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

By Mark Nankivil

The Aero Experience tour through western Missouri and Kansas continues with a stop on the west side of Charles B. Wheeler  Airport at the Airline History Museum.  It is easy to find as there is a Lockheed L1011 outside the hangar!

Many of you have seen their Lockheed Constellation either in the days when it was flying under the "Save-A-Connie" title or in its more familiar TWA markings.  She fills the main hangar space, which she shares with a Martin 404 (also in TWA markings), a DC-3 in WWII era TWA markings and a variety of other aircraft, artifacts and airline memorabilia.  A replica of the TWA Moonliner rocket, inspired by Walt Disney, is also conspicuously present in the hangar.

An exciting "find" at the Museum was the 1934 Northrop Delta 1D which is planned for restoration to flying collection.  It is a fascinating aircraft to view, and I look forward to seeing it restored and in the air.  Also new since our last visit is a Boeing 727 flight simulator which happens to have been manufactured by Conductron Missouri.  Coming to the Museum in the not too distant future is an American Airlines Boeing 727 and a McDonnell Douglas DC-8-62, donated by ATI.

The Aero Experience wishes to thank John Roper for the personal tour of the
Museum.

Captain Jack Nankivil checks out the cockpit