Visit to MAPS Air Museum

November 11, 2004

A large group of Clubhouse members had an exciting visit to the MAPS Air Museum, at Akron-Canton Airport in North Canton, on Wednesday, November 17, 2004. First we met at Edwin Shaw Hospital and car-pooled to the museum. At the museum we were greeted by kind volunteers who split us into three groups and took us on the tour.

MAPS stands for Military Aviation Preservation Society. They are an organization dedicated to educating people about the history of aviation. They acquire, restore, preserve, and exhibit military and civilian aircraft and artifacts.

The Museum and Exhibits area of MAPS Air Museum houses artifacts from every major military conflict of the twentieth century, including documents, paintings, uniforms, and memorabilia, as well as over 800 hand built model aircraft.

As we toured the facility we saw many restored planes and helicopters. They had been flown in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. We even saw a Russian MIG 17. During the tour we saw volunteers restoring a plane that had crashed in Alaska many years ago. A couple of the guys got to sit in a cockpit. And, we also saw actual bullet holes in a plane from combat. Many of the planes can still fly for special occasions.

Also featured in the library is an exhibit on women in the military. When the men were flying overseas in WW II, the women would test the new aircraft and fly them to the combat areas. Now, women are allowed in combat areas.

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