Question = Major museum restorations staff or volunteers ?

[Kudzu]

Hi, about to have a "debate" with someone and wanted to poll the experts here first.
Don't almost all major museums ( Air & Space, Dayton, Museum of Flight etc ) use mainly volunteers with guidance from paid staff for restorations & general aircraft maintenance ?
I just wanted to make sure I'm correct instead of putting foot into mouth !

I'm not trying to be lazy but I don't have time to contact them all to get hard facts to support my position.

Thanks
Brian

[ALOHADAVE]

The Travis AFB Heritage Center museum uses all volunteers to maintain and restore their aircraft. I know most Air Force base smaller museums use all volunteers to work on their aircraft. I'm not sure about Dayton.

[wendovertom]

I know that Hill AFB uses all volunteers as well - BUT - due to the locale and mission of Hill AFB most of the volunteers are really quite highly experienced. They often lead the less experienced but eager volunteers in restoration or maintenance projects. I was able to help with a F-105 paint project being lead by a former "Thud" crew chief.

Tom P.

[Spectre_I]

Castle Air Museum is exclusively volunteer. Almost all of our staff is retired military with oodles of experience in one or more aspects of restoration. Those who are experienced in one aspect teach the new volunteers or less experienced people, etc.

[Kudzu]

Thanks for the replies guys, I'm working on "getting the train back on the tracks" before another Chanute happens. Not an emergency yet, but that's when you have to act ( just like a forest fire ).

Cheers,
Brian

[ALOHADAVE]

On another note about this. The Air Force requires a museum to be vetted before they will allow their aircraft to be on loan to them. The vetting requires that there be at least one paid employee at the museum. There are other requirements such as requiring upkeep on the aircraft etc. I just thought you should know this if you wanted to get aircraft on loan.

[Kudzu]

Thanks Alohadave,
I'm familiar with the requirements & hard work ( 25 years worth ) to get loans then fix them up, unfortunately the people in charge now are not.
I'm working on that problem, carrots first !

Cheers to all for the info,
Brian

[ZRX61]

Most privately owned museums seem to have a couple of paid resto guys who oversee a bunch of volunteers... Some require you to pay to volunteer..