Planes of Fame Air Museum

09/14/2023

Have you checked out our USS Enterprise (CV-6) hangar at the Planes of Fame Air Museum? One of our many hangars, this one is special as it was designed to resemble the hangar deck of the 'Big E' and it's filled with many items from the Enterprise donated by members of her crew and flight squadrons. You'll also find many of our Naval aircraft stored in this hangar including the TBM Avenger, SBD Dauntless, AD-4N Skyraider, etc! Some of these aircraft types served on the Enterprise during the war. Check it out next time you're at the museum! We're open today through Sunday 10am-4pm.

09/13/2023

Central Coast AirFest - October 14-15 ⭐ Santa Maria Airport, CA
Performer Highlight: ▶ Greg Colyer 'Ace Maker Airshows' ◀
Aviation enthusiasts will be treated to the thrilling performance of Greg Colyer and his Ace Maker Airshow team, featuring their dual T-33 Shooting Stars. The 2 Ship Demonstration showcases the beautiful lines of the Shooting Star with precision formation flying and exciting head-on passes, delivering an unforgettable spectacle in the skies! Get your tickets today: https://www.centralcoastairfest.com/

09/12/2023

💥 Who's ready to feel the RAW POWER of two General Electric F414-GE-400 engines producing 22,000 pounds of thrust each?! We're excited to have the US Navy Rhino Demo team 🦏 return to the Central Coast AirFest October 14-15 at Santa Maria Airport! And to top it off, we'll have the US Air Force F-16 Viper Demo Team 🐍 also ripping up the central coast skies! Get your tickets in advance today: https://planesoffame.ticketspice.com/central-coast-airfest-2023

09/10/2023

Work is never done here at the museum! Keeping these aircraft flying and I'm tip top shape is an ongoing job! We're open tomorrow (Sunday) 10am-4pm

09/08/2023

⭐ OCT 14-15 Central Coast AirFest PERFORMER UPDATE!
🎟️ Buy your tickets today: https://www.centralcoastairfest.com/
We have a preliminary list of performers for the show! It's going to be an action-packed two days at the Santa Maria Airport show October 14-15 with all sorts of warbirds taking to the skies! But not only that, we have the F-18 Demo Team, F-16 Demo Team, MV-22 Osprey Demo along with the civilian aerobatics of Greg Colyer/Ace Maker, Sukhoi West Demo Team, Dennis Sanders in the SeaFury, Vicky Benzing in her Stearman, Eric Ticker in the Piper Cub, and Jason Somes in the MiG-17! All performers are subject to change due to aircraft availability and weather.

09/07/2023

It's that time again... time for a new cover photo! We're looking for photos of our North American F-86F Sabre for the upcoming October 7th Hangar Talk event where the Sabre will fly! Post your best shots in the comments to be chosen! In order to be considered for the cover photo, you yourself must have taken the photo and it must be of our F-86 Sabre (pictured). And it helps to post an image that is no less than 1000 pixels wide so we don't have to enlarge it! Let's see what you all have!

09/06/2023

After over a year of being closed, the Merrill Ave and Euclid intersection is BACK OPEN! No longer do you need to go all the way around the airport to get to the museum. Bon View Rd and Grove Ave will be closed through the end of the year, but a new road named Sultana Ave has opened ending near Flo's Cafe connecting Merrill to Eucalyptus. Construction will still be ongoing for some time, however, with Merrill being widened to a five-lane road and the warehouses across from Merrill being built.

09/05/2023

COMING SOON! 🛩️ Mark your calendars and join us at the Planes of Fame Air Museum (Chino Airport, CA) on October 7th, 2023, as we proudly present our next Hangar Talk Flying event featuring the iconic North American F-86 Sabre. ✈️ The excitement begins at 9am when our doors swing open, with the event kicking off at 10:30am. Following the presentations, we'll have a flight demo at 12:15pm as the F-86 Sabre graces the skies above the museum!

09/02/2023

Live for the start up of the P-51A Mustang!

09/02/2023

It's a cloudy drizzly day here at the museum for our September monthly event, but that didn't stop a huge turn out today! Mustang should be flying soon!

09/01/2023

✈️ TOMORROW! Join us for our September 2nd, 2023 Hangar Talk Flying Event featuring the rare P-51A Mustang! We've got a fantastic Hangar Talk in store, we're flying one of the only P-51A Mustangs flying in the world, and we've got a very special documentary film screening in our air-conditioned Theater. Doors to the Museum open at 9:00am. Hangar Talk begins at 10:30am, and the Mustang Flying Demo is at 12:15pm. We look forward to having you there!

08/31/2023

It's looking to be a great day weather-wise on Saturday, with a high of 86 and clouds turning into patchy clouds for our next Hangar Talk flying event! Perfect for getting great shots of our aircraft with a nice sky. Don't miss out, this Saturday, September 2nd! Doors open at 9am.

08/30/2023

✈ This Saturday - September 2, 2023 📅 - is something you won't want to miss! We're combining another edition of Hangar Talk with a Flying Demo of one of the world's rarest aircraft. Doors to the Museum will open at 9:00am. Regular admission prices are in effect and Museum Members always get in free!

Here's What's Happening During Hangar Talk
"Highways in the Sky: How the Federal Government Saved Aviation"
The invention of the airplane was only the essential "first step" in aviation's development as an industry. The essential "second step" was to make the airplane useful. The Museum's Brian Finnegan will show us how this could never have happened without the United States government taking a lead to ensure that aviation became a safe, reliable, and efficient means of moving people and goods. We'll take a look back to the first practical uses of aircraft and how the decisions made and actions taken in the 1920s and 1930s, helped usher in the world of commercial air transportation that we enjoy today.

TED Talk: "Octave Chanute: Conduit of Encouragement"
Take a look behind almost every success story and you will find individuals who helped pave the way for others to succeed. The Museum's Ted Mount labels these folks, "Conduits of Encouragement." Ted will introduce us to the primary conduit for the Wright Brothers, Samuel Langley, and a host of their European counterparts who developed the first practical airplanes. All of their efforts can be traced to the energies and enthusiasm of one man - Octave Chanute. Along the way of telling Chanute's story, Ted will show us how we can serve as "conduits of encouragement" to others.

Flying Demo of the North American P-51A Mustang
At 12:15pm, Jim Llano of the Museum will present the Flying Demo of the North American P-51A Mustang. Jim will briefly explain how the fascinating story of how this aircraft came to be and what role it played in the early days of World War II.
The Museum's P-51A, the only P-51A Mustang currently flying in the world, will then start up its Alison V-12 inline engine directly in front of the crowd. Pilot John Hinton will taxi the aircraft away, and we'll hold our Member's Only Raffle Drawing. Then John will delight us with an aerial demonstration of the Mustang with a flight over the Museum for twenty minutes. Upon return, guests may meet and ask questions of John about what it is like to fly this historic aircraft.

In addition to all of the above, we'll have food trucks on hand, our Museum Guides will tell you the stories of the Museum and its world-renowned collection, they'll be fun for the kids, and our B-17 will be open for visitors to tour the inside. A great way to spend the day at Planes of Fame!

08/29/2023

✈️🎟️ AIRFEST TICKETS ARE ON SALE! The Central Coast AirFest, presented by the Planes of Fame Air Museum on October 14-15 in Santa Maria, CA, is getting closer! Don't miss out on this unforgettable experience with an action-packed day of many warbirds, aerobatics, and thundering jets—grab your pre-order tickets now at https://planesoffame.ticketspice.com/central-coast-airfest-2023 and secure your front-row seat to an incredible display of aviation! 🎫

08/28/2023

⭐THIS SATURDAY (September 2, 2023)⭐ See a rare P-51A Mustang fly over Chino Airport, California! The Planes of Fame Air Museum proudly presents our September Hangar Talk Flying Event featuring the razorback Mustang fighter. Doors open at 9am with the event starting at 10:30am with our engaging series of presentations. Following that, the Mustang will start up around 12:15 and taxi out for a demonstration flight over the museum. The Mustang will fly over the Museum for 20 minutes. Upon her return, guests can ask questions to the pilot.
We'll also hold our Member's Only raffle drawing to win a flight in a warbird for one lucky winner. We've got food trucks on-site, our re-enactors and Museum Guides, and fun stuff for our youngest visitors. A great way to spend the day for the whole family this September 2nd at Planes of Fame Air Museum!

Where Warbirds Fly and Aviation History Lives!

World-famous aviation museum based in Chino, Californ

08/27/2023

📷 Name all the aircraft in this photo!
We're open today 10am-4pm. Next week we're open Wednesday through Sunday 10am -4pm with special hours for our Hangar Talk Flying Event next Saturday, September 2nd (9am-4pm), with a flight of the North American P-51A Mustang!

08/26/2023

It's finally the weekend! We're open 10am-4pm Saturday and Sunday. And just one more week till our next event!

08/24/2023

Counting down the days till our next Hangar Talk Flying event! Just about a week and a day at this point. Join us Saturday, September 2nd, for our Hangar Talk Flying event featuring the rare North American P-51A Mustang 'Mrs Virginia'! Get up close and personal with this Allison-powered razorback as she takes to the skies over Chino Airport, CA at the Planes of Fame Air Museum! Doors open at 9am.

08/23/2023

Museum docent Adam Estes has once again come through with another amazing bit of research, this time about our authentic World War 1 Hanriot HD.1:
"Recently, I came upon a copy of the book Charles Nungesser: An ace to conquer the sky, by French military historian Patrick de Gmeline. In addition to many other photos relating to France’s third-highest scoring ace of World War One, there were five photos of Nungesser and the Hanriot HD.1, which I scanned and linked here.
They mostly date from 1924 to 1926, when Nungesser flew the Hanriot and several other aircraft in aerial demonstrations across the country, and starred as himself in a silent film called The Sky Raider, which was filmed at Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York.
Around 1926, he returned to France to plan for his attempt at winning the Orteig Prize, which was offered to the first man to fly nonstop from Paris to New York or New York to Paris. On May 8, 1927, Nungesser and his navigator for the flight, Francois Coli, left Paris bound for New York, but they never made it. To this day, no one knows for sure where they ended up, though people from both sides of the Atlantic have tried to find them ever since.
Before leaving for France, Nungesser had entrusted Santa Monica pilot Jim Granger with storing the Hanriot until his return to America. With Nungesser and Coli’s disappearance, Granger acquired the Hanriot from Nungesser’s widow, Consuelo, as payment for hangar rents due. It would later be through Jim Granger’s wife Clema that Ed Maloney would acquire the Hanriot in 1951, and has it been displayed by the museum ever since."

08/22/2023

Gary Maisack posted this shot of our B-25J Mitchell 'Photo F***y' at the Warhawk Air Museum 'Warbird Roundup' a few weeks ago. We've had a few aircraft out on the airshow circuit that have finally made their way back home. But they won't be there for too long as the Southern California airshows pick up again starting the end of next month leading to our Central Coast AirFest at Santa Maria Airport October 14-15 where you can see sights like this! More info and tickets: https://www.centralcoastairfest.com/

08/21/2023

📆 We're just under two weeks away from our next Hangar Talk Flying event featuring the P-51A Mustang on Saturday, September 2nd! Who's excited? Doors open at 9am with the presentations beginning at 10:30am. At around 12:15pm, the early Mustang will take to the skies!

08/20/2023

Yesterday was not only ✈️ National Aviation Day, but also 📷 World Photography Day and we missed it, whoops! But since most of us are at home as the tropical storm rolls through Southern California, post your best aviation photo you've taken at any of our airshows or events!

08/18/2023

We love our wonderful reenactors who bring history to life! They come out for every event bringing all the original uniforms and equipment pertaining to every event. They are not just there for show, next time you see them strike up a conversation with them as they would love to tell you all about what they are wearing and all their gear. They have wonderful stories and are worth your time. Thank you, reenactors!
Photo by Craig Bryant

08/17/2023

What's your favorite jet in our outside jet area of the museum? Tell us in the comments below! ⬇️⬇️⬇️
We're open this week 10am-4pm through Sunday.

08/17/2023

Who's ready for a repeat of this?! We can't wait for the to perform at the Central Coast AirFest October 14-15, 2023 at Santa Maria Airport, CA! It would be great to have another dose of extreme v***r! Have you gotten your tickets for the show yet? They are on sale now: https://planesoffame.ticketspice.com/central-coast-airfest-2023

08/15/2023

We remember and honor today the heroes whose sacrifices and unwavering spirit brought an end to World War II. As we mark the anniversary of Victory over Japan (V-J Day), let's reflect on the resilience that brought nations together and paved the way for peace finally ending the war. 🌍🕊️

08/12/2023

☀️Dreaming of being up there... Our aircraft love to fly, and a lot of them do fly on a regular basis! In fact, you never know what aircraft you might see starting up and take to the wild blue yonder when you visit the museum! What was your favorite surprise startup you've witnessed when randomly being at the Planes of Fame Air Museum?

08/11/2023

🚶Take a walk through aviation history! We're open 10am-4pm Friday through Sunday the rest of this week! Planes of Fame Air Museum (Chino Airport, CA)

08/09/2023

✈ It's that time again! Time for a new cover photo 📷. With our upcoming September 4th Hangar Talk Flying event featuring the North American P-51A Mustang, we're looking for shots of our P-51A 'Mrs. Virginia'! In order to be considered for the cover photo, you yourself must have taken the photo and it must be of our P-51A (pictured). We also ask if you could post images at or larger than 1000 pixels wide so we don't have to enlarge the image. Let's see what 'Mrs. Virginia' photos you all have!

08/08/2023

COMING SOON! 🛩️ Mark your calendars and join us at the Planes of Fame Air Museum (Chino Airport, CA) on September 2nd, 2023, as we proudly present our next Hangar Talk Flying event featuring the iconic North American P-51A Mustang. ✈️ The excitement begins at 9am when our doors swing open, with the event kicking off at 10:30am. Following the presentations, we'll have a flight demo at 12:15pm as the P-51A Mustang graces the skies above the museum!

08/07/2023

❓Did you know: These white pillars off Euclid Ave as you are on the way to the museum are original from Cal Aero Field during WW2? The two larger pillars as you head to Flo's were part of the original entrance (look in the background of the black and white photo). These are just one of many reminders of the former military training facility that still remain today at the airport! Check them out next time you're coming to visit. We're open this week Wednesday through Sunday 10am-4pm.

08/06/2023

While we couldn't post this live today due to the heat, here's the startup and taxi of our Grumman TBM Avenger today at the August 5th, 2023 Hangar Talk Flying event! Pilot: John Kerpa. Planes of Fame Air Museum (Chino Airport, CA)

08/05/2023

Great turn out despite the heat today for our August Hangar Talk flying event featuring the Grumman TBM Avenger! We have some special guests including a second Avenger here today. There's still time to come out of you're local to Chino Airport! We won't have a live video of the startup today due to the heat, but look for a video posted afterwards of the startup and taxi of the Avenger!

08/04/2023

⭐TOMORROW!⭐ Join us for our August 5th, 2023 Hangar Talk Flying Event featuring the Grumman TBM Avenger! We've got a fantastic Hangar Talk in store, we're flying the Museum's mighty TBM-3E Avenger Torpedo-Bomber, and we've got a very special documentary film screening in our air-conditioned Theater. Doors to the Museum open at 9:00am. Hangar Talk begins at 10:30am, the Avenger Flying Demo is at 12:15pm, and the presentation of "Heroes On Deck" screens at 1:15pm. It's going to be a pretty warm day, so make sure you bring some sunscreen, wear a hat, and stay hydrated!

08/03/2023

We saw this scene in the P-38 hangar and had to snap a shot. While we could think of a few great captions for this, we want to hear what you think these two guys would be saying!

08/02/2023

⭐ We have an action packed day for you all THIS SATURDAY (8/5/2023) here at the Planes of Fame Air Museum Hangar Talk flying event featuring the Grumman TBM Avenger! The Museum’s Avenger will take to the skies and we’re screening a very special documentary in our Theater.

🔵 Doors to the Museum will open at 9:00am. Regular admission prices are in effect and Museum Members always get in free!

🔵 Here’s What’s Happening During Hangar Talk
“To Shorten the Agony of War: The Atomic Bomb Missions of World War II”
With the recent theatrical release of “Oppenheimer” and with next week marking 78 years since two atomic bombs were dropped on Japanese cities, we thought it appropriate to revisit our well-received 2019 presentation on the development of the worlds first atomic weapons and missions that played a key role in bringing an end to the Second World War. The Museum’s Brian Finnegan will present the absorbing story that culminated in the dropping of “Little Boy” on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and “Fat Man” on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.

🔵 “The Towers at Chichi Jima: The Little Known and Almost Forgotten TBM Avenger Mission of World War II.”
Planes of Fame’s Richard Malvino will tell the engaging story of a September 1944 Naval aviation mission featuring the General Motors TBM “Avenger.” The target for the carrier-based “Avengers” was the radio towers on the small Japanese island of Chichi Jima. This is a story of courage and sacrifice that will also bring home the true horror of the war in the Pacific.

🔵 TED Talk: “Samuel P. Langley: A Story of Overconfidence”
This is a story of what almost might have been. Samuel P. Langley was a renowned scientist and inventor. As head of the Smithsonian Institution, his ideas and opinions mattered. When the Federal government agreed to fund Langley to develop the first practical man-carrying aircraft, Langley approached the challenge brimming with confidence. The Museum’s Ted Mount will walk us through the ensuing months as Langley and his team work to get their Aerodrome into the sky. By December, 1903 in Washington D.C., Langley is ready. But as Ted will show, confidence can quickly get the better of any of us if we’re not careful.

✈ Flying Demo of the General Motors TBM “Avenger”
At 12:15pm, Scott Cassells of Planes of Fame will present the “Flying Demo of the General Motors TBM “Avenger.” Scott will give a quick overview of the aircraft and discuss its features and mission types.
Then pilot John Kerpa will fire up the enormous 1,900 horsepower radial engine directly in front of our visitors. After John taxi’s the aircraft away, we’ll hold our Member’s Only Raffle Drawing. Then John will delight us with an aerial demonstration of the “Avenger” in flight for twenty minutes. Upon return, guests may meet and ask questions of John about what it is like to fly this historic aircraft.

🎬 “Heroes On Deck”
Special Screening in the Museum Theater at 1:15pm
We’re thrilled to have been selected by the filmmakers of this outstanding documentary to screen their film in our air-conditioned theater. The hour-long film tells a little known but fascinating chapter in America’s preparations during World War II – the training of Naval and Marine Corps aviators on Lake Michigan.
Highly acclaimed, the film documents why Lake Michigan was the ideal setting and how the Navy went about converting steamships into lake-bound carriers. We’ll also follow the filmmakers as they explore the deep bottom of the lake, uncovering a treasure-trove of historic aircraft.

🎟 Your admission to the Museum gets you into the Theater for this screening, but seating is limited to a first-come, first-served basis. The film will begin promptly at 1:15pm.

🍔 In addition to all of the above, we’ll have food trucks on hand, our Museum Guides will tell you the stories of the Museum and its world-renowned collection, they’ll be fun for the kids, and our B-17 will be open for visitors to tour the inside. A great way to spend the day at Planes of Fame!

08/01/2023

✈️🎟️ AIRFEST DISCOUNT TICKETS ARE ON SALE! The Central Coast AirFest, presented by the Planes of Fame Air Museum, is set to amaze on October 14-15 in Santa Maria, CA. Brace yourself for an exhilarating extravaganza featuring jaw-dropping aerial displays and remarkable performances! Don't miss out on this unforgettable experience—grab your discounted pre-order tickets now at https://planesoffame.ticketspice.com/central-coast-airfest-2023 and secure your front-row seat to an incredible display of aviation! 🎫🔖

06/11/2023

Name the aircraft! It, along with over 100 different historic aviation aircraft and displays are available to see at the museum till 4pm today! We're open next week Wednesday-Sunday 10am-4pm.

06/09/2023

Have any plans for the weekend? We're open 10am-4pm for all your aviation needs! Five hangars worth of aircraft are here for you to see. What's your favorite aircraft in our collection?

06/09/2023

It's that time again, time for a new cover photo contest! We're looking for photos of the Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless in honor of our upcoming July 1st, 2023 Hangar Talk Flying Event featuring the SBD Dauntless! In order to be considered for the cover photo, you yourself must have taken the photo and it must be of our SBD-5 Dauntless (pictured). It also helps if you post photos wider than 1000pixels! We can't wait to see what you all have this month!