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The Fort Worth Aviation Museum is an
aviation museum An aviation museum, air museum, or air and space museum is a museum exhibiting the history and artifacts of aviation. In addition to actual, replica or accurate reproduction aircraft, exhibits can include photographs, maps, models, dioramas ...
located next to
Meacham International Airport Fort Worth Meacham International Airport (Meacham Field) is a general aviation airport located near the intersection of Interstate 820 and Business U.S. Highway 287 in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. It is named after former Fort Worth Mayor ...
in
Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the List of cities in Texas by population, fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the List of United States cities by population, 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, T ...
. The museum was rebranded in 2013 and was previously known as the Veterans Memorial Air Park.


Mission

The Fort Worth Aviation Museum (FWAM) is dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of aviation in Fort Worth, the North Texas region, and around the world. The museum displays aviation artifacts and provides historical interpretation on a variety of military topics. FWAM operates under the charter of the OV-10 Bronco Association, Inc., a 501(c)(3) not for profit corporation. In addition to an air park with twenty-four airplanes, FWAM houses two museums. Along with the B-36 Peacemaker Museum, the Forward Air Controllers' Museum tells the stories of
Forward Air Control Forward air control is the provision of guidance to close air support (CAS) aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller (FAC). ...
(FAC) used in
Close Air Support In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movemen ...
(CAS), the history of the North American Rockwell
OV-10 Bronco The North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco is an American twin- turboprop light attack and observation aircraft. It was developed in the 1960s as a special aircraft for counter-insurgency (COIN) combat, and one of its primary missions was as a for ...
, and the history of aviation in North Texas with an emphasis on Air Force Plant #4 (now known as
Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It ...
). FWAM's motto is "Bringing Aviation History to Life", and its mission is summarized as "Preservation, Inspiration, Education", or PIE.


Aircraft

The VMAP aircraft collection consists of twenty-five warbirds dating from 1943 to the present:


Programs


Landmark and Historic Sites Report

To expand community knowledge of aviation and it cultural and economic impacts on North Texas, the FWAM prepared a list of North Texas Aviation Landmarks and Sites. The list outlines twenty-five of some of the more important sites and presents a priority for officially recognizing those locations.


First Flight Park

The Museum worked with the
City of Fort Worth Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. Accordi ...
to establish First Flight Park in August 2013. The park is near the site of the first powered aircraft flight in Fort Worth by Roland Garros and the Moisant International Aviators in January 1911. A
Texas Historical Commission The Texas Historical Commission is an agency dedicated to historic preservation within the state of Texas. It administers the National Register of Historic Places for sites in Texas. The commission also identifies Recorded Texas Historic L ...
marker was placed on the site in January 2014.


Historic Aviation Preservation Project

VMAP promotes the rich aviation heritage of the North Texas region through the Historic Aviation Preservation Project, or HAPP. VMAP is actively involved with the
City of Fort Worth Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. Accordi ...
to identify and preserve areas, items and landmarks of significance to the history of aviation in North Texas and show how aviation transformed the region from cattle and oil into one of the premier aviation centers of the world. This includes cataloging and preserving items acquired from the recently defunct Fort Worth Air and Space Museum Foundation.


Aviation Book Fair

In partnership with the
Fort Worth Public Library Fort Worth Public Library is the public library system that serves the city of Fort Worth, Texas. The Fort Worth Public Libraries consist of 16 branches including the central library and two regional libraries. History In April 1892, 20 women ...
, FWAM sponsors an annual book fair called "Women, Pilots, and Writers in Aviation." Many of the featured authors are on hand to sign books and talk about their work.


BroncoFest

FWAM holds an annual reunion for
Forward Air Controllers Forward air control is the provision of guidance to close air support (CAS) aircraft intended to ensure that their attack hits the intended target and does not injure friendly troops. This task is carried out by a forward air controller (FAC). ...
and Pilots who flew in the
OV-10 Bronco The North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco is an American twin- turboprop light attack and observation aircraft. It was developed in the 1960s as a special aircraft for counter-insurgency (COIN) combat, and one of its primary missions was as a for ...
.


See also

*
Vintage Flying Museum The Vintage Flying Museum is a non-profit aviation museum located at Meacham International Airport, Fort Worth, Texas. The primary mission of the museum is to preserve America's flying heritage in word, deed and action. History In October 2010, ...


References


External links

* {{authority control Aerospace museums in Texas Museums in Fort Worth, Texas Military and war museums in Texas