The Chico Air Museum is a
nonprofit[1] aviation museum located at the
Chico Municipal Airport in
Chico, California. Its mission statement is to "collect, preserve, document and display aircraft, and aviation and space artifacts. The museum’s primary purpose is to educate and inspire people of all ages about aviation and the history of flight".[2]
Exhibits
The museum has a number of aircraft, artifacts and exhibits on display in a
WW II era hangar[3][4] that was originally part of the
Chico Army Airfield (and once owned and operated by
Aero Union[5]). There is also an outside static display area, a large collection of
scale models, and an extensive aviation research library. The museum's hangar is located next to the Chico Air Attack Base (CAAB).[6] During fire season, visitors can watch air operations of multiple types of
air tankers that use this base to re-load and re-fuel.
Airman Docent Program
In 2016, the museum launched the Airman Docent Program, which allows children under the age of 18 to volunteer as
museum docents[7]
Improvements
In addition to aircraft restoration, the museum is currently working on a space exhibit and is planning to improve the entrance to the hangar,[8] including a "walk of honor".
Aircraft on display
Below is a partial list of aircraft the museum has on display, as of September 2018.