The Alaska Aviation Museum, previously the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum, is located on Lake Hood Seaplane Base in

Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the List of cities in Alaska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of ...

. Its mission since 1988, is to preserve, display, and honor Alaska's aviation heritage, by preserving and displaying historic aircraft, artifacts, and memorabilia, and to foster public interest in aviation and its history. The museum has over thirty aircraft on display, a restoration hangar, flight simulators, two theaters, and a Hall of Fame. It provides an emphasis on historic

aircraft An aircraft ( aircraft) is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining support from the Atmosphere of Earth, air. It counters the force of gravity by using either Buoyancy, static lift or the Lift (force), dynamic lift of an airfoil, or, i ...

, aviation artifacts, and

memorabilia A souvenir (French language, French for 'a remembrance or memory'), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memory, memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collecte ...

that contributed to the development and progress of aviation in

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

, including

Bush flying Bush flying refers to aircraft operations carried out in the bush. Bush flying involves operations in rough terrain where there are often no prepared landing strips or runways, frequently necessitating that bush planes be equipped with abnormal ...

, and the World War II Army base on

Adak Island Adak Island (, ; ) or Father Island is an island near the western extent of the Andreanof Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. Alaska's southernmost city, Adak, is located on the island. The island has a land area of , measuring lo ...

Overview

The museum is made up of the Main, Rasmuson, South, and Restoration Hangars; as well as a shelter. Also on display is the air traffic control tower cab used at

Merrill Field Merrill Field is a public-use general aviation airport located one mile (1.6 km) east of downtown Anchorage, Alaska, Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska. The airport is owned by Municipality of Anchorage. It opened in 1930 as Anchorage A ...

from 1962 to 2002. Exhibits include theaters,

simulators A simulation is an imitative representation of a process or system that could exist in the real world. In this broad sense, simulation can often be used interchangeably with model. Sometimes a clear distinction between the two terms is made, in ...

and an art gallery.

History

The Alaskan Historical Aircraft Society was founded in 1977 and the museum opened to the public in 1988. The museum restored its Grumman Goose to flight in May 2024.

Collection

* American Pilgrim 100-B ''6605'' * Beechcraft Model 18S ''7728'' * Bell UH-1H Iroquois ''65-12849'' * Boeing 737-290C * Consolidated OA-10A Catalina ''44-33954'' *

Curtiss P-40E Warhawk The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was a WWII fighter aircraft that was developed from the P-36 Hawk, via the P-37. Many variants were built, some in large numbers, under names including the Hawk, Tomahawk, and Kittyhawk. Allison-engined Model 75 X ...

de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver The de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver is a single-engined high-wing Propeller (aircraft), propeller-driven STOL, short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft developed and manufactured by de Havilland Canada. It has been primarily operated as a b ...

''1207'' * Douglas World Cruiser ''"Seattle"'' * Fairchild 24G ''2933'' * Grumman G-21A Goose ''B-102'' *

Grumman G-44 Widgeon The Grumman G-44 Widgeon is a five-person, twin-engined, amphibious aircraft. It was designated J4F by the United States Navy and Coast Guard and OA-14 by the United States Army Air Corps and United States Army Air Forces. Design and developmen ...

''1312'' * Helio Courier *

Keystone-Loening Commuter Keystone Aircraft Corporation was an early American airplane manufacturer. History Headquartered in Bristol, Pennsylvania, the company was formed as "Ogdensburg Aeroway Corp" in 1920 by Thomas Huff and Elliot Daland, but its name was quickly c ...

''313'' * McDonnell Douglas GF-15A Eagle ''74-0084'' *

Noorduyn Norseman The Noorduyn Norseman, also known as the C-64 Norseman, is a Canadian single-engine bush plane designed to operate from unimproved surfaces. Distinctive stubby landing gear protrusions from the lower fuselage make it easily recognizable. Intro ...

''507'' * Piasecki H-21B ''54-4004'' * Piper PA-18-150 Super Cub ''18-4459'' * Stearman C2B ''121'' *

Stinson L-1 Vigilant The Stinson L-1 Vigilant (company designation Model 74) is an American liaison aircraft designed by the Stinson Aircraft Company of Wayne, Michigan and manufactured at the Vultee-Stinson factory in Nashville, Tennessee (in August 1940 Stinson be ...

''41-18915'' * Stinson V-77 Reliant ''77-36'' * Taylorcraft BC-12D ''7265'' *

Taylorcraft L-2 The Taylorcraft L-2 Grasshopper is an American observation and liaison aircraft built by Taylorcraft for the United States Army Air Forces in World War II. Design and development In 1941 the United States Army Air Forces ordered four Tay ...

''5416'' * Travel Air S-6000-B ''967'' * Waco YKC ''3991''

References

External links

Official Website
{{authority control Aerospace museums in Alaska Museums in Anchorage, Alaska Museums established in 1988 1988 establishments in Alaska

Overview

History

Collection

See also

References

External links