Tuesday, October 23, 2001
After a decade of educating citizens, the Pacific Aerospace Museum was hounded out of Honolulu International Airport this week by the Department of Transportation, which claims airports aren't appropriate venues for aviation education. They're better for shopping malls, apparently. Museum’s future
is up in the airI spent 15 years at the museum as a volunteer and witnessed the daily fight against the state government's forces of ignorance. If anyone questions the importance of aviation to Hawaii, see what's happened since the 911 attack.
The museum is going into storage while another venue is sought. A new location will be able to display actual aircraft. But most of the aircraft that made history in Hawaii don't exist anymore -- DH-4s, MB-3s, P-12s, Jennies and Vegas.
Almost any high school with a wood and metal shop could build full-size, flying replicas of the Golden Age of aviation, prior to World War II. This sort of project would build school pride as well as produce aviation artifacts worth showing off. We at the Star-Bulletin will help with historical research and advice for any school willing to take on such a project. Let's hear from you.
Burl Burlingame