This timeline covers the first 10 years of our museum (1984 through 1993).
In the Beginning
August 17, 1982
Organizational Meeting to Establish Prairie Aviation Museum
Norman Wingler, 2007 Benjamin Lane, Bloomington, is a member of Heritage in Flight Museum, Inc. and hopes to start a Bloomington-Normal chapter of the Springfield-based organization.
If the organization ls a success, the first project will be to acquire a DC-3 airplane that was built in the late 1930s and used chiefly to carry paratroopers during World War II.
1983
First Patch for Prairie Aviation Museum
EMBLEM SIGNIFICANCE
The shield with scroll is the traditional group color emblem display fashion of the United States Air Force. The deep blue field with nebulae, a symbol of clouds, alludes to the sky. The golden spread wings signifies our determination to fly our display aircraft. The silver propeller, along with the gold piped Army Air Corps emblem denotes our groups interest in historic aircraft. The red sub-field is to honor all pilots who have given their lives in the furthering of aviation. The green horizontal striping indicates the forests, and the even stitch rows of gold comprising the lower field the harvest producing plains of our prairie state. The emblem bears the national colors and the Air Force colors • gold and ultramarine blue.
Our First Aircraft
DC-3 (Sold in 2009)
June 7, 1984
Our First Plane
“Miss Mossback”, a Douglas DC-3, begins the process of getting an overhaul.
1984
Miss Mossback – Before Overhaul
Notice the green moss she picked up waiting to be cleaned up.
1984
Miss Mossback – Becoming Airworthy
No more moss!
November 19, 1984
Look, Up in the Sky!
The first time Miss Mossback caught a glimpse of Bloomington/Normal.
She’s Here!
You can see her crossing the runway after she landed.
Greentings at the Gate
Many were on hand to welcome her to her new home.
The A7 is pulled out of storage to begin the disassembly process.
We need a home!
T-33A Shooting Star
May 17, 1993
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Our 6th aircraft
Cessna – 310B
Preparing the Cessna
Delivering over the fence.
We have touchdown inside the airpark.
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Prairie Aviation Museum sponsored many airshows as fund raisers.
The community loved them.