 Museum logo | |
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| Established | 1998 |
|---|---|
| Location | Hillsboro, Oregon, United States |
| Coordinates | 45°31′57″N122°57′05″W / 45.532628°N 122.951313°W /45.532628; -122.951313 |
| Type | Aviation |
| Founder | Roger Kelsay |
| Director | Doug Donkel |
| Public transit access | Hillsboro Airport/Fairplex station |
| Website | www.classicaircraft.org |
TheClassic Aircraft Aviation Museum is an aviation museum located inHillsboro in the U.S. state ofOregon. Started in 1998, one of the museums with about 5 aircraft is located at theHillsboro Airport in thePortland metropolitan area. Aircraft at the museum are either maintained in flyable condition or are restored so that they can be flown once again. As of March 2010, there were 15 aircraft in the museum's collection within multiple locations between Hillsboro, Oregon, Corvallis, Oregon and Tillamook Oregon and Doug Donkel served as museum director.[1]
Roger Kelsay founded Premier Jets in 1984 as a charter flight company at the Hillsboro Airport.[2] Over time, he acquired classic military aircraft, including aMiG-17F in 1995.[3] The plane was built in 1958 and had been in thePolish Air Force.[3] Kelsay then founded the Classic Aircraft Aviation Museum in 1998 and donated many of the planes in the museum's collection.[2]
The museum had a performance at the 2006Oregon International Air Show that featured the former Polish Air Force MIG-17F and a formerRoyal Air Force (UK)BAC Jet Provost Mk.3A,[3][4][5] with the museum participating in the 2007 show with the same aircraft.[6] In January 2007, Classic Aircraft Aviation Museum purchased aMiG 21 from aChevrolet dealership inFederal Way, Washington.[7] The fighter had been displayed on the car dealer's sales lot, but the museum planned to restore the plane to flight worthy status.[7]
Then in October of that year they received aF-104G from Taiwan'sFeng Chia University.[8] A DouglasC-47A was added to the museum's collection in 2009 when it was donated by aSouthern Oregon man.[1] That plane was built in 1942 and is the military version of the more famousDC-3.[1] The museum's C-47A had previously been in theRoyal Canadian Air Force and was later used as a freight hauler before aRoseburg, Oregon, collector acquired the still flyable aircraft.[1]
Classic Aircraft Aviation Museum was again at the Hillsboro air show in 2010, this time with their Douglas A-26C Invader, MiG-17F, and F-86 Sabre performing in the show.[9] In 2016, the museum lost its lease for one hangar, requiring the relocation of some of its collection.[10] Some of the planes were sent to theTillamook Air Museum[10] and the Hillsboro Museums extension location atCorvallis Aero Services in Corvallis, Oregon.
The hanger where the Hillsboro Museum is located in was once home to Premier Jets, which was owned by Roger Kelsay.[6] Kelsay also owns most of the aircraft in the museum.[6] The goal for all of the planes is that they once again areair worthy, and to that end, volunteers spend thousands of hours restoring the aircraft.[6] The Hillsboro museum's specialty is restoring aircraft, though their collection also includes some aviation artifacts as well.[4] This is part of their goal of educating the public through demonstrations of working aircraft.[2] Other Museum pieces include engines, ground equipment, andejection seats.[2]
Besides restoring the aircraft, volunteers are also responsible for conducting the tours of thehangar and putting on exhibitions.[1] The free museum in Hillsboro, OR is by appointment or drop by on Tuesdays between 8:30 am and 11:30 am (call ahead preferred[2] You can stop by theCorvallis Aero Services in Corvallis OR for a tour M-F from 10am to 4pm (Appointment preferred) or atTillamook Air Museum during their hours of operation.
Aircraft in the museum come from as far away as Poland, Turkey, andTaiwan.[6] Not all of the aircraft are located at the hangar in Hillsboro.[2]
Media related toClassic Aircraft Aviation Museum at Wikimedia Commons
