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Castle Air Museum - Wikipedia
Wikipedia

Castle Air Museum

Castle Air Museum is a military aviation museum located at Castle Airport in Atwater, California.

Castle Air Museum
Castle Air Museum is located in California
Castle Air Museum
Location within California
Castle Air Museum is located in the United States
Castle Air Museum
Castle Air Museum (the United States)
EstablishedNovember 1979 (1979-11)
LocationAtwater, California
Coordinates37°21′53″N 120°34′41″W / 37.36475°N 120.577944°W / 37.36475; -120.577944
TypeMilitary aviation museum
Founder
  • Cliff James[1]
  • Gen. James P. McCarthy[2]
Websitewww.castleairmuseum.org

History

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Establishment

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The museum was established in November 1979.[3] The same month a B-17 was delivered to the airport.[4] Ground was broken in December 1980 and by March 1981 a barracks and an office building from World War II had been moved to the museum site.[5][6][7] It opened with 12 aircraft on 20 June 1981 as a branch of the United States Air Force Museum system.[8] Only four months later, an additional four aircraft were placed on display.[9] Then in 1983, an audit criticized leadership for poor accountability of resources, displaying aircraft outside the museum's mission, and lack of security.[10][a] By 1987, the museum was raising money to built a new "Flight of Fancy" exhibit building.[12]

Privatization

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The announcement that Castle Air Force Base might close in 1991 brought the risk of the aircraft being moved to another museum.[13] However, after a study, an agreement was reached with the Air Force that the museum would remain open as a private entity.[14] In advance of the base's closure in April 1995, an effort was made to refresh the airplanes while federal resources were still available.[15][16][b] The loss of federal funding eventually caused financial problems for the museum.[18]

Around 2002, the museum began planning for a new building to house its more delicate aircraft as well as serve as a research library.[19][20]

Present

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In May 2008, the museum reached its 50th displayed aircraft milestone with the addition of a Douglas A-4L Skyhawk. The aircraft was shipped to the museum in August 2006, and restored at a cost of $12,000.[21]

In October 2013, the Museum received a retired VC-9C aircraft that had previously served during several administrations as an alternate Air Force One and Air Force Two aircraft when use of the primary VC-137 or VC-25 was impractical. Vice presidents such as Al Gore and Dick Cheney, and First Ladies such as Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, and Hillary Clinton, as well as presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, were among the individuals who used the plane.[22]

The museum received an F-16 in February 2016.[23] In 2021, the museum received 5 aircraft from Naval Air Museum Barbers Point, which had closed two years prior.[24][25][26] A McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II was moved to the museum in July 2023.[27] The museum opened the Copper Wings Cafe in July 2023.[28] A UH-12 was donated to the museum in December 2023.[29] The following May it received a TBM Avenger that had been ditched off Daytona Beach in 2022.[30]

In June 2023, the museum announced that it had received three donations totaling $4 million to support the construction of a new Aviation Pavilion.[31]

Facilities

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The museum has a restoration facility in a World War II hangar at a separate location from the main museum grounds.[32] Volunteers at the hangar prepare the aircraft for display.[33]

The museum operates a nearby RV park.[34]

Exhibits

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An indoor museum features artifacts, photographs, uniforms, war memorabilia, aircraft engines, and a restored B-52 cockpit.[35][failed verification]

Alleged paranormal occurrences

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The B-29A Superfortress exhibit is reported to be haunted by a spirit named "Arthur."[36] Museum management has reported that visitors, including paranormal investigators, have heard knocking and footsteps from inside the plane. In addition, lights in the aircraft have been known to turn on and off, and the propellers are known to turn even though they are locked in place. An apparition has allegedly been photographed on several occasions, and paranormal researchers claim to have detected anomalous readings on their equipment.[37] The paranormal occurrences have been featured on an episode of UPN's Real Ghosts (1995).

Collection

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Boeing B-29A Superfortress
 
Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird
 
Convair RB-36H Peacemaker
 
Douglas B-23 Dragon

References

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Footnotes

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  1. ^ The original focus of the museum was on bomber and tanker aircraft.[11]
  2. ^ Around the same time, an effort to have the museum's B-24 transferred to the Imperial War Museum Duxford was blocked.[17]

Citations

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  1. ^ Miller, Brittany (29 June 2023). "Air Museum unveils Cliff James Memorial". Merced County Times. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  2. ^ Yawger, Doane (26 November 2011). "Man instrumental in Castle's success has a homecoming". Merced Sun-Star. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  3. ^ "B-45 is Most Recent Addition to New Castle Museum". Merced Sun-Star. 15 May 1980. p. 3. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  4. ^ Hansen, Don (27 November 1979). "Old B-17 Makes Graceful Final Landing at Castle". Turlock Journal. pp. 1, 10. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  5. ^ Hendrix, David E. (8 December 1980). "Double Dedication Held for Firehouse, Museum at Castle". Merced Sun-Star. pp. 1–14. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  6. ^ LeGrand, Dick (29 May 1981). "Air Buffs Getting Museum Off the Ground". Sacramento Bee. p. E18. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  7. ^ "Volunteers Support Museum". Merced Sun-Star. 17 June 1982. pp. 11–12. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  8. ^ "World War II Air Force Memories Will Abound at Castle Museum". West Side Index. 18 June 1981. p. 11. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Museum Unveils Four New Planes". Merced Sun-Star. 15 October 1981. pp. 4–5. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  10. ^ McCarthy, Charles (24 March 1983). "Castle Museum Audit Brings New Plan for Running Display". Fresno Bee. pp. B1, B4. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
  11. ^ "Link to Past to Continue Through Air Museum". Merced Sun-Star. 18 June 1981. p. 3. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  12. ^ Hale, Barbara (12 June 1987). "Castle Air Museum Building Fund Grows". Merced Sun-Star. p. 14. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  13. ^ de la Cruz, Mike (13 April 1991). "Air Museum Might Be Moved". Merced Sun-Star. p. A3. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  14. ^ Way, Melissa (29 September 1992). "Air Museum Will Stay Open". Merced Sun-Star. p. A3. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
  15. ^ "Face Lift on Tap for Air Museum's 'Movie Stars'". The Sun. McClatchy. 3 January 1995. p. B6. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  16. ^ Carlson, Ken (13 June 1995). "Castle Museum Looks to Future". Merced Sun-Star. pp. A1, A6. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  17. ^ Doyle, Michael; Khanh, Truong Phuoc (16 May 1995). "Castle's Rare Warplane Attracts Overseas Interest". The Fresno Bee. p. B2. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  18. ^ "Castle Air Museum Struggling to Stay Open". Visalia Times-Delta. 30 November 2002. p. 2C. Retrieved 11 May 2022.
  19. ^ Pruzzo, Joe (28 November 2002). "Castle Air Museum Needs Your Support". Merced Sun-Star. p. B3. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  20. ^ "Castle Air Museum Looks to the Future". Merced Sun-Star. 24 April 2003. p. A7. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  21. ^ Keeler, Guy (12 April 2008). "Retired War Bird Now Aviation Jewel". Fresno Bee. Archived from the original on 29 January 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  22. ^ Yawger, Doane (16 October 2013). "Former Air Force One lands at Castle in Atwater". Merced Sun-Star. Archived from the original on 29 January 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  23. ^ Calix, Brianna (29 February 2016). "Highly Anticipated Aircraft Arrives at Castle Air Museum". Merced Sun-Star. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  24. ^ Lopez, Peter (8 December 2021). "Historic warbirds, artifacts making their way to Castle Air Museum in Atwater". FOX26News. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  25. ^ Sembritzki, Halle (10 December 2021). "Atwater Castle Air Museum receives 5 historic aircraft from Hawaii following 80th anniversary of Pearl Harbor". YourCentralValley.com. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  26. ^ Kuhn, Andrew (20 February 2022). "Castle Air Museum expands aircraft collection with addition of vintage helicopters". Merced Sun-Star. Retrieved 21 February 2022 – via Yahoo! News.
  27. ^ "Phantom 'Bunny' aircraft hops down Highway 58 to new home at Castle Air Museum". Bakersfield Now. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  28. ^ Hardy, Andrew (4 August 2023). "Copper Wings Café opens at Castle Air Museum". Merced County Times. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
  29. ^ Lopez, Peter (20 December 2023). "Castle Air Museum Adds Rare 1950s Helicopter to Collection, Unveiling in 2024". FOX 26 News. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  30. ^ Hawkins, Stephen (30 May 2024). "Castle Air Museum in Atwater Getting Historic WWII Navy Aircraft". FOX 26 News. Retrieved 10 June 2024.
  31. ^ Meza, Victoria (22 June 2023). "Atwater Aviation Museum Receives $4 million Donation". YourCentralValley.com. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
  32. ^ Certini, Rose (22 May 1998). "Gonna Go Back in Time". Merced Sun-Star. pp. B1, B3. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  33. ^ Douglas, Gregory (3 July 1993). "History's Jigsaw Puzzle". Merced Sun-Star. pp. D1–D2. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  34. ^ "RV Park Info". Castle Air Museum. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  35. ^ "Indoor Museum". Castle Air Museum. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  36. ^ "There's Something Inside Museum's Restored B-29". Salinas Californian. AP. 2 October 1981. p. 19. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  37. ^ "Ghost Trackers and Central California Paranormal Investigators Investigate The Castle Air Museum With A KFSN/Channel 30 News Crew". Ghost Trackers. Archived from the original on 11 February 2004. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  38. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt bu bv bw bx by bz "Castle Air Museum Aircraft Collection". Castle Air Museum. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  39. ^ Nobert, Matthew (29 July 2022). "Retired F-117 aircraft finds a new home at Castle Air Museum". FOX40.

Bibliography

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Castle Air Museum.
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