Author Description

The concept for the Pima Air & Space Museum began in 1966 during planning for the celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the creation of the United States Air Force. Earlier the commanders of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and the Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center (MASDC) the forerunner to today¿s 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) recognized that the historic World War II and 1950s era aircraft stored on the base were rapidly disappearing into smelters and that the flames were consuming not just metal but the aviation heritage of the country. On their own initiative base officials began to set aside examples of the many types of aircraft stored in MASDC¿s yards. These planes were placed along the base¿s fence line so that the public could see them through the fence.So begins the story of what is arguably today one of the most extensive and progressive aviation museums ¿ and one of the most exciting and comprehensive collections of aircraft ¿ anywhere the United States, if not the world.Over the last forty years the Pima Air & Space Museum has gathered one of the largest and best collections of aircraft in the United States. Visitors are treated to one of the most eclectic aviation collections to be found in any museum. Rather than focus on one nation, service, company, or type of aviation, Pima has tried to gather representative examples of all aspects of human flight regardless of their origins or purpose. This has resulted in a collection of military, commercial, and civil aircraft from around the world that displays the myriad of techniques and innovations that have been developed to carry people into the air. This is the story of Pima Air & Space Museum. A comprehensive, large-format, 354 page guide, featuring the history and technical data of every aircraft in this growing collection, lavishly illustrated with superb color photographs.