Chanute Air Museum in financial trouble...

[bdk]

Next you'll think I recommend they sell the B-58 so someone can get that back into the air too.

Hey, that's an idea!

You do have a point there. I might actually go to an airshow besides Chino to see that.

[RickH]

HMMMM.....

[bdk]

P.S. I had a rough day at work, I may yet be a bit grumpy. My apologies if I didn't offend everyone yet today.

[Tom Moungovan]

Wish now that I'd taken some photos while I was there...spent about two months @ Chanute in Spring of '66 while attending Egress School. I remember the base & Rantoul being a heck of a lot nicer than San Antone, but that's a subjective statement.
Have not kept up on Chanute at all through the years. I seem to remember that all the school squadrons had a 4 digit number starting with 33...I think I was in the 3347th, but who knows what the memory is like after 40 plus years. Nice old brick buildings with ivy going up the outside walls. One Saturday night, there was a tornado alert and who popped into our barracks to reassure us but the Base Commander.
Good luck to Rantoul & the USAF history behind it. Nothing but good memories here.

[ww2John]

Well, I "think" it must be a nice museum collection, but...
A few years ago, I had a last minute road trip that would take us pretty close by the museum. So, I went to the net, found their site, saw the museum hours, wrote down the phone # and called from the road. No answer, but got a recording with the museum hours included, which matched the information on their web site. The hours fit our schedule, so we swung by...only a few dozen or so miles out of our way...and...

Doors locked & lights off...no one home...closed for the day...the sign on the doors said we had the right hours...no explanantion why museum was closed.

So, we peeked around the fences, etc. trying to see the a/c on the ramp. Couldn't even get good pictures - very "secure" fences.

Just as we were about to leave, 3 fellows (volunteers?) drove up and proceeded to enter the museum. As they started to lock the door behind them, we asked if we could come in as we had driven a long way (from near Beantown, yet, on our way to Springfield, IL) and would be happy to make the necessary donation for admission.
"No! The Museum is closed!" ...and the door was locked. Not even an "I'm sorry"...no explanation...

Woulda loved to see their collection, especially the aforementioned P51H.
Truly and Sincerely Sorry to hear they are in trouble.
Not surprised they ARE in trouble, based on our experience anyway.

[Wolverine]

I had a similar experience with the Combat Air Museum in Topeka. For some reason they refuse admission an hour before they close. I had just driven my brother up to Kansas City and had received special permission to take the detour to Topeka to visit the museum. After finding it, I drove up, got to the door, just as a man was turning the key in the lock. I rapped on the window, but he ignored me and trundled off. I called them, and the man indicated he had seen me, but had no inclination to let me in as I had showed up a minute too late.

Not much point in volunteering for something if you can't be nice about it--it'll ultimately fail.

[APG85]

P.S. I had a rough day at work, I may yet be a bit grumpy. My apologies if I didn't offend everyone yet today.

All is forgiven,,,

[Zachary]

Sad to hear this. I think Alot of air museum's get in trouble when they start hiring folks to run it.

It's a catch-22 for most museums. In order to be eligible for most federal grants, museums HAVE to have at least one full-time staff person - sometimes more depending on the grant. I can tell you though, the Chanute Air Museum has definitely benefited from having hired a full-time curator in Mark Hanson. Just take a look at their Tuskegee Airmen exhibit and you'll see what I mean.

Zack

[RickH]

Hal and Mark are great people. They were certainly great to work with last year when we flew their airshow for them.

[Chief]

I was in the 3361st Squadron at Chanute when I completed the B-29, R3350 engine school. Went back in 1997 to visit. The museum was locked up when I was there also. Drove throughout the base and seeing all the weeds and rundown buildings made it a sad return to where I began my USAF career.

[Tom Moungovan]

I was in the 3361st Squadron at Chanute when I completed the B-29, R3350 engine school. Went back in 1997 to visit. The museum was locked up when I was there also. Drove throughout the base and seeing all the weeds and rundown buildings made it a sad return to where I began my USAF career.

Thanks for confirming the 4 digit School Squadron numbers for me...we used to wear small pin-on badges with their number when we marched to class in the morning.

[Canberra Man]

RANTOUL, Ill. (AP) - The Chanute Air Museum has had financial trouble before, but president Jim Eldridge says this time it's a crisis.

He says without an infusion of cash, the Rantoul museum may have to close its doors. And the museum's board says it needs $24,000 to help pay its bills through the end of March.

Eldridge says even Executive Director Hal Loebach has been helping out, working without a salary for the last four months.

With 40 aircraft, the museum says it has the largest collection in the state dating back to 1917.

From here:
http://www.wthitv.com/Global/story.asp? ... =menu593_2

http://www.aeromuseum.org/

Dumfries Aviation Museum.
We are in a similar position, I've posted this somwhere but not sure. We have new landowners and they have put up the rent from £400 per annum to £5,000 plus vat and a service charge of £1,500 plus vat. We are fighting this cruel increase and the local council is assisting. If anyone wants to have a look at us the web is www.dumfriesaviationmuseum.com
The landowners as a 'gesture' have offered us the land with a bit extra for £400,000 - har har!
Ken

[RNDMTRS4EVR]

You know the sad thing is, when I went to engine school there you could hear all the locals in town saying they wanted us pain in the a$$ Air Force people out of there. We did nothing but cause trouble. So when the Air Force says "were closing the base" the locals go "you can't do that, what about our economy, and jobs" I liked the base but I'm sure I would be disappointed if I were to back there today.
Scott........

[Chris Brame]

Here are a couple links to photos of the now-abandoned base (No flightline or hangar pics though )

http://www.abandonedbutnotforgotten.com/chanute_afb.htm

http://www.abandonedbutnotforgotten.com/CFAB/CFAB.HTM

My family passed by there many, many times on the way down to Paducah, KY, but never stopped by to look... oh well.

[ebramhall]

I went to the museum last year for the first time. An interesting little place. Hope they can keep it going.

The rest of my photos are here:
http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b67/s ... ?start=all

--Eric