Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum Explained

Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum
Logo Upright:1.2
Image Upright:1.2
Map Type:USA New Jersey Cape May County
Coordinates:39.0051°N -74.9097°W
Established:[1]
Location:Lower Township, New Jersey
Type:Aviation museum
Collection Size:20+ aircraft[2]
Founder:Dr. Joseph Salvatore
Chairperson:Dr. Joseph Salvatore

The Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum is an aviation museum located at the Cape May Airport in Lower Township, in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States.

History

The Cape May Airport, which hosts the museum, was originally constructed by the U.S. Navy from 1941 to 1942. Commissioned in April 1943 as Naval Air Station Rio Grande, the field was so named due to its proximity to the community of Rio Grande, New Jersey. Due to problems with mail, telegram, and telephone service, caused in part by confusion with Rio Grande City, Texas, the Navy opted to rename the airfield as Naval Air Station Wildwood in June 1943.[3]

In the mid-1990s, Dr. Joseph Salvatore purchased Hangar #1, which was then dilapidated.[4]

The museum is located in the airport's Hangar #1, which is typical of the design of many U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps aircraft hangars of the 1940s, many of which are still in use today at both active Naval Air Stations, Marine Corps Air Stations and Coast Guard Air Stations across the United States, as well as other civilian airports that formerly served as air stations. The museum's hangar is currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[5]

The museum's aircraft collection focuses on World War II, when the U.S. Navy conducted training operations at the site, but also includes more recent vintage military aircraft from the Cold War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the post-Cold War period.

The museum suffered damage from Hurricane Sandy in 2012.[6]

A Humvee that the United States Coast Guard used in Afghanistan was placed on loan to the museum in 2014.[7]

In 2022, an R-2800 WWII aircraft engine recovered from the ocean was donated to the museum.[8] Later that same year, the museum had a new roof installed.[9] The museum temporarily closed in October 2023 to complete the second phase of roof repairs.[10]

Aircraft on display

The museum's collection includes:

Events

The museum holds an annual AirFest airshow.[33] [34]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: NAS Wildwood History . NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum . 7 March 2023.
  2. Web site: The Collection . NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum . 7 March 2023.
  3. Web site: History of U. S. Naval Air Station Wildwood, New Jersey . 5 May 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110807203948/http://usnasw.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/USNAS-History-Pt-1.pdf . 7 August 2011.
  4. News: Preservation New Jersey Lifetime Achievement Award Presented to Cape May County Couple . 5 May 2019 . Cape May County Herald . 17 October 2017.
  5. Web site: New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places – Cape May County. NJ DEP – Historic Preservation Office. 12. January 10, 2010. August 14, 2011. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110628182911/http://www.state.nj.us/dep/hpo/1identify/lists/cape_may.pdf. June 28, 2011.
  6. News: Chamberlin . Cain . Naval Air Station – Wildwood Museum damaged by Sandy . 5 May 2019 . Cape May Star and Wave . 5 December 2012.
  7. News: Degener . Richard . Wildwood aviation museum gets rare Humvee . 16 January 2023 . Press of Atlantic City . 8 March 2014.
  8. News: Frantz . Jillian . Cape May fisherman retrieves WWII-era aircraft engine from ocean . 16 January 2023 . Press of Atlantic City . 29 April 2022.
  9. News: Russo . John . Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum reopens after roof replacement . 16 January 2023 . Press of Atlantic City . 13 January 2023.
  10. News: Conklin . Eric . Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum closing for roof repairs . 4 October 2023 . Press of Atlantic City . 26 September 2023.
  11. Web site: HELICOPTERS . Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum . 6 May 2019.
  12. Web site: Airframe Dossier – Air and Space 18A, c/n 18-59, c/r N6169S . Aerial Visuals . AerialVisuals.ca . 6 May 2019.
  13. Web site: Airframe Dossier – Bell209 / AH-1 Cobra, s/n 67-15633 US Army . Aerial Visuals . AerialVisuals.ca . 6 May 2019.
  14. Web site: Airframe Dossier – Bell EH-1X Iroquois, s/n 69-15905 USAF, c/n 12193 . Aerial Visuals . AerialVisuals.ca . 6 May 2019.
  15. Web site: PROPELLER AIRCRAFT . Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum . 6 May 2019.
  16. Web site: Airframe Dossier – Stearman-Boeing N2S-3 Kaydet, s/n 38073 USN, c/n 75-7694, c/r N9844H . Aerial Visuals . AerialVisuals.ca . 6 May 2019.
  17. Web site: Airframe Dossier – Stearman-Boeing PT-17 Kaydet, s/n 40-1825 USAAF, c/n 75-0382, c/r N56Z . Aerial Visuals . AerialVisuals.ca . 6 May 2019.
  18. Web site: Airframe Dossier – Cessna O-1C Bird Dog, s/n 140090 . Aerial Visuals . AerialVisuals.ca . 6 May 2019.
  19. Web site: JET AIRCRAFT . Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum . 6 May 2019.
  20. Web site: Mozey . Len . A-4A SKYHAWK . Blue Angels Alumni . 6 May 2019.
  21. Web site: Airframe Details for F-16 #78-0088 . F-16.net . 6 May 2019.
  22. Web site: Airframe Dossier – Grumman F-14B Tomcat, s/n 161422 USN, c/n 432 . Aerial Visuals . AerialVisuals.ca . 6 May 2019.
  23. News: Fichter . Jack . F6F-3 Hellcat arrives at NASW . 5 May 2019 . Cape May Star and Wave . 1 May 2019.
  24. Web site: Airframe Dossier – Grumman-General Motors Avenger AS.3, s/n 86180 RCN, c/n 2999, c/r C-FMUD . Aerial Visuals . AerialVisuals.ca . 6 May 2019.
  25. Web site: Airframe Dossier – Hughes 369, s/n 67-16638 US . Aerial Visuals . AerialVisuals.ca . 6 May 2019.
  26. Web site: Airframe Dossier – Lockheed T-33A, s/n 10055 YAF, c/n 580-7032 . Aerial Visuals . AerialVisuals.ca . 6 May 2019.
  27. Web site: Airframe Dossier – Lockheed T-33A, s/n 10056 YAF, c/n 580-6816 . Aerial Visuals . AerialVisuals.ca . 6 May 2019.
  28. Web site: Airframe Dossier – Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-15 Fagot (NATO), s/n 1961 PLAN, c/r N51MG . Aerial Visuals . AerialVisuals.ca . 6 May 2019.
  29. Web site: Airframe Dossier – North American T-28 Trojan, s/n 140557 USN, c/n 226-134 . Aerial Visuals . AerialVisuals.ca . 6 May 2019.
  30. Web site: Airframe Dossier – Northrop F-5E Tiger II, s/n 741572 USN, c/n R.1270 . Aerial Visuals . AerialVisuals.ca . 6 May 2019.
  31. Web site: Airframe Dossier – Sikorsky HH-52A Seaguard, s/n 1462 . Aerial Visuals . AerialVisuals.ca . 6 May 2019.
  32. Web site: Airframe Dossier – Vultee BT-13 Valiant, s/n 42-88708 USAAF, c/n 10547, c/r N40018 . Aerial Visuals . AerialVisuals.ca . 6 May 2019.
  33. News: Travel Back in Time to Aviation Museum’s AirFest - Ferry Partners with NASW on AirFest Package . 2 January 2024 . Cape Gazette . 29 August 2013.
  34. Web site: AirFest 2023 . NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum . 2 January 2024.

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