The Alaska Aviation Museum , previously the Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum , is located on Lake Hood Seaplane Base in Anchorage, Alaska . Its mission since 1988, is to preserve, display, and honor Alaska's aviation heritage, by preserving and displaying historic aircraft, artifacts, and memorabilia, and to foster public interest in aviation and its history. The museum has over thirty aircraft on display, a restoration hangar, flight simulators, two theaters, and a Hall of Fame. It provides an emphasis on historic aircraft , aviation artifacts, and memorabilia that contributed to the development and progress of aviation in Alaska , including Bush flying , and the World War II Army base on Adak Island .
6-677: The museum is made up of the Main, Rasmuson, South, and Restoration Hangars; as well as a shelter. Also on display is the air traffic control tower cab used at Merrill Field from 1962 to 2002. The Alaskan Historical Aircraft Society was founded in 1977 and the museum opened to the public in 1988. The museum restored its Grumman Goose to flight in May 2024. 61°10′40″N 149°58′16″W / 61.17778°N 149.97111°W / 61.17778; -149.97111 Merrill Field Merrill Field ( IATA : MRI , ICAO : PAMR , FAA LID : MRI )
12-465: Is a public-use general aviation airport located one mile (1.6 km) east of downtown Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska . The airport is owned by Municipality of Anchorage. It opened in 1930 as Anchorage Aviation Field and was renamed in honor of Alaska aviation pioneer Russel Merrill . Merrill Field, located on the east end of 5th Avenue in Anchorage, was the first official airport in
18-568: Is used as a training aid by the University of Alaska Anchorage's Aviation Technology Division, which is based at the airfield. It is not airworthy . When it landed in February 2013, the Boeing 727 was the largest aircraft ever to have landed at Merrill Field. The landing required special permission from the city, and preparatory surveys of the runway and airfield infrastructure to ensure
24-439: The city when it opened in 1930. It was Anchorage's only airport until 1951, when Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport opened, along with the introduction of ever larger and faster commercial aircraft required that an airfield with longer and heavier runways be built. Construction of the original 35-acre (14 ha) site one mile east of the city was completed on 22 Aug. 1929. Originally named Anchorage Aviation Field , it
30-466: The property used to be a municipal landfill. Merrill Field covers 436 acres (176 ha , 1.76 km ) and has three runways : For the 12-month period ending September 30, 2013, the airport had 126,234 aircraft operations, all of which were general aviation . There are 844 aircraft based at this airport: 786 single engine, 41 multi-engine, 16 helicopters and one glider . There are no based jets, although one retired Boeing 727 donated by FedEx
36-459: Was later renamed Anchorage Municipal Airport . The airport is now named for Russel Merrill , an Alaskan aviation pioneer. An aerodrome beacon was located at Merrill Field and dedicated on 25 September 1932 in Merrill's honor. The airfield remains in use today as the primary field for private wheel-equipped aircraft in the warmer months, and for ski-equipped aircraft in the winter. A section of
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