Carolinas Aviation Museum

Museum Members fly 1948 Lockheed Constellation to Korea via Alaska & Japan

On April 1st, 2005 Frank Lang (member) lead an eight man team on a flight into history. The team flew the 57 year old C-121 MATS Connie from Tucson AZ to Inchon, Korea via Oakland, Anchorage, Cold Bay, and Hakodate Japan. The flight lasted 37 hours and 25 minutes over nine days. Shawn Dorsch, also of the Museum flew co-pilot with Frank of some of the legs.

During the flight to Anchorage the heater broke, and temperatures in the cockpit plunged to -4 F. Unable to repair the heater in Anchorage, the team purchased winter clothing, sleeping bags, and hand warmers before continuing on to Cold Bay, AK.

At Cold Bay the team was delayed for two days due to weather. This provided the team with an opportunity to enjoy the local food (King Crab, fresh Halibut, and Salmon which was in season), and examine some WWII aircraft wrecks, including a B-17.

Upon departing Cold Bay, the aircraft flew to Adak, before turing on toward Japan. Three hours into this 13.5 hour leg the temperature reached -20 F in the cockpit (the coldest point in the flight).

Because of the age of the aircraft, the crew flew at 10,000 to avoid pressurizing the airframe. This required the team to relay their messages to air traffic control via the 747s flying up in the mid-30,000s feet.

Upon landing in Japan, the team was met by 100s of sightseers who had waited for days to catch a glimpse of this rare aircraft. The Japanese press had advertised the fact that General Douglas Mac Arthur has a Lockheed Constellation similar to this one.

The next day the aircraft was flown to Inchon Korea. After being repainted in the historical colors of Korean Airlines, the aircraft will be flown to the Airline's museum and flight school on Cheju Island.

Click here to read an article in the Korean Times about this flight.

Back-half of Medal of Honor Winner USMC CH-46 Has Arrived

On Saturday, May 7, Don Creason delivered the back section of the CH-46 helicopter to the Musseum from Cherry Point. With this delivery, most of the helicopter has now arrived at the Museum. Only the rotor-blades and a few other parts remain to be brought back from Cherry Point.

Dean Demmery, Rick Whitesides, and Brian Hicks spent several days at Cherry Point collecting all of these parts, and Saturday to helped Don unload the helicopter section and work on restoring the helicopter. Each Saturday Dean and the team will work to restore the helicopter. Please feel free to come out and join the project.

Background

In January, 1970, US Marine Corps Pfc. Mike Clausen, Jr. earned The Medal of Honor, this country’s highest honor, for his conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in Vietnam at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Pfc. Clausen was a crew chief of a CH-46 helicopter named “Blood, Sweat and Tears.” While participating in a helicopter rescue mission of a Marine platoon that had inadvertently entered a mine field while attacking enemy positions. Pfc Clausen skillfully guided the helicopter pilot to a landing area cleared by one of several mine explosions. On the ground, 20 Marines were surrounded – 11 of them already wounded.

Clausen repeatedly left the safety of the chopper to get them home alive. Despite the ever-present threat of further mine explosions, he continued his valiant efforts, leaving the comparatively safe area of the helicopter on 6 separate occasions to carry out his rescue efforts. Clausen was the only enlisted member of Marine Corps Aviation to win the Medal of Honor during Vietnam.Now this historic helicopter presides at the Carolinas Aviation Museum. This helicopter not only saw combat in Vietnam but in Iraq also. It received combat damage in Iraq and was considered uneconomical to repair. Because of the historic significance of this particular aircraft, the U.S. Marine Corps would not abandon it in Iraq. With the assistance of a US Air Force C-5A crew, it was taken apart and flown back to Cherry Point Marine Corps Base, North Carolina.

It is in the process now of being completely repaired, restored, and will be put on permanent display in honor of the U. S. Marine Corps and Pfc. Clausen. There are very few helicopters and aircraft that have been saved with as much history as this CH-46, Sea Knight.

Museum Overview

Founded in 1991, the Carolinas Aviation Museum is operated by the Carolinas Historic Aviation Commission (CHAC). Dedicated to preserving the aviation heritage of both North and South Carolina, the Museum is located at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport. The Museum is the premier aviation museum in the Carolinas. Over the past decade the museum has developed an impressive collection of over 45 major aircraft, and a wealth of other artifacts. The Museum also operates one of the largest aviation-related libraries in the nation. These assets, combined with strong support among the civilian and military aviation community in the Carolinas and our location in the largest metropolitan community in the Carolinas positions us to well to meeting our goals of becoming one of the premier aviation museums in the country.

The museum is open from 10am to 5pm Tuesday through Saturday and 1pm to 5pm on Sundays. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for senior citizens, and $2 for children. Children under 6 are free. Military personnel who are or who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since September 2001 are admitted free of charge.

4108 Airport Drive, Charlotte, North Carolina 28208 (Ph) 704-385-4882 (Fax) 704-359-0428

Busy 2005 Air Show Season Expected Since 1996 the Museum has operated a number of flying historic aircraft which participate in air shows around the southeast. This year is shaping up as possibly one of our best years yet. So far we have over ten (10) air shows on the books for the spring and summer season.

In addition to our DC-3 and Grumman OV-1D Mohawks, we also have trailer mounted KC-97 and F-4S cockpits which also travel to air shows and events in the region.

Air shows provide many opportunities to get involved in the Museum.

Former USAF / Air National Guard Control Tower Arrives at Museum The Museum is pleased to announce the acquisition of a former USAF / Air National Guard AN/TSW-7 Battelfield Control Tower. This fully-functional unit was used by both the North Carolina and South Carolina Air National Guards.

Recovered from the North Carolina Air National Guard Base at the Stanley County Airport, this unit it typical of what would be deployed in war time.

The Museum is grateful to the North Carolina Air National Guard for the opportunity to display this artifact in memory of those who have fought and died in the service of our Country.

New Hangar Project Project In June of 2004 the Museum embarked on a major expansion project. This project will see the erection of a new main hangar (180'x160'x62'). This new hangar will be more than 7 times the volume of our existing hangar.

In addition,we are also restoring an original WWII flight training building. Named in honor of the bombardier of the Enola Gay, this building will house some of our most precious aviation relics when fully restored. During WWII this building was located at Morris Field.

Volunteer at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport - Get Involved The airport is looking for energetic and outgoing volunteers to meet, greet and assist passengers during their travel experience at the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport.

Many airports nationwide have such programs. Charlotte's Volunteer program will be "themed" around a racing team. Volunteers will have uniforms resembling an actual NASCAR pit crew.

For more information about volunteering at the airport, please call 704-359-1120 or email [email protected].

Major Computer and Internet Access Upgrades - Get Involved The Museum is currently in the process of upgrading our entire office computer network and internet presence. These efforts include both the library and the main museum site. When this project is completed all Museum computers will be networked together and will have high-speed internet access.

In addition, the Museum's internet web site will be completely rebuilt. The new and expanded site will not only include a significant amount of information about the Museum and our collections, but will also include online gift shop sales and links to our items for sale on ebay.

Carolinas Historic Aviation Commission (CHAC) The Carolinas Historic Aviation Commission was founded in 1992 for the purposes of preserving and restoring the aviation heritage of the Carolinas. The Commission created and manages the Carolinas Aviation Museum as part of its mission

Carolinas Aviation Museum

Preserving the Aviation Heritage of the Carolinas

Museum Members fly 1948 Lockheed Constellation to Korea via Alaska & Japan

Back-half of Medal of Honor Winner USMC CH-46 Has Arrived

Museum Overview