Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum veterans celebrate National Aviation Month by sharing their lifelong passion for flight. Military veterans and dedicated volunteers bring historic aircraft to life through personal stories.
U.S. Marine Corps pilot Gene Atwell loves flying aircraft. He joked that his aviation passion began before birth. Atwell serves as a board member for the museum.
Atwell began his military career flying A-4 Skyhawks. The Horsham museum features an identical aircraft on display. Atwell spent ten active and reserve years before becoming an airline pilot.
Courtesy of Katalinas Communications
Veterans Day holds special meaning for museum volunteers. Dave Brown shares flight memories with museum visitors. He flew over one hundred hours in a Navy delivery aircraft.
The museum displays the exact aircraft model Brown flew. Serving in Norfolk with a logistics support squadron. Brown chose aviation because piloting seemed most interesting.
Courtesy of Katalinas Communications
Jack Beaver spent twenty-eight years in the Naval Reserves and joined the museum effort nearly forty years ago. Beaver helped plan and fundraise before the museum opened.
Beaver grew up in Philadelphia and joined the Navy. He flew museum aircraft models like the P-3 Orion. Beaver organized the annual golf outing fundraiser for the museum.
Younger generations will lead the museum into the future. Dedicated volunteers keep aviation history alive for visitors.