association, a group of African American pilots, and learned to fly at Harlem Field, on the southwest side of Chicago.

During WWII, Willa desired to join the (Women's Airforce Service Pilots) and use her newfound skills to help the cause. Unfortunately, she was denied due to her race. However, her contributions to the war effort were not halted. She and her husband, Cornelius Coffey formed the CAP (Civil Air Patrol) Squadron 613 in conjunction with his school, The Coffey School of Aeronautics. Willa held the rank of lieutenant and adjutant for the squadron and aided in flying anti-submarine machines, courier services, and border patrol. Their organization protected the home front.

We are honored to tell the story of so many accomplished women aviators like Willa in our forthcoming feature length documentary, “Coming Home: Fight For A Legacy”, and thrilled our film has been selected by the National Endowment for the Humanities for a post production grant! The award brings us close to completing our budget for post production, but we still have a gap we need to meet to release the full NEH award. Help us close the gap and ensure we can create the highest quality film by donating to our 501(c)(3) and share the important forgotten history of the WASP and early female aviators who’s legacy we celebrate:

bit.ly/WASPLegacyCampaign

Women in Aviation International

03/01/2025

03/01/2025

Mid-week update: One more trailing edge rib to repair.

03/01/2025

Two “Rosies” with their lunchboxes in Wichita, Kansas wait for their bus destined for an aircraft factory - 1942

Beechcraft, Boeing, & Cessna were the three largest aviation production companies in the Wichita area.

LIFE Magazine Archives - Gordon Coster Photographer WWP-PD

03/01/2025

03/01/2025

Did you know this rare P-51A Mustang was found wrecked in the Alaskan bush by a couple moose hunters? It’s come a long way since then! It now belongs to Walt Bowe, and we were happy he showed it off at !

Read about this incredible survivor in the March/April 2025 edition of Warbirds magazine.

📸 Scott Slocum

02/28/2025

02/27/2025

"35 & FINIS!" - Feb 25, 1945, the crew of Lt. James Adair completes their 35th and final combat mission. Arriving in the ETO on Sept 16, 1944, the crew was assigned to the 349th Sqdn of the 100th BG as replacements following the group's devastating loss of twelve B-17s and 100 men during the Ruhland mission of Sept 11, 1944. The crew arrived at Thorpe Abbotts on Sept 23 and flew their first mission on Oct 12. (100th BG Fndn Archives - Culpepper Collection. Colorized by Nathan Howland) Crew details https://100thbg.com/crew/?crew_id=12