The Aero Experience Mid-West Tour 2016: TWA Museum at Charles B. Wheeler Airport in Kansas City

By Mark Nankivil

This year for my son Jack's Spring Break road trip, we decided to make a spin through Kansas with our first day's visit to Kansas City, taking in the TWA Museum.  It is located on the Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport, across the Missouri River just north of downtown Kansas City.  The TWA Museum is located on the east side of the airport in the Signature Flight Support FBO facility which, in fact, was the Kansas City TWA maintenance hangar from before WWII.  A fitting location for the Museum!

The TWA Museum is well presented with many artifacts and photos that tell the story of TWA at the very personal level of the employees that made the airline great.  The docents during our visit were wonderful and friendly, and made the visit all the more enjoyable.  Jack had fun flying the simulator set up for a TWA Connie at this very airport.



By Fred Harl
 

A most welcome site on the ramp is the TWA MD-83 Wings of Pride, N948TW.  Originally paid for by TWA employees, it was painted in a scheme where the red and white of the standard TWA scheme was reversed, which made for a standout look in the air and on the apron.  Thanks to TriStar History for making this great aircraft available for all to see again.  Here's hoping she can make it to the Spirit Airshow at Spirit of St. Louis Airport this coming May.