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March Field Air Museum

The March Field Air Museum is an aviation museum near Moreno Valley and Riverside, California, located at March Air Reserve Base.

March Field Air Museum
March Field Air Museum is located in California
March Field Air Museum
Location within California
Established1979 (1979)
LocationRiverside County, near Moreno Valley, California
Coordinates33°53′02″N 117°16′00″W / 33.883848°N 117.266682°W / 33.883848; -117.266682
TypeAviation museum
FounderLt. Gen. James E. Mullins[1]
CuratorJeff Houlihan
Websitewww.marchfield.org

History

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The museum was founded in 1979 as March Air Force Base Museum. One of the first exhibits at the museum was a collection of art painted by Hazel Olson.[1][2] It moved to a new location at the base's former commissary, where it reopened to the public in 1981. That same year, a B-29 was flown to the museum.[3] The museum moved again in 1993 to its current location west of the runway along Interstate 215. Originally operated by the Air Force, the museum's operation was transferred to a nonprofit organization in 1996.[4]

Exhibits

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The March Field Timeline Exhibit features vignettes that chronicle the history of the West Coast’s oldest military airfield, covering local experiences in WWI, the interwar period, WWII’s impact, and a personal look at the life of Staff Sergeant Vincent Rogers.[5][6]

Firebase Romeo Charlie which spans half an acre, replicates a Vietnam-era Forward Operating Location. It features period helicopters, including an AH-1 Cobra, two UH-1 Iroquois, H-21 Shawnee, H-34 Choctaw, and an OH-6 Cayuse. The base includes an Entry Control Point, defensive walls, bunkers, a Base Operations Center, a Flight Control Tower, trucks, utility vehicles, and a sound and lighting system that enhance the immersive experience.[7]

The Frank Zizzo Radio Room opened in March 2021, and spans over 1,100 sq. ft. and features 100+ radios, from a 1924 RCA Radiola to a Vietnam-era PRC-10 “Backpack” Transceiver. Operated by the Moreno Valley Amateur Radio Association, it includes a functioning 1947 Hallicrafters TV and a Morse Code practice station.[8]

The Innovation Through Conflict Hall is located between the museum’s main exhibit buildings, 29 climate-controlled cases showcase military aviation’s history, conflicts, personalities, technologies, and tactics. Explore aviation’s evolution through rare artifacts and detailed information, spanning from WW1 to the conflict in Afghanistan.[9]

The Mission Control Exhibit, an interactive gallery exploring the space race and technological achievements from 1957 to today. Discover rare artifacts, including historic space equipment and memorabilia, and engage with hands-on flight simulators. This exhibit shows the milestones of human space exploration, highlighting key moments, innovations, and the relentless pursuit of reaching the stars.[10]

The Strategic Reconnaissance Exhibit. Explore aviation surveillance technology in the Reconnaissance Exhibit at March Field Air Museum. Featuring the legendary SR-71 Blackbird, this exhibit includes three large cases of historic SR-71 artifacts, cameras tracing tactical reconnaissance evolution, video presentations on intelligence collection, and a detailed look at the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Highlighting CIA pilot Al Rand’s U-2 flight suit, the exhibit underscores aircraft intelligence’s historical significance.[11]

Aircraft on display

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Bell P-59A Airacomet
 
North American B-25J Mitchell
 
Vultee BT-13A Valiant
 
Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress

The museum has over 114 aircraft on display.[12][13][14]

Indoor exhibits

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Indoor displays include:

  • A replica Wright Flyer
  • A section of a Boeing B-47 cockpit which was used in the filming of the 1955 film Strategic Air Command starring Jimmy Stewart.
  • Many movies playing on a regular recurring schedule
  • A German 30mm cannon and jet engines
  • Missile and bomb cross-sections
  • A recreation of a World War II-era mural[93]
  • B-52 training modules

Memorials

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  • A memorial to War dogs.[94]
  • The Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial Act, signed July 25, 2014, designated the memorial at the museum in honor of current and former members of the Armed Forces who have been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross as the Distinguished Flying Cross National Memorial. The national memorial was dedicated on October 27, 2010.[95][96]
  • A memorial to NASA astronauts killed in the Challenger and Columbia disasters that uses a Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster.[97]
  • 15th Air Force Commemorative Wall. Dedicated in 1998, the 15th Air Force Commemorative Wall at March Field Air Museum pays tribute to the courageous men and women who served in the 15th Air Force. This solemn monument stands as a testament to their valor and sacrifice during World War II.[98]

In the media

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Television

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The March Field Air Museum was featured on an episode of Ghost Adventures in 2018. The team of paranormal investigators investigated paranormal claims of artifacts being thrown out of their glass cases by an unseen force while in the Main Hangar, voices of children who died with their mother from the flu when they lived on the property before the Restoration Hangar was built, and sounds of soldiers preparing for battle while in the Lockheed C-141 Starlifter display aircraft.[99]

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b Ellis, Howard (12 June 1979). "Artist to Donate Painting to March Air Base Museum". The Sun. p. B-2. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. ^ Ellis, Howard (30 September 1979). "March Historical Art Museum Features Colton Woman's Work". The Sun. p. B-1. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Oldest Flying Fortress Makes Its Last Flight Soon". The Biggs News. 9 July 1981. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Our History". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  5. ^ "Exhibits". March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
  6. ^ "WWII airman, whose letters are centerpiece of museum exhibit, finally laid to rest in Riverside". ABC7 Los Angeles. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
  7. ^ "Exhibits". March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
  8. ^ "Exhibits". March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
  9. ^ "Exhibits". March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
  10. ^ "Exhibits". March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
  11. ^ "Exhibits". March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
  12. ^ Ogden, Bob. Aviation Museums and Collections of North America, Sudbourne, England, 2007. ISBN 978-0851303857.
  13. ^ Parker, Dana T. Building Victory: Aircraft Manufacturing in the Los Angeles Area in World War II, Cypress, CA, 2013. ISBN 978-0-9897906-0-4.
  14. ^ "Aircraft Collection". March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
  15. ^ "U-9A Aero Commander". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  16. ^ "AH-1F Cobra". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  17. ^ "P-39Q Airacobra". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  18. ^ "P-59A Airacomet". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  19. ^ "Bell OH-58 Kiowa". March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  20. ^ "UH-1B Iroquois "Huey"". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  21. ^ a b "Bell UH-1F Iroquois". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  22. ^ "Bensen B-8M". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  23. ^ "B-17G Flying Fortress". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  24. ^ "B-29A Superfortress". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  25. ^ "B-47E Stratojet". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  26. ^ "B-52D Stratofortress". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  27. ^ "KC-97L Stratofreighter". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  28. ^ "KC-135A Stratotanker". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
  29. ^ "A-37 Dragonfly". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  30. ^ "T-37B Tweety Bird". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  31. ^ "O-2/C-337 Super Skymaster". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  32. ^ "Airframe Dossier – Cessna O-2A Super Skymaster, s/n 68-11067 USAF, c/n 337M-0343, c/r N475DF". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  33. ^ "O-2B Skymaster". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  34. ^ "[Untitled]". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  35. ^ "Convair C-131D Samaritan". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  36. ^ "F-102A Delta Dagger". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  37. ^ "TA-4J Skyhawk". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  38. ^ "A-26C Invader". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  39. ^ "EA-1E Skyraider". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  40. ^ "C-54Q Skymaster". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  41. ^ "PT-19B Cornell". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  42. ^ "C-123K Provider". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  43. ^ "FO-141 Gnat". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  44. ^ "MQ-1B Predator". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  45. ^ "FB-111A Aardvark". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  46. ^ "YF-14A Tomcat". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  47. ^ "HU-16E Albatross". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  48. ^ "OH-6A Cayusa [sic]". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  49. ^ "C-141 Starlifter". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  50. ^ "D-21 Drone". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  51. ^ "P-38 Lightning". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  52. ^ "R5O Lodestar". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
  53. ^ "SR-71A Blackbird". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  54. ^ "T-33A Shooting Star". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  55. ^ "A-7D Corsair II". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  56. ^ "EB-57B Canberra". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  57. ^ "F-101B Voodoo". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  58. ^ "F-4C Phantom II". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  59. ^ "F-4E Phantom II". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  60. ^ "RF-4C Phantom II". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  61. ^ "F-15 Eagle". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  62. ^ Horseman, Jeff (15 August 2023). "Retired Air Force KC-10 tanker moves to March Field Air Museum". The Press-Enterprise. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  63. ^ "MiG-15 Fagot". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  64. ^ "MiG-17 Fresco". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  65. ^ "MiG-19 Farmer". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  66. ^ "MiG-21F-13 Fishbed". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  67. ^ "MiG-23 Flogger". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  68. ^ "Airframe Dossier – Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-23BN Flogger-H (NATO), s/n 5744 CEF, c/n 0393215744". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  69. ^ "CQ-10A (UAV) Snow Goose". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  70. ^ "Nieuport 11 [1]". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  71. ^ "Nieuport 11 [2]". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  72. ^ "B-25J Mitchell". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  73. ^ "F-86H Sabre". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  74. ^ "F-86L Sabre". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  75. ^ "F-100C Super Sabre". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  76. ^ "SNJ-4 Texan". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  77. ^ "F-89J Scorpion". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  78. ^ "Northrop T-38A Talon". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  79. ^ "YA-9A". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  80. ^ "H-21 Workhorse". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  81. ^ "F-84C Thunderjet". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  82. ^ "F-84F Thunderstreak". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 20 May 2018.
  83. ^ "F-105B Thunderchief". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  84. ^ "F-105D Thunderchief". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  85. ^ "[Untitled]". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  86. ^ "TG-2 Glider". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  87. ^ "HH-34J Choctaw". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  88. ^ "PT-13D Stearman". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  89. ^ "L-5 Sentinel". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  90. ^ "BT-13 Valiant". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  91. ^ "BT-13A Japanese Aichi D3A "Val"". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  92. ^ "1903 Wright Flyer I". March Field Air Museum. March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  93. ^ "March Field Air Museum Proudly Showcases Mural "Man's Supremacy in the Air"". InlandEmpire.us. 26 December 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  94. ^ "Heritage Courtyard". March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
  95. ^ "Heritage Courtyard". March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
  96. ^ "H.R. 330 – Summary". United States Congress. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  97. ^ "Shuttle rocket booster to be part of memorial at California museum". CollectSpace. 4 December 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  98. ^ "Heritage Courtyard". March Field Air Museum. Retrieved 2024-09-24.
  99. ^ "Riverside Plane Graveyard".

Bibliography

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33°53′02″N 117°16′00″W / 33.883848°N 117.266682°W / 33.883848; -117.266682

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