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Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum

Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum
Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum is located in Mississippi
Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum
Location within Mississippi
Established2002 (2002)
LocationGulfport, Mississippi
Coordinates30°23′23″N 89°03′30″W / 30.3897°N 89.0582°W / 30.3897; -89.0582
TypeAviation museum
Websitewww.msaviationmuseum.org

The Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum is an aviation museum in Gulfport, Mississippi.

History

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Background

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In 1973, Thomas E. Simmons, a businessman and pilot, read a newspaper article about Gulfport native and early African-American aviator John C. Robinson. After years of research that led to creation of a book about Robinson, the John C. Robinson Brown Condor Association was established in 2001. The following year, it received $250,000 from the state legislature to create a museum and began collaborating with the University of Southern Mississippi to conduct oral history interviews with individuals who knew Robinson or the environment he grew up in.[1][2] The association commissioned a bust of Robinson, which went on display at the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport in 2010. The dedication also served as the beginning of efforts to build the museum.[3] Plans originally called for the construction of a two-floor 52,000 sq ft (4,800 m2) building near the airport.[4] Focus eventually shifted to a World War II-era hangar at the airport, but this also did not come to fruition.[5]

Move to off-airport location

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The museum leased a vacant 33,000 sq ft (3,100 m2) furniture store from the city in September 2016 and began renovating it.[6][7] After four years of work, the museum opened on 3 October 2020.[8][9]

Exhibits

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Exhibits at the museum include the Mississippi Aviation Hall of Fame, as well as galleries about the Tuskegee Airmen, Hurricane Hunters, crop dusting and military bases in Mississippi.[7]

A scale replica of a C-130 that was used in parades was donated in 2021.[10]

Collection

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References

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  1. ^ Bergeron, Kat (21 February 2021). "Coast's Famous Brown Condor Broke Through 'Color Line' Led Air Force to Fight Fascists". Sun Herald. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  2. ^ Bergeron, Kat (7 February 2004). "Brown Condor's Life in Review". Sun Herald. p. A2. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  3. ^ Firmin, Pam (12 November 2010). "Aviation Legend to Be Honored in Gulfport". Clarion-Ledger. p. 2B. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum". Brown Condor Association. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  5. ^ Lee, Anita (3 November 2015). "Brown Condor Group Requests Building for Aviation Museum". Sun Herald. p. 7A. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  6. ^ Lee, Anita (26 September 2016). "'Awesome' Aviation Museum Ready to Take Flight in Gulfport". Sun Herald. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Our Facility". Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  8. ^ Duncan, Desirae (3 October 2020). "Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum Officially Opens". WLOX. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  9. ^ Ishee, Calvin (7 October 2020). "Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum Features the Tuskegee Airmen". Gazebo Gazette. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  10. ^ Fuentes, Andrés (13 July 2021). "Hurricane Hunters Artifact Donated to Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum". WLOX. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  11. ^ a b c Vogelaar, Rob. "Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum". Aviation Museum. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  12. ^ a b Fitzhugh, John (10 September 2019). "Aviation Museum Making Strides Towards Taking Off". WLOX. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  13. ^ "Plane Donated to Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum". WXXV 25. 8 August 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  14. ^ Keeton, Hugh (27 May 2021). "Mississippi Aviation Heritage Museum adds to Collection with Donated Helicopter". WLOX. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
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