Jimmy Doolittle Center in CA gone, renamed.

[Lightninglover]

The Jimmy Doolittle Center in CA is gone, renamed! Looks like a dispute may have occurred. Who knows? I visited it last year and they were still getting organized. I was getting ready to donate some items but will hold off now.

VACAVILLE, CA — The Jimmy Doolittle Center is now the American Center for Aviation and Freedom.
As of Tuesday, every mention of the legendary World War II-era aviator Jimmy Doolittle has been taken off the hangar at the Nut Tree Airport, which the center calls home.
“We are reorganizing and we are doing it very quickly,” said Phil Lancaster, the center’s interim chief executive officer and board chairman.
Part of that reorganization has been to change the hours the center is open, from weekdays to weekends, as well as to replace all the signage that was taken down and had left the center unidentifiable this week.
“We are near completion with all our signage and insignia,” Lancaster said.
He promised to have the signs up quickly to announce new visitors hours that will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
Another part is the loss of Jonna Doolittle Hoppes, the granddaughter of Jimmy Doolittle, who apparently stepped away from the center and took the Doolittle name with her. The Doolittle name has been a part of the center for more than 20 years and was a centerpiece in its fundraising campaigns.
Lancaster said that Doolittle had exhausted her efforts with the center and has moved on to other activities, such as the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the 1942 Doolittle raid on Tokyo in April.
“We are very appreciative of Jonna’s contributions,” Lancaster said.
The center is looking to bring in more aircraft and exhibits, expand its activities and reach out more to the general public, which will include bringing out more schoolchildren and seniors. Lancaster said they are also organizing more flying demonstrations and hope to work more closely with the Travis Heritage Center.
This is the latest change in a 24-year-long campaign that started with the decision to find a new home for the Travis Air Museum that would give more access to off-base visitors. After plans to build a museum next to the base’s hospital gate fell through, supporters of the Doolittle center decided to move their efforts to the site next to the Nut Tree Airport.
The center teamed up four years ago with Solano Community College in an alliance that could get the college the aviation facility it wants and help smooth the way to get the center the aviation museum has been trying to get built for years. Lancaster said those talks are ongoing.
“We are in discussions with (the college) to ascertain what the future is,” Lancaster said.
Talks are ongoing about the land located behind the Nut Tree, next to the airport, which the center wants after it raises the money needed to build its facility. Plans include much larger exhibition buildings, a theater, a hotel, an aircraft restoration facility and conference rooms.
.
Share

[lotus49]

Well that's a shame,
in particular as the collection and acquisitions were based on the achievements and milestones of Gen Doolittle specifically.
So what exact relevance does the Shell liveried Lockheed Vega now have to the collection??
Anyone care to guess what they paid to get it!

Why do personal agendas always end up dictating the direction of well meaning aircraft collections?
There were a number of highly appropriate aircraft very close to being added, just waiting on suitable guarantees to secure funding. This had the makings of such a wonderful museum.
There are also a group of highly respected individuals advocating for the original goals, who will now step back.
This collection should have been the legacy tribute to a genuine aviation icon, now it's destined to become a nameless collection with neither purpose or direction.
Congratulations to all involved in destroying the vision of the Doolittle Museum..... are you proud?

[tom d. friedman]

the whole scenerio is gauling, may as well rip off his stars.... bust his sword

[ALOHADAVE]

Current List of aircraft at the museum:
Gonzales Tractor No. 1 Biplane, circa 1912
WACO, Model CTO
VEGA 5C, N13705
Kinner, Model Playboy R
Stinson Reliant SR-10 (V-77)
Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon, BuNo 37524
T-28B Trojan, BuNo: 138103
UH-1 Huey, 66-16879

The Douglas C-41, to a single transport aircraft based on the DC-2 and produced as a transport for the Chief of Staff of the Army Air Corps, is also regularly flying at the Nut Tree Airport

[jdvoss]

Is there any possibility that the Jimmy Doolittle Center could be moved or co-located with the Aerospace Museum @ nearby McClellan Field? It was McClellan Field where his B-25's had final modifications before being loaded onto the carrier at NAS Alameda. IIRC, his crews also used the nearby Lincoln army aux field for 'short take-off' practice.

Just a suggestion...

JDV
www.fuselagecodes.com

[ALOHADAVE]

NO
"the loss of Jonna Doolittle Hoppes, the granddaughter of Jimmy Doolittle, who apparently stepped away from the center and took the Doolittle name with her."

Also, the Aerospace Museum @ nearby McClellan Field does not have any room for more aircraft.

For now the aircraft collection at the Nut Tree Airport is just that, an airplane collection.
some are privately co-owned, some belong to the foundation, some on loan

[JimH]

I don't know all the ins and outs of what happened...but what I do know is the primary person responsible, Fred Lewis, lost his life flying pipeline patrol in 2013. Fred was spearheading the museum and working out an arrangement to move the display aircraft from Travis to Nut Tree. The loss of Fred resulted in a loss of momentum in the museum and fund raising. They were running rides with Tondelayo as a primary fund raiser. With Fred gone, Collings took the B-25 back out on the Tour and the Museum lost its primary tie to Doolittle. With Fred gone they did their best to keep it going...BUT like anything...it is hard to keep interest peaked without someone really motivated.

Jim

[OD/NG]

I don't know all the ins and outs of what happened...but what I do know is the primary person responsible, Fred Lewis, lost his life flying pipeline patrol in 2013. Fred was spearheading the museum and working out an arrangement to move the display aircraft from Travis to Nut Tree. The loss of Fred resulted in a loss of momentum in the museum and fund raising. They were running rides with Tondelayo as a primary fund raiser. With Fred gone, Collings took the B-25 back out on the Tour and the Museum lost its primary tie to Doolittle. With Fred gone they did their best to keep it going...BUT like anything...it is hard to keep interest peaked without someone really motivated.

Jim

Unfortunately, I remember when all of that happened. I was fortunate enough to meet Fred once and was really impressed by his enthusiasm, and motivation to do good for both the Collings foundation as well as the Doolittle Center. He told me a little bit about what he was doing and I was looking forward to a first class Doolittle Museum.

What was the eventual cause of the accident? IIRC, wasn't he doing pipe-line patrol or something like that in NorCal for a company in a Decathlon/Citabria?

[JimH]

The accident happened in August of 2013. The NTSB report cited pilot error...seems he spun or spiraled in from 800ft. Lots of speculation but the on board cameras showed a decending spiral. It started quite a grass fire and had to be put out by CDF. Fred was a great friend and left quite an empty space in both our lives, the Foundation, and everyone that knew him.

Jim

[OD/NG]

Thanks for the info, Jim. Even though I had met Fred only once, I was hoping he was somebody I would "cross paths" with often, as his enthusiasm and passion for warbirds was very infectious and I liked hearing his stories.

[JOMiller]

Was this ret'd. USN ADM "Bad Fred" Lewis??

[OD/NG]

Was this ret'd. USN ADM "Bad Fred" Lewis??

No, Fred was retired Air Force, enlisted. IIRC, he retired as a CMSgt and spent some time working on or with Air Force 1 in Washington D.C.

[JOMiller]

Thanks for the clarification..............