CAF Squadron arrives at Martin State

The Commemorative Air Force brought its B-29 FiFi, P-51, C-45 and Navy Helldrver torpedo aircraft to Martin State Airport on June 3-5.  Hundreds of people turned out to see the World War II vintage aircraft and some purchased rides on the planes.  Fifi made one flight on Wednesday and people were thrilled just to see the last flying B-29 takeoff and land.  The other craft flew all three days and the sounds of rotary engines often filled the air.

Work starting on new structure

First, you start with the footers.

Work has begun on the temporary structure at Strawberry Point that eventually will replace the trailers that have held tools and material for years.  The footers have been dug and, after a state inspection, the anchors will be placed. The 40-by-60 foot fabric-covered structure eventually will be used for storage and  some restoration work

Museum members visit museum

Tour group listens to docent Jane Michael talk about the C Building at Lockheed Martin Corporation.

About 50 members of the Baltimore Museum of Industry and their children got a behind-the-scenes tour of the Museum as part of an area exchange program.
Visitors got a personal tour of the main museum and those interested got a peek into the Museum archives, which contain over 100,000 images, a large collection of aviation books and numerous artifacts from the Glenn Martin Co. and Maryland aviation history.
Activities kept the children busy while adults got a chance to see the Museum's Gallery and Restoration Center in the basement of C Building at the Lockheed Martin Corporation. There they saw historic aircraft and two of the long-term project being undertaken: a full-size replica of the Martin MS-1 submarine sea plane and a World War II training glider being built by EAA Chapter 143.  Among the aircraft on display was "The Spirit of Maryland."
Everyone got a chance to visit the Strawberry Point flight line and look inside the Museum's TA-4J fighter and RB-57A bomber.
GLM members will get a chance to see the BMI when a members-only tour is scheduled for Sunday June 30.  If you're a GLM Museum member and want to go, contact the museum at 410-682-6122 or send  us an email at martinmuseum@gmail.com.  There is  no cost, but you have to provide you own transportation.

Museum takes program to Harford County

Harford County third graders have questions after presentation.

Thanks to support from the Dresher Foundation, the Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum is offering its outreach education program “From Sand Dunes to the Moon” to third-grade classes at Harford County elementary schools at a discounted fee of only $1 per student. This interactive activity celebrating flight and Maryland's contribution to the pioneering days of manned space exploration is designed to inspire students to explore the future of aviation while they discover and learn to appreciate the technological wonders of the past. With rising gas prices often bringing bus transportation costs higher than Museum program fees, making field trip costs often unaffordable for students, the generosity of the Dresher Foundation has enabled the Museum to take aviation education into Harford County classrooms.

If you are a Harford County third-grade teacher who would like us to visit your school, click here. 

Scouts visit museum

Volunteer Richard Steinert tells Scout group about the Museum's T-33 at Strawberry Point.

Scouts and adults get pointers on night-vision goggles
 used by County Police Aviation unit.

Over 300 Scouts, adult leaders and parents spent Saturday at the Museum to explore several aspects of aviation.  Some worked toward their Merit Badges in aviation, while others just enjoyed seeing airplanes up close.  Scouts got a chance to see history, build rockets, learn to read maps (thanks to the work of Jane Toskes) and experience a real flight simular, provided by Kevin Walsh at Middle River Aviation.  The Baltimore City Aviation Unit brought a helicopter to Strawberry Point for an up-close look, and the Baltimore County Police Aviation Unit opened its facility for a tour. The local Civil Air Patrol Squadron brought its latest airplane to show and answered the questions of Scouts and adults and helped with traffic.
As an added bonus, some got a chance to tour the C Basement gallery with the support from Middle River Aircraft Systems.

Civil Air Patrol cadets and leaders wrap up
their day at the Flight Line.

Despite the biting wind, everyone seemed to enjoy the adventure-filled day and went home with more knowledge of flight, Martin State Airport and Glenn L. Martin.   People already were talking about coming back next year.

Meet the authors

As part of National Reading Month, the Museum hosted several authors on March 9.

The lineup included Jane Gardner Birch with her book They Flew Proud, Linda Martinak and Angela Martinak Sutherland with their book Essex and Middle River: Then and Now, Vincent dePaul Gisriel, Jr. and his book Hearts Away, Bombs Away and Stan Piet with his book Martin P6M SeaMaster.

If you missed the event, several of the books are available for sale in the Museum's gift shop.

Bob Dorr talks about B-29 raids

Bob Dorr met B-29 crewman John Swoboda after the meeting.

Bob Dorr, well known aviation author, visited the Museum February 4 to talk about the 1945 raids on  Japan covered in his new book, Mission to Tokyo. Bob set the stage by giving some background on the B-29 Superfortresses used in the latter stages of World War II and the war in the Pacific.

He focused his  talk on the firebombing of Tokyo the night of March 9-10 and the use later that year of the two atomic bombs. In dramatic fashion, he tried to recreate what is was like to be there 70 years ago on Tinian in the Mariana Islands as the B-29 crews prepared for their missions. He also reminded the audience that many B-29s, and specifically the plane that dropped the first atomic bomb, the Enola Gay, were built in a Martin Company plant.

In the audience was John Hamilton Swoboda, a B-29 gunner who was on Tinian during the time covered in the book and talk. They compared notes briefly.

Bob's appearance was part of the monthly Monday Speaker Series presented by the Museum at the  Lockheed Martin auditorium, 2323 Eastern Blvd., Middle River. The 7 PM events are free to the public, but you must have a photo ID.  Children must be accompanied by an adult with a photo ID.

The March speaker will be Ron Ball, who will talk about the video he compiled on the history of the Maryland Air National Guard.