The Museum of Aviation, originally the Southeastern Museum of Aviation, was founded in 1980, after World War I aviator Guy Orlando Stone offered his collection of aviation memorabilia to Robins Air Force Base if the base could build a museum to house it.[2] The Air Force approved the museum in late 1980, and the Southeastern Museum of Aviation Foundation, a non-profit Organization, was incorporated in 1981 with the support of local civilians and base officials.[2] Also in 1981, the Air Force Logistics Command, under General James P. Mullins, created its Heritage Program to preserve the history of Air Force logistics. The museum became a part of the base's contribution to the program.[2]
The museum opened its first office in 1982 after the acquisition of another private collection.[2] That same year, the Air Force approved the museum's ten-year plan, and fundraising efforts began to collect the $9.5 million in projected construction costs for a permanent museum facility.[2] The museum's first airplane arrived in 1983; a total of twenty-seven airplanes were acquired over the course of the year. The museum officially opened to the public in November 1984 with twenty planes on display and twenty more being restored.[4]
By 1988, the museum's name had changed to the Museum of Aviation at Robins.[5]
In the 1990's, museum facilities expanded with addition of the "Hangar One" exhibit space in a former aircraft hangar.[5] In 1992, the museum dedicated its 60,000-square-foot "Phase II" facility, later named the Eagle Building, which housed a theater, a diorama, and more aircraft, among other exhibits.[5] In 1996, the "Century of Flight Hangar" added an additional 60,000 square feet.[5]
In 2013, the museum announced that thirty-two aircraft were to be removed from display.[8] Some of these were relocated to other museums, while others were scrapped on-site.
In 2019, the museum unveiled a statue of Eugene Bullard, the first African-American pilot to fly in combat. Bullard, a native of Columbus, Georgia, served in the "Aéronautique Militaire", orFrench Air Force during World War I. He was posthumously commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force in 1994.[9]
Aircraft on display
Curtiss P-40N WarhawkNorth American P-51D MustangLockheed SR-71 BlackbirdMcDonnell Douglas F-15A EagleRockwell B-1B LancerB-52D
The SR-71 Blackbird on display is the current record holder for the fastest flight airspeed. Serial number 61-7958 set an absolute speed record of 1,905.81 knots (2,193.2 mph; 3,529.6 km/h) on July 28, 1976, which stands today.[80]
The museum hosts a non-profiteducation center called the National STEM Academy. The academy offers field trip and independent programs that integrate programs and hands-on STEM disciplines with the humanities such as history and literature through the Heritage program and others. The programs highlight career opportunities and workforce development strategies. Field trips, workshops, and special events are conducted both at the Museum of Aviation, through outreach at school sites, and via live virtual field trips.
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