A news item in one of my regular emails from the Air Force Association reports that Hill Aerospace Museum at Hill Air Force Base in Utah is going to be forced to remove 18 aircraft from its collection.
Acting Museum Director Aaron Clark said it's a relatively small number in comparison to the more than 2,000 artifacts that currently sprawl the museum's 34-acres situated on Hill AFB's north side. He said the downsizing is necessary because "the museum no longer has the manpower, funding or means necessary to give these aircraft the care they need."
Over time, Clark said, these aircraft need restoration and repair in order to maintain their appearance and integrity.
"An outdoor static display aircraft routinely needs repainting every five-to-six years, with both small and large aircraft costing a significant amount," Clark said. For example, to repaint an F-4 Phantom in-house it could cost the base nearly $15,000. For larger airframes, such as the B-47E we have on our grounds, he said, it would cost the museum roughly $100,000 to repaint and restore.
The move will allow the museum to focus its resources on exhibits with a greater connection to the air base and the area. Every effort will be made to find the exhibits new homes.
Even with one aircraft already gone, museum goers shouldn't expect to see the rest of the museum's "excess list" to disappear overnight. The fate of those displays will be managed by the National Museum of the Air Force located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.
Clark said the artifacts will first be offered to field museums, base air parks, service museums and certified civilian museums around the country. Beyond that, they will be offered to veteran's organizations, hospitals and cities. Only as a last resort, Clark added, will the planes be scrapped.
Here's a list of the aircraft and equipment being 'excessed':
Aircraft:
F-4C (RF)
F-4E
F-86L
T-39A (CT)
C-131D
C-130E, Trainer
H-21C
F-4E (GF)
A-7F (YA) (jet pictured at article link)
C-45H
F-106A (QF)
U-3A
H-13T
T-28B, BUNO
F/A-18A
B-47E (WB)
C-119F, RCAF
C-7B
Missiles:
CIM-10C, Missile
Support Vehicles:
BGM-109A, Trailer
SSCBM, Minuteman ICBM Storage
Peacekeeper Air Elevator Support Trailer
Peacekeeper Support Truck
This is history - when they're gone, they're gone forever. If anyone knows of a possible home for any of these, here's some contact info:
Hill Aerospace Museum
75th ABW/MU
7961 Wardleigh Rd,
Building 1955 Hill AFB,
UT 84056-5842
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Com'l: (801) 777-6868
or (801) 777-6818
DSN: 777-6868
or 777-6818
email 75abw.mu.webmaster@hill.af.mil