SDASM Library & Archives

05/25/2021

Pan American Airways was once the largest airline in the world and during its heyday in the 1930s, offered the most luxurious and comfortable air passenger service on their famous “Clipper” flying boats. Find out more about these majestic Clippers in this exciting online exhibit:
https://sandiegoairandspace.org/exhibits/online-exhibit-page/introduction-boeing-314-exhibit

Pan American Airways was once the largest airline in the world and during its heyday in the 1930s, offered the most luxurious and comfortable air passenger service on their famous “Clipper” flying boats. Find out more about these majestic Clippers in this exciting online exhibit:
https://sandiegoairandspace.org/exhibits/online-exhibit-page/introduction-boeing-314-exhibit

02/22/2021

Want to learn more about the Link Trainer? Well, check this out!
https://sandiegoairandspace.org/collection/item/link-trainer

Want to learn more about the Link Trainer? Well, check this out!
https://sandiegoairandspace.org/collection/item/link-trainer

02/10/2021

In honor of Black History Month, we have created an online exhibit highlighting the extraordinary life of Norman Casson.

https://sandiegoairandspace.org/exhibits/online-exhibit-page/casson-introduction

In honor of Black History Month, we have created an online exhibit highlighting the extraordinary life of Norman Casson.

https://sandiegoairandspace.org/exhibits/online-exhibit-page/casson-introduction

11/04/2020

New Online Exhibit!
https://sandiegoairandspace.org/exhibits/online-exhibit-page/high-flying-films-introduction
Hollywood has long had an infatuation with flight, and many movies have been produced that have aircraft in leading roles. These aviation films tell us much about what was going on in society at the time they were produced, as these films often represented the hopes and fears of those that created them. We have created an online exhibit that highlights some of these “High Flying Films” and also discusses the historical context in which they were produced.

New Online Exhibit!
https://sandiegoairandspace.org/exhibits/online-exhibit-page/high-flying-films-introduction
Hollywood has long had an infatuation with flight, and many movies have been produced that have aircraft in leading roles. These aviation films tell us much about what was going on in society at the time they were produced, as these films often represented the hopes and fears of those that created them. We have created an online exhibit that highlights some of these “High Flying Films” and also discusses the historical context in which they were produced.

10/08/2020

This week's artifact spotlight is something you "Gotha" see!
https://sandiegoairandspace.org/collection/item/gotha

09/28/2020

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we have created an online exhibit celebrating Hispanics and Latinos/Latinas in aviation!
https://sandiegoairandspace.org/exhibits/online-exhibit-page/hispanic-and-latino-aviators-introduction

09/11/2020

Here are some cool matches! You know what else matches? Our grant! For a limited time your donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar through the Museum’s Challenge Grant Recovery Fund: https://sandiegoairandspace.org/support/donate/donate
Please designate "Challenge Grant" if you kindly donate. Thank you very much!

09/09/2020

As the Valley Fire burns in San Diego County, we take a look back at the first airplane meant to fight fires in the area. In 1917 Orvar "Swede" Meyerhoffer was contracted by the San Diego Fire Department to fly his Curtiss F Boat to attack fires from the air. His plane, christened "Aerial Truck No 1", was going to use chemical fire extinguishers to put out fires. Although the exact method to be utilized is unknown and there is no record that Ole No 1 ever fought a fire.

Incidentally, in 2018, the San Diego Air and Space Museum acquired its own Aerial Truck, a Lockheed P2V Neptune which can be seen at our Gillespie Field annex. We do know that our Neptune, "Tanker 43" was quite successful at fighting fires!

08/20/2020

Check out this rare book spotlight!
https://sandiegoairandspace.org/collection/item/rare-material-spotlight-arthur-dunning-spearman-j.j.-montgomery-manuscript

07/31/2020

Two of the most prized possessions in the Museum's collection are a pair of logbooks recording events related to the 103rd Aero Squadron from the First World War. The 103rd squadron was the first American combat squadron to see action in the War, and was initially comprised of 17 pilots from the famed Lafayette Escadrille, the French squadron made up of mostly American volunteers. One of the logbooks contains a record of the flight operations of the squadron, including hours flown and a narrative about each day's activities. Some of these reports, listed as the "Nature of Patrol" are quite interesting and detailed.

The other logbook records more the Squadron's more mundane activities not related to flight, such as the names of new squadron members, or where the 103rd was stationed. This book spans the period when the squadron was formed till when it returned to the United States after the War.

Recently the library undertook the process of restoring these logbooks. The digitization of these log books means that the can be used by researchers without additional wear and tear. And in 2020, the activity logbook were transcribed by Steve Ruffin.

See the logbooks and transcription here: https://archive.org/search.php?query=subject%3A%22103rd+Aero+Squadron%22

https://sandiegoairandspace.org/collection/item/logbooks-of-the-lafayette-escadrille-103rd-pursuit-squadron

07/07/2020

Do you like airplanes? Do you like dogs? We got the exhibit for you!
https://sandiegoairandspace.org/exhibits/online-exhibit-page/introduction3

05/19/2020

Three historically important scrapbooks, which belonged to Reuben H. Fleet, are being digitized by the Museum’s Library & Archives as part of the California Revealed program. California Revealed is a State Library initiative to help digitize California’s archival treasures, at no cost to the source institution. Fleet founded Consolidated Aircraft in 1923 in Buffalo, New York, relocating his company to San Diego in 1935. During World War II, located on Pacific Highway by Lindbergh Field, the company employed nearly 50,000 San Diegans, delivering tens of thousands of aircraft. His company merged with Vultee Aircraft in 1943, becoming Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation (Convair).
These oversized scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings and articles about Fleet and Consolidated Aircraft, dating from 1928 to 1942. On loan to the Museum by the Fleet family, they were created by Fleet’s personal secretary.
The digitization of these books will allow research of materials that include valuable marketing and media information about Consolidated Aircraft prior to its move to San Diego, as well as the early years of World War II. The California Revealed project has already digitized many of the Museum’s oral histories, including those of T.C. Ryan, Waldo Waterman and Lillian Boyer.
These are available at: https://archive.org/details/sandiegoairspacemuseum

04/22/2020

In March 2020 the world changed as non-essential businesses closed to the public to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Overnight, the Museum converted its daily activities into a variety of online and remote activities as staff began working from home. During the temporary closure, the Museum’s Library & Archives staff continue to respond to research requests and inquiries. In addition, they are exploring ways to stay connected with the public while working from home. To learn more about the Library & Archives recent accomplishments and future plans, read the new issue of “Researcher News.�http://sandiegoairandspace.org/pdf/LANewsletter_April2020a.pdf

04/16/2020

Take a closer look at one of our incredible artifacts:
http://sandiegoairandspace.org/collection/item/distinguished-flying-cross-society-short-snorter

04/15/2020

San Diego Air & Space Museum

“Apollo 13: America’s Finest Hour, Told to You Live by the Heroes Who Were There” A Facebook Live Event this Friday, April 17 at 2 p.m. Pacific Standard Time – the Day 50 Years Ago They Splashed Down Successfully
Apollo 13 Astronauts Jim Lovell and Fred Haise, Mission Lead Flight Director Milt Windler, and Flight Directors Gerry Griffin and Glynn Lunney appear in a Facebook Live event to celebrate a deep space rescue of the crew, which was caused by an unexpected oxygen tank explosion in the Service Module. The intended third Moon Landing Mission quickly changed to saving three of America’s heroes, Jim Lovell, Fred Haise and Jack Swigert.


San Diego, Calif. – April 15, 2020 –Apollo 13 is the most memorable deep space rescue mission in the storied annals of American manned spaceflight history. Clearly one of NASA’s finest moments, the rescue takes center stage during a once-in-a-lifetime Facebook Live event hosted by the San Diego Air & Space Museum this Friday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific time, the Museum announced today.



“Apollo 13: America’s Finest Hour” is being hosted on the San Diego Air & Space Museum’s page at www.Facebook.com/SDASM, exactly 50 years to the day of the splash down by one of NASA’s most heralded missions. It’s the real life story about what it took to save the crew from certain death in deep space.



“Apollo 13 is THE American success story and is being chronicled by the men who were responsible for the rescue and who were actually there,” said Jim Kidrick, President & CEO of the San Diego Air & Space Museum. “This is an incredible opportunity to see and hear from the men who were the right team at the right time – and how people working together can overcome anything they set their minds to accomplish. With all that’s going on in the world today, it’s time to acknowledge our human abilities to conquer the unknown and unexpected. Taking on life’s challenges and winning is what we do as a species. Celebrating Apollo 13 is perfectly timed for what the world is experiencing right now.”



As of April 15, Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell, Lunar Module Pilot Fred Haise, Lead Mission Flight Director Milt Windler, and Mission Flight Directors Gerry Griffin and Glynn Lunney have confirmed for the Facebook Live event, moderated by Jim Kidrick, President & CEO of the Museum, and Mark Larson, the Museum’s Chairman of the Board. The event is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience their live, candid comments, sharing the real-life story in their own words of the teamwork required to save the spacecraft and crew from certain death.



The Facebook Live event begins at 2 p.m. Pacific time this Friday, April 17 at www.Facebook.com/SDASM. Don’t miss it!

We are proud to be California's official air and space museum and education center located in Balboa Park. Preserve...Inspire...Educate...Celebrate! Visit our website at https://sandiegoairandspace.org and follow us on social media to join the fun.

03/24/2020

Bored while social distancing? We have the solution:
http://sandiegoairandspace.org/museum/sdasmtv
View some of our favorite digitized films, with new content published daily.

02/21/2020

BD-0121 Lt. Col Robert Friend, Tuskegee Airman Oral History

In honor of Black History Month, enjoy this oral history from Lt. Col Robert Friend, a Tuskegee Airman.
https://youtu.be/dD5yY2Gv1EE

Oral history interview of Lt.Col. Robert Friend by Ron Carrico, Docent at San Diego Air and Space Museum. L/C Friend was a Tuskegee Airman pilot and flew the...

02/06/2020

African Americans in Aviation

In honor of Black History Month, we are highlighting our African Americans in Aviation collection on Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/albums/72157628515561319/

To these heroes, we salute you!

Photos highlighting African American's contributions to aviation. This album includes images from SC.30003 a special collection donated by Leroy Criss

01/29/2020

Consolidated Field Service Bulletins Vol. 3 1945 : SDASM : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Do you have to make repairs to your B-24 or PBY and are worried you don't have the most current instructions? Don't worry! We have digitized Consolidated Field Service Bulletins from World War Two!
https://archive.org/details/consolidatedfieldservicebulletinsvol.31945

We have also digitized "Plane Talk" and Consairways "Plane Talk" check them out at https://archive.org/details/@sdasm_archives

Consolidated Aircraft Field Service Bulletins Volume 3, from December 1944 through December 1945.  The Field Service Bulletins gave updates and maintenance...

12/23/2019

Santa came early this year! We received a generous award from the California State Library for their "California Revealed" project. This project will digitize 50 items containing thousands of pages of content. The items to be digitized include board minutes from the Consolidated/Convair Aircraft Corporation from 1924 to 1954, which will give insight into the major decisions that made that company one of the most important aerospace manufacturers in America. Also selected for digitization are the company newspapers for the Northrop Corporation, which range in date from the 1940s to the 1980s. Northrop was known for manufacturing "Flying Wing" aircraft and several other important designs, such as the F-5. These newspapers include information about the products the company made, in addition to the everyday activities of its employees. Such activities include such things as employee spotlights and articles on company sports teams. Northrop was a major aerospace corporation, which employed several thousand Californians in the 1950s. These newspapers give a unique look into the aerospace industry in California during the Cold War. These items will be available on Archive.org in late 2020 and all of the text will be fully searchable!

12/18/2019

Naughty or nice? You are running out of time to impress Santa! If you really want to get on the good list, come volunteer at the Library and Archives! Thanks to Bill Allen for use of this image.

11/25/2019

As you know, our collections have grown rapidly over the past couple of years, allowing us the responsibility of maintaining the largest private non-profit aerospace collection in the nation. However, to ensure good stewardship and accessibility to these valuable collections, it is necessary to improve and expand our existing storage areas. We are now planning and starting to raise funds for the renovation of two more collection rooms. These improvements are needed to better utilize our limited space for proper storage and long-term preservation, as well as provide easier access for research purposes. It will also allow us to create better work areas for our staff and volunteers.

Pictured is the area once known as the "Tank Room" which will be used for expanded collection storage. If you would like to donate to this effort, or purchase items that will help, you can use this link:
https://www.charity.ebay.com/charity/San-Diego-Air-and-Space-Museum/2439925

11/18/2019

Support San Diego Air and Space Museum on eBay

Visit our eBay store for surplus books and other items for sale. All proceeds will go toward our renovation project to improve the storage and care of our collections. Thanks for your support.

Through eBay for Charity you can support the causes that matter most - to you - by buying and selling on eBay. We help nonprofits like San Diego Air and Space Museum connect to over 145 million eBay community members to raise money.

11/17/2019

Capturing the Excitement of the Upcoming Polar Circumnavigation | Robert DeLaurentis, Zen Pilot

Epic Pole to Pole flight departed Gillespie Field yesterday on November 16, 2019.
Track the flight at: https://share.garmin.com/CitizenoftheWorld

The Flying Thru Life team is proud to share this video by Damian Martorana that we have been working on for several months. We believe this captures the exci...

11/17/2019

BD-0260 B-17 Pilot Ed Davidson August 6 2017

In loving memory of Ed Davidson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbTJ0uW0mKA

10/30/2019

We have uploaded even more General Dynamics/Convair Newspapers to https://archive.org/details/sandiegoairspacemuseum
And if that wasn't cool enough, the website reads the newspapers to you if you so desire! You can search for friends or family members that worked at there and read...or hear all about them!

10/18/2019

Be happy its Friday...payday? Have fun checking out our digitized Convairieties here:https://archive.org/details/sandiegoairspacemuseum

10/15/2019

The San Diego Air and Space Museum : Free Texts : Free Download, Borrow and Streaming : Internet Archive

Big News! We have digitized 100s of issues of Convairiety, the employee newspaper of Convair. We have editions from San Diego, Fort Worth, Astronautics and even Antelope Valley. You can find them here: https://archive.org/details/sandiegoairspacemuseum

And, you can search the contents of all of them (and other documents from Convair and Ryan) but using the "Search this Collection" box and selecting "Text Contents".

The San Diego Air & Space Museum Library & Archives houses one of the largest collections of Air & Space-related books and archival materials in the country. This extensive collection, which includes many unique and rare items, consists of books, periodicals, films and video tapes,...