What makes you want to visit an air museum

[kalamazookid]

My favorite aspect is when there is a placard at a display aircraft detailing its own specific history. All too often this description is missing, overly general, or just says "on loan from so-and-so".

I really enjoy that too. NMUSAF and a few of the other museum's I've visited do a great job of that. The history of the specific airframe is as important to the story as the history of the type. Never know when someone with a connection to that airframe is going to come in. That always makes for a special moment.

[Tom H]

I am working on a few things to try and help a couple of air museums and thought the gang here would like to have some input. There will be two polls, and feel free to leave any comments you wish to share with the museums.

Chris...

I admire your initiative in working to help out some museums that need a hand.

But you have opened up a complex question that includes such diverse variables as demographics, programming and marketing as well as a ton of human factors.

The answers are not easy, but I would be happy to help you out, heck might even be a topic for your warbird radio, but its way to much for a couple posts here.

Contact me when you have time and we can beat this horse to death.

Tom
Executive Director
Alberta Aviation Museum
office 780-453-1078
e-mail eahs.execdirector@shawbiz.ca

[mustangdriver]

Sounds great, will do!!

[Cindy]

What gets me in the door is my love of aviation. However, I do look for a number of things. I look at the list of aircraft, the hours the museum is open and location. I try to visit aviation museums when I travel (time permitting), regardless of what I see on the web other than hours. This has led to some great and not so great experiences. I visited one museum in Kansas while in town for a hockey tournament. Though the museum was relatively small, it was a terrific experience. I went because it was there. I stayed for 4 hours because of the staff and volunteers! I visited another museum in Mesa. I had 4 hours to spend and left within an hour because the staff and volunteers were rude. And then there was the museum in Tucsan. I had a full day to spend and could have easily spent a second day if I had the time. The staff and volunteers were polite, but not overly outgoing. However, the collection was amazing.
I must say, I hope that anyone visiting our museum is left with a positive feeling of not only the aircraft (that's the easy part), but the staff and volunteers as well.
Cindy DeLaurell

[cooper9411]

What gets me in the door is my love of aviation. However, I do look for a number of things. I look at the list of aircraft, the hours the museum is open and location. I try to visit aviation museums when I travel (time permitting), regardless of what I see on the web other than hours. This has led to some great and not so great experiences. I visited one museum in Kansas while in town for a hockey tournament. Though the museum was relatively small, it was a terrific experience. I went because it was there. I stayed for 4 hours because of the staff and volunteers! I visited another museum in Mesa. I had 4 hours to spend and left within an hour because the staff and volunteers were rude. And then there was the museum in Tucsan. I had a full day to spend and could have easily spent a second day if I had the time. The staff and volunteers were polite, but not overly outgoing. However, the collection was amazing.
I must say, I hope that anyone visiting our museum is left with a positive feeling of not only the aircraft (that's the easy part), but the staff and volunteers as well.
Cindy DeLaurell

I agree Cindy. Back in 2004 I was delivering an aircraft to Philadelphia and after delivery I checked into a room for the night, in the lobby there was a stand with things to see and do. One of the things to see was the American Helicopter Museum in Westchester Pennsylvania. it was a small museum, but what they lacked in space, they more than made up for with exhibits and personality.

[ktst97]

Q: What makes you want to visit an air museum?

A: Warbirds

[Fight2FlyPhoto]

Absolutely the aircraft in the collection!! A close second is if they fly them or not. Being so strapped for cash right now, I refuse to visit the Museum of Flight in Seattle when I can pay (less, actually) to see some REAL warbirds that FLY. I enjoy more the thought that my money is going toward fuel and maintenance.

[mustangdriver]

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone that posted and voted.