Selfridge Museum announces 2015 schedule

Courtesy Photo | This T-6 Texan will soon be added to the air park display at the Selfridge Military Museum at Selfridge Air National Guard Base. The single-engine trainer was flown by the Michigan Air National Guard from 1946 until 1955. It is painted in colors appropriate to that era. All of the more than 30 aircraft on display at the museum were either operated by the Michigan ANG or by another military unit at a base in the state of Michigan. (Courtesy photo)  

SELFRIDGE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, MI, UNITED STATES

04.18.2015

Story by Tech. Sgt. Daniel Heaton 

127th Wing

SELFRIDGE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Mich. -- The Selfridge Military Air Museum will soon launch its 2015 season.

The museum's general public hours are noon - 4:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, plus Independence Day and Memorial Day, April 4 - Oct. 31.

The Museum and Air Park can also be opened by appointment at other times throughout the year by calling 586-239-5035 or emailing [e-mail].

New to the museum for 2015 is a fully-restored T-6 Texan, which will join the more than 30 aircraft in the outdoor air park in mid-May. Like all of the aircraft at the museum, the T-6 has a direct Michigan connection. The T-6 was flown by the Michigan Air National Guard from 1946 to 1955. The restored aircraft will be painted in Michigan ANG markings from that time period. The aircraft was restored by the museum's team of volunteers.

More than $7 million worth of aircraft displays await visitors to the museum. Highlights in the air park include a C-130 Hercules and a P-3 Orion, both of which are opened to visitors when weather and volunteer availability permit.

Indoor displays include a full-scale historically accurate replica of a World War I fighter plane, the SPAD XIII; a ¾-scale historically accurate replica of the Wright Brothers first aircraft, the Wright Flyer;" an interactive cutaway and motorized World War II aircraft engine; an interactive Air Traffic Control radar display; an extensive display of original aviation art produced by noted aviation artists; a Korean War era "Jeep," and four aircraft cockpit trainers: a modern F-16 "Fighting Falcon," a Vietnam-era A-7 "Corsair II," a World War II LINK trainer that guests can actually sit inside, and a functional LINK trainer that can be operated only by appointment and by qualified individuals.

Museum displays show a wide variety of military memorabilia including weapons, aircraft engines, military uniforms, military aircraft models, and photographs spanning the almost 100-year history of the Base.

The Museum and Air Park is located on Selfridge Air National Guard Base, accessible by vehicle only through the Main Gate at the intersection of M-59 and Jefferson Avenue. For security reasons, guests arriving in a private vehicle that is being driven by someone without a valid government identification card must register for a Visitor's Pass at the Base's Visitor's Center or Main Gate and be subjected to a background check. A current and valid driver's license, vehicle registration, and proof of vehicular insurance will be required to comply with these requirements.

The Selfridge Military Air Museum is a private non-profit organization staffed entirely by volunteers and receives no federal or state funding for the operation and maintenance of its facilities and displays. Admission is $4 per guest over the age of 12 and $3 for children between 4 and 12 years of age with a minimum donation of $25.00 for all by-appointment tours. Photographs of the interior and exterior displays are permitted for private non-commercial use only.

Further information on the Selfridge Military Air Museum and Air Park can be found on their website (www.selfridgeairmuseum.org), by mail (Selfridge Military Air Museum, 27333 C St, Bldg 1011, Selfridge ANGB MI 48045), by phone [phone]), or by e-mail ([e-mail]).

• Date Taken: 04.18.2015
• Date Posted: 04.24.2015 13:29
• Story ID: 161175
• Location: SELFRIDGE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, MI, US