Explores the history of the Museum, from its roots in the Willow Run Bomber Plant to its founding in 1981 by a group of aviation enthusiasts, and with a look ahead to our future.  We will cover some of our flyable and static aircraft, restoration projects, the Thunder Over Michigan Air Show, and our new showcase, the Roush Aeronautics Center.  A constant theme is the dedicated work of Museum staff and volunteers in telling the story of aviation history in Southeast Michigan.

The North Vietnamese effort to resupply its forces in South Vietnam has largely focused on the activity on the Ho-Chi-Minh Trail. A lesser known resupply route was the seaborne attempts to supply forces in the south. Supplies could reach South Vietnam in seven days as compared to up to 150 days on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. To counter this seaborne supply route, the U.S. Navy set up interlocking patrols of ships and aircraft that ran 24-hour-a-day coverage of the water around Vietnam. Our speaker flew as a pilot with Patrol Squadron 45 on these patrols and will bring his personal insights on Operation Market Time.

This 35-minute program will share the fun and excitement experienced by Rosie on the 9-day historic flight of “Rosie’s Reply”, the B-25 Mitchell WWII warbird.  Great pictures introduce you to the crew, the flight routine, the plane, a few WWII veterans and Original Rosies and share with you the humbling experience of flying in this aircraft during peacetime instead of during the dark days of war.  Celebrate the “greatest generation.”

The presentation provides an overview of B-52s and their role in the Cold War as one of the most important aircraft in US aviation history.  We will discuss the B-52s role in the Cuban missile crisis, nuclear alert duty, as well as some less well-known missions – such as taking the X-15 airborne before launch.  Our focus will turn to the Museum’s acquisition of B-52D #SN 55-0677 – which flew an estimated 600 combat missions during the Vietnam war. We will conclude with the Museum’s ongoing efforts to preserve the airframe for future generations.

In the 1970s, the United States Air Force announced it would start accepting women for pilot training for the first time ever. A campaign ensued immediately to rightfully recognize the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War Two as the first women who ferried aircraft for the U.S. military, learned to fly “the army way,” and proved that women were every bit as capable of pilots as men! A fascinating look into the history of the W.A.S.P.s, their contribution to the war effort, their impact on future generations of women who dared to soar to new heights, and their special connections to Michigan! This presentation will leave you in awe of the women who insisted that a woman’s place is in the cockpit, not in the kitchen!

Have you ever wondered what your grandfathers did in the war? How did they fight, survive, and return home? In this presentation, you will learn how finding some old medals in a dusty desk drawer led us on an odyssey to discover the amazing stories of our grandfathers’ heroism as they navigated the trenches of the Great War in Europe, coming home​, but never speaking of their journey again. Using historical records, artifacts, personal memories, and archival maps, we traced their footsteps from where they landed to where they were wounded. You will learn how you, too, can find out more about your relatives who served. Join us as we celebrate our grandfathers’ courage and heroism and discover a part of our legacy that we never knew before.