My father grew up loving airplanes. He learned to fly at a field near his home when he was 13 years old, and both of his younger brothers followed in his footsteps. It wasn’t a surprise when both of my brothers inherited his passion and each took flying lessons at an early age.
Middle Tennessee offers an advantage for pilots. We have many, many small county airports and even smaller air “strips” where future pilots can take lessons and get licensed. Middle Tennessee State University offers several excellent degrees in Aeronautics- Professional Pilot, A&E Mechanic, and FBO Management. And middle Tennessee is home to a fascinating airplane museum dedicated to my favorites, Staggerwings.
For Father’s Day a couple of years ago, we treated Dad to an afternoon at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum. It is a distinctly original aviation museum dedicated to tracing the lineage of the Beechcraft family of airplanes from 1932 to present.
The museum consists of authentically restored early American log structures juxtaposed against modern museum-quality display hangers and is located next to the Tullahoma Regional Airport. It currently houses more than two-dozen aircraft, plus many aviation artifacts and memorabilia.
The museum’s history begins in middle Tennessee, early in the evolution of aviation in this country. Walter H. Beech was born in 1891 and raised in nearby Pulaski,Tenn. Prior to founding the Beech Aircraft Company, he and Clyde Cessna and Lloyd Stearman became principals in the Travel Air Manufacturing Company founded in 1924 and located in Wichita, Kansas. Each of these legendary aviation pioneers soon founded successful aircraft companies of their own. However, today the museum proudly displays several of Travel Air’s earliest productions in addition to the Beechcraft models.
My favorite airplane is the first aircraft built by the Beech Aircraft Company, model 17R-1, affectionately known as the Staggerwing. It is beautiful! And although I can appreciate its sleek style, the “pilot” gene completely missed me in the family. I was proud to see other women embraced aviation early on and the museum spotlights several of them. From the museum’s brochure, “The initial inspiration for the 1973 founding of the Museum by the Staggerwing Club came from famed pioneer aviatrix Louise Thaden. Flying a stock 1936 C17R Staggerwing, she and co-pilot Blanche Noyes won first place in the 1936 Bendix Trophy Race, besting racing professionals and military aircraft in a one-day flight from New York to Los Angeles. The Louise Thaden Library, housed in an authentically restored log structure, displays the prestigious 1936 Bendix trophy, her 1929 Women’s Air Derby trophy, and many other artifacts honoring her aerial accomplishments.”
I cannot begin to share with you all the wonderful stories and planes and historical exhibits I was exposed to at the museum and can only recommend you take an afternoon to explore it for yourself. For more information, hours of operation and directions, visit www.beechcraftheritagemuseum.org.
