One step closer to the "new" Yanks Air Museum

[Warbirdnerd]

October 29, 2008


Aviation museum clears hurdle

By DAWN WITHERS
The Salinas Californian

Even though the Yanks Air Museum was approved in 1997, years remain before the developer can break ground on the ambitious project.

Over the past decade, the museum has been entangled in bureaucratic delays over design, traffic and environmental reports, as well as getting sewer and water hook-ups.

But on Tuesday, museum owner Charles Nichols overcame one of the largest hurdles yet.

The Monterey County Board of Supervisors granted a four-year extension to start construction on the Yanks Air Museum. It is the second extension for the museum, which is

slated to hold 168 restored American military and civilian aircraft, what project officials call the largest collection of its kind in the world.

The complex also is expected to create hundreds of jobs and provide educational classes and tours, job training and aviation history lessons.

"I think this project is needed and is a good project," said Supervisor Simón Salinas.

The extension will give Nichols time to get final approval from Caltrans to access Highway 101 from the project site and get state approval to build an on-site RV park.

Once those approvals are secured, construction can start on the museum complex, which will be completed in phases over about 10 years.

"We have been working on this project for a very long time," Nichols said.

Given Caltrans' request for several different traffic studies and years of delays, project officials said, it's unclear when the agency will issue a permit granting access to the highway.

The developer also needs to work with a nearby property owner, the Franscioni-Griva Corp., which owns 64 acres south of the museum site, on resolving the impacts of overnight RV parking on the use of pesticides on the farms.

"This is very disturbing to them," said Nancy Isakson, who along with attorney Brian Finegan, is representing the company. Finegan and Isakson were both against the extension.

The museum complex will occupy about 100 acres of a 400-acre area just north of Greenfield and east of Highway 101. The remaining acres are in a permanent agricultural easement.

The complex will feature the 25,000-square-foot museum, an airstrip, hangers, a winery, wine- tasting room, two gas stations, a 150-room hotel, a restaurant, two fast-food restaurants, retail space, an amphitheater, and an 80-space RV parking area.

Nichols has owned the property since the 1980s and has had plans going back 20 years to relocate his Chino-based museum to a larger, more modern facility near Greenfield.

For an hour, nearly 20 supporters, including Greenfield Mayor John Huerta, urged approval citing the museum's benefits to the south county economy and the need in the Salinas Valley for a major tourist attraction on par with the Monterey Bay Aquarium or National Steinbeck Center.

"This is what we need," said developer Don Chapin.

Found it here:
http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/2 ... /810290337

[Holedigger]

Here is a link to the "Yanks" web page and some architectural renderings of what if may look like.

http://www.yanksair.com/future-2.htm

I wish them well in their endeavor! I'm surprised anyone is allowed to build anything in California, especially for those nasty war machines that burn fossil fuel and pollute! San Francisco sure wouldn't allow it!

[P51Mstg]

Nice place, I've seen the plans before. Too bad they will not be having the 3 F-14s on the sticks............

Maybe ingots on a stick...... Kind of a modern TomCatSickle..........

Mark H

[warbird1]

What I'm really looking forward to is Yanks's flying their airplanes to the new facility at Greenfield. I've heard that the plan is to make a one time ferry flight for the majority of their collection. I plan on being there at Chino to witness their many rare airplanes making probably their one and only flight. I only hope that someone associated with the museum can inform WIX, as I plan on making a trip out their especially for that occasion.

I've been wondering when they would move as I've heard about that plan for nearly 2 decades now.

[P51Mstg]

Seeing them fly would be cool. But in practical terms, the effort it would take to make them fly (fighters that is, not the light aircraft), its probably easier and a lot safer to take them apart.....


I don' t think I'd be making plane and hotel reservations to see anything just yet. I may be a while...


Mark H

[k5083]

I remember seeing the plans for this over 20 years ago.

I hate to be a naysayer, but I never really saw any reason to think that this venture would be anything but a money pit and financial flop. Even at the height of wine-country tourism, it just didn't seem like a big draw to me, so far from any major city.

The idea of getting those airplanes airworthy (they hope) for what will essentially be cross-country test flights is a bit chilling. Some in the warbird community consider it rather unwise. Of course, any of us would love to be in the photo plane for those once-in-a-lifetime air-to-air shots of those fighters. But if any of them has a problem and gets written off in transit, there's going to be a lot of Monday a.m. quarterbacking.

Anyway I agree with Mark, they may be one step closer, but there are a lot more steps and I ain't booking any travel plans either (except to Chino).

August

[warbird1]

Seeing them fly would be cool. But in practical terms, the effort it would take to make them fly (fighters that is, not the light aircraft), its probably easier and a lot safer to take them apart.....


I don' t think I'd be making plane and hotel reservations to see anything just yet. I may be a while...


Mark H

How hard would it really be? I've been told on my numerous visits there over the last 25 years, in talking to the restorers, that nearly every single airplane is restored to FAA airworthy standards. I remember visiting there once a while back when they had the P-47 up on jacks and were doing gear swing tests, to make sure the hydraulics worked. If all of the airplanes were rebuilt to this standard, would it be that much extra work to bring them up to one-time ferry permit standards?

In addition, the vast majority of their airplanes already have N numbers assigned to them. So that shows Nichols' intention to fly them at some point.

I agree that it will probably be a loooooong time before the move though, IF it ever happens.

[warbird1]

I remember seeing the plans for this over 20 years ago.

I hate to be a naysayer, but I never really saw any reason to think that this venture would be anything but a money pit and financial flop. Even at the height of wine-country tourism, it just didn't seem like a big draw to me, so far from any major city.

I agree with you August. I think it will be a huge financial flop as well. When I originally heard about this plan 2 decades ago, I remember in talking to one of the head people up there, that the big draw was to get the vets and W.W. II generation to support their museum and travel destination at Greenfield. Well back then, the vets were all in their 60's and more than capable of travel. With most W.W. II vets now in their 80's and older, I don't think too many of them will travel there. In addition, the facility is not even built yet. Assuming all the planets and stars line up, and the facility gets built within the next 5 to 10 years, nearly all of the vets will have passed away. The few left, will not be in good enough condition to travel there, much less provide much support for the museum. Unfortunately, as more time elapses from W.W.II, there will be a waning interest in that aspect of history, and consequently less viable support from people. That will be it's downfall, unfortunately.

I hate to say it, as cool of an idea as it is, I predict it will be a dismal failure. The location is not close to a major metropolitan area, or tourism, and it has many infrastructure related hurdles to overcome. At least when Kermit built Fantasy of Flight, he built it in between the major tourism areas in Florida. He was smart. Mr. Nichols, I believe, is living a pipe dream, if he thinks the museum will be self-sustaining, much less turn a profit at the new location at Greenfield.

Harsh but true, unfortunately, in my opinion!

[bdk]

Mr. Nichols has a proven track record with respect to business, real estate development and property management. I wouldn't count him out just yet.

[warbird1]

Mr. Nichols has a proven track record with respect to business, real estate development and property management. I wouldn't count him out just yet.

I hope you're right BDK, but I just don't see what he is basing the success of the Greenfield location off of. I wish them all the luck and success - of course!

[steve dickey]

Seeing them fly would be cool. But in practical terms, the effort it would take to make them fly (fighters that is, not the light aircraft), its probably easier and a lot safer to take them apart.....


I don' t think I'd be making plane and hotel reservations to see anything just yet. I may be a while...


Mark H

How hard would it really be? I've been told on my numerous visits there over the last 25 years, in talking to the restorers, that nearly every single airplane is restored to FAA airworthy standards. I remember visiting there once a while back when they had the P-47 up on jacks and were doing gear swing tests, to make sure the hydraulics worked. If all of the airplanes were rebuilt to this standard, would it be that much extra work to bring them up to one-time ferry permit standards?

In addition, the vast majority of their airplanes already have N numbers assigned to them. So that shows Nichols' intention to fly them at some point.

I agree that it will probably be a loooooong time before the move though, IF it ever happens.

Well just because a Warbird is "restored" to FAA "standards and has an "N #" does not make it continually airworthy!! Maintaining these type airplanes is a lot more intensive than a cesspool 150 These type airplanes(and really any type airplane) do not like to sit around, seals dry up when not lubed(i.e., engines run periodically, flown....) hydraulics tend to start leaking, dry rot ect, ect. You get the point
I for one would really like to see them fly up there it would not be a very long flight and I do hope that it does get recorded photographically That comment you made about it gonna be a failure really ticked me off . Since you do not list in your info where you are located(to chicken to tell us ) I hope you live to far geographically and economically feasable to ever get out to even lay two itty bitty eyes on this collection . Dang Im so mad about your comments I could spit boogers BRING IT ON

[steve dickey]

That last coment was to warbird1 not you Mark.
Where are ya Come on

[warbird1]

Well just because a Warbird is "restored" to FAA "standards and has an "N #" does not make it continually airworthy!! Maintaining these type airplanes is a lot more intensive than a cesspool 150 These type airplanes(and really any type airplane) do not like to sit around, seals dry up when not lubed(i.e., engines run periodically, flown....) hydraulics tend to start leaking, dry rot ect, ect. You get the point

Yes, I realize that. I think it's a lot easier to bring a warbird up to a one time ferry flight standard with an initial restoration based on airworthy condition than one based off of a static restoration. That's all I'm saying.

I for one would really like to see them fly up there it would not be a very long flight and I do hope that it does get recorded photographically That comment you made about it gonna be a failure really ticked me off . Since you do not list in your info where you are located(to chicken to tell us ) I hope you live to far geographically and economically feasable to ever get out to even lay two itty bitty eyes on this collection . Dang Im so mad about your comments I could spit boogers BRING IT ON

Just relax, no need to get bent out of shape! I was merely stating an OPINION, nothing else! I absolutely LOVE the Yanks's collection and wish them much success. I have nothing against them at all. As I've mentioned, I've been visiting Yanks for many years now and have supported them both through my visiting there as well as making many financial contributions to the museum as well. I have the means and ability to visit anywhere that Yanks ends up. When they arrive at Greenfield, I will be the first one there to watch the opening ceremony.

[steve dickey]

OK, I apoligize for the rude comments towards you Rant over, cooling down, time for beddy-bye Have a nice day(friday) I will, its a day off

[warbird1]

OK, I apoligize for the rude comments towards you Rant over, cooling down, time for beddy-bye Have a nice day(friday) I will, its a day off

No problem, Steve. Sometimes it's hard to communicate on the internet, because of the lack of non-verbal cues. Perhaps I was a little harsh in my assessment, but my basic point remains. I WANT them to succeed, but I just think that Mr. Nichol's might want to rethink his original plan, since a lot of variables have changed in the last 20 or so years since his original conception of the musuem at Greenfield.

I apologize if I offended you with my comments, that was not my intention!