On Saturday, April 2, 2022, Planes of Fame Air Museum is once again combining our Hangar Talk event with our Flying Demo to present a special event. The Museum will be featuring the Grumman-General Motors TBM-3E "Avenger" torpedo bomber.

Hangar Talk Presentation:

1. Hangar Talk will feature a number of engaging topics at our April event.:

• Remembering the Doolittle Raid - 80 Years Later: This month marks the 80th anniversary of the top-secret Doolittle Raid when then Army Air Force Colonel Jimmy Doolittle led a band of volunteer pilots and crew on a secret bombing mission to attack targets in Japan.  This was just four months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and America's entry into World War II.  This dangerous and remarkable mission proved to be an incredible morale boost for America in the early months of the war.  We're fortunate to have with us General Doolittle's granddaughter and acclaimed author, Jonna Doolittle Hoppes, joining us to talk about her grandfather and this important mission from 1942.
• The USO and Bob Hope - a Lasting Legacy: Mike Smith will talk about the unique relationship between the United Service Organizations (USO) and entertainer Bob Hope.  From World War II up until the Gulf War, Hope entertained millions of service men and women.  Mike will take us on a trip back in time to explore the role that Hope played.  There will be some fun and laughs along the way.
• Air Mail by Rocket: In the 1920s, rocket technology was in its infancy.  One of the early ideas of how to put it to work was to use rockets to deliver airmail.  In this month's TEDTalk, we'll take a look at these efforts and how they led to a number of innovations in the years that followed.  What all of this points to is the importance inspiration plays in advancing technology and society.
• The General Motors TBM "Avenger" and the Mark 13 Torpedo: In honor of the Flying Demo of the Museum's TBM-3E "Avenger," we'll take a look at that aircraft and one of its primary weapons - the Mark 13 aerial torpedo.  The aircraft and the torpedo were key weapons in both the Atlantic campaigns and the Pacific Theater and we'll take a close look at the workings of both.

2. Museum doors will open at 9:00am.

3. Hangar Talk begins at 10:30am and lasts until 12:00pm

4. Flying Demo begins at 12:15pm with brief talk, engine start, and 20-minute flight over the Museum, followed by a Question and Answer period with the pilot Scott Turner.

5. Living Historian "re-enactors" and Museum Guides will be on hand, as well as access to the B-17 "Flying Fortress", activities for younger visitors, Mexican food and assorted desserts available for all.

6. Regular Admission rates are in effect and Museum Members always get in free.  The Museum is open until 4:00pm.