Fire at the Yankee Air Museum

YANKEE AIR MUSEUM RECOVERY AND REBUILDING INFORMATION

Update, October 25, 2004

On October 9, 2004, the Yankee Air Museum at Willow Run Airport suffered a terrible fire that destroyed the historic hangar housing the museum.  Through the heroic efforts of a few members, the beautifully restored B-17, C-47 and B-25 aircraft were moved out of the building before the fire reached them, thus saving the heart of the collection. In addition, all the historic aircraft on display outside of the main building were untouched by the fire.  The museum did, however, lose virtually all of the tooling, equipment and spare parts for all of the aircraft plus all of the office and display fixtures and equipment totaling well over $1,000,000 in replacement value.  While thousands of irreplaceable artifacts, photos and books were also lost in the fire, the Volunteers at the museum are thankful that the aircraft collection remains largely intact.  Only a small number of non-flyable aircraft that were in restoration inside the hanger were lost.

The Yankee Air Museum members, staff and volunteers have already begun the recovery and rebuilding process.  The aircraft, which continued their flight schedules after the fire, have been moved into a hangar loaned by Willow Run Airport.  The volunteers and staff have set up an office at the airport and are fielding calls and continuing operations.  It is their intention, under the leadership of Jon Stevens, President of the Yankee Air Museum, to continue the great work that was begun in 1981 by a small group of visionaries who were dedicated to preserving this important piece of aviation and Southeastern Michigan history.

The Michigan Aerospace Foundation, the sister organization of the museum which was formed to plan and fund future expansion of the museum facilities, met with the architects and Willow Run Airport management on October 14.  At that time the architects were given the go ahead to begin the planning process that will lead to the construction of a new hangar and museum.  The Foundation is already working hard to raise the funds needed to rebuild the museum.

The Yankee Air Museum needs your help!  The Michigan Aerospace Foundation would like to ask that anyone with an interest in contributing funds to help rebuild the facilities for this outstanding museum, please contact the Foundation.  Equally important, anyone who wishes to help rebuild the collection by donating aviation related artifacts, photos, books or anything else of historic value related to, among other areas, aviation, the aerospace industry, Willow Run Airport and the B-24 Bomber Plant should contact the Museum Curator, Gayle Roberts.  If you would like to donate aircraft servicing equipment, spare parts or supplies, please contact Norm Ellickson.

The following people can be contacted to offer your support:

For the Museum, contact:

Yankee Air Museum President, Jon Stevens 734-637-2117

Yankee Air Museum Vice President, Dick Stewart 734-637-8878

Yankee Air Museum Curator, Gayle Roberts 734-637-8876

Yankee Air Museum Aircraft Operations, Norm Ellickson 734-483-4030

For the Foundation, contact:

Michigan Aerospace Foundation President, Dennis Norton 734-971-2750

Michigan Aerospace Foundation Treasurer, Gary Brown, 734-316-2216

Donations may be sent directly to the Michigan Aerospace Foundation:

                Michigan Aerospace Foundation

                Yankee Air Museum Recovery Fund

                P.O. Box 8282

                Ann Arbor MI, 48107-8282

You can donate to this rebuilding effort by going to the Foundation website: www.michiganaerospace.org.  There you can use PayPal or your credit card.  Your donation is very important to this effort.

Thank you for your help,

 Dennis Norton

President Michigan Aerospace Foundation

The Michigan Aerospace Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization and donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.