Warbird Information Exchange

Looking for a new name, got suggestions?

The Jimmy Doolittle Center at the Nut Tree Airport, Vacaville California, was renamed "The American Center for Aviation and Freedom".

They realized the name "The American Center for Aviation and Freedom"
sucks, They are looking for a new name.
Any suggestions?

They can not use "Nut Tree" in the name because of copy writes
They don't want to use Solano County or other local name

They are reorganizing and want a new name. With 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 had been a part of the center for more than 20 years and was a centerpiece in its fundraising campaigns.

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. Also organizing more flying demonstrations

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.

List of Museum aircraft:
Gonzales Tractor No. 1 Biplane, circa 1912
WACO, Model CTO
VEGA 5C, N13705
Kinner, Model Playboy R
Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon, BuNo 37524
T-28B Trojan, BuNo: 138103
UH-1 Huey, 66-16879

Douglas C-41, former Chief of Staff of the Army Air Corps aircraft, regularly flies, rides available

Are the plans still to merge the downsized Travis museum with this effort?

I think having an area name is always in the best interest of any museum. Folks can tell where it is, and it will attract more hits with folks searching the internet for things to do or see. Vacaville has the outlet mall across the street from Nut Tree- hubby goes to the Museum while the Mrs. shops- win-win! I always enjoyed my visits to both the Nut Tree and the Travis museum.

I would encourage them to reconsider something with an area name.

Fairfield-Suisun was the prior name for Travis. Perhaps Vacaville-Fairfield Aviation Heritage Center. Not sexy, but less cheesy than the "Freedom" proposal.

No. The Travis Heritage Center is Air Force operated/controlled
The Nut Tree Museum is privately operated. They have completely separated.
Although there may be some cooperation between the two.

How about these:
Golden State Aviation Museum
Vacaville Vintage Aviation Museum
California Air Heritage Museum

Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

Too bad about the rare (and flyable?) Vega being owned by a museum seemingly without clear focus.

Nothing against the group, I'm sure they're well meaning folks, but I'm not sure what a "Freedom" museum is or what "golden age" general aviation types have to do with it.

Their warbird include a trainer, a helicopter, a transport, and rather oddly, a patrol plane. Not much commonality there, seems rather scattershot...acquisitions done because something was available rather than part of a well thought out plan (there is a veterans museum here that was given a MiG-17 it has no idea what to do with).

Since three of their 4 military types were built in California (was the T-28 built in CA or Columbus, I've never checked but being a NAA product, close enough) they might want to stick with that as a theme. Keep the Huey as an easily transportable display and use it as a "bone" to throw at Vietnam war vets to make up for the loonies (and idiots that never took a civics class despite graduating from college) that blamed the troops for the war.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
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