Hiller Aviation Museum
The Hiller Aviation Museum is an aviation museum located at the San Carlos Airport in San Carlos, California, focused on Northern California aviation history, Hiller Aircraft and helicopter history.
History
Background
As early as the late 1960s, Stanley Hiller began collecting aircraft at a warehouse in Redwood City, California.<ref name="Larsen">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="History">Template:Cite web</ref> By 1986, it displayed 15 aircraft and set a goal of a acquiring a total of 28 of Hiller's designs.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Eight years later it had surpassed this and the Hiller Museum of Northern California Aviation Heritage included over 40 aircraft.<ref name="Mitchell">Template:Cite news</ref>
Move to San Carlos
However, public access was limited.<ref name="History" /> So, funded by a trust established by Hiller, the museum announced a proposal to acquire a Template:Convert building at the San Carlos Airport and expand it to Template:Convert facility.<ref name="Mitchell" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A lease for the property was approved in March 1996 and ground was broken in October.<ref name="Clifford">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Larsen" /> The Template:Convert Hiller Aviation Museum opened on 5 June 1998.<ref name="Clifford" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
The Boeing 2707 mockup, which had been on display at the museum since it opened, moved back to Seattle in 2013 where it is undergoing restoration at the Museum of Flight.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Facilities
The Michael King Smith Research Library at the museum has a collection of approximately 5,400 books.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Exhibits
Exhibits at the museum include flight simulators, a retired British Airways 747 to explore, and an indoor drone plex. There are also displays about early aviation, California pioneers, air racing, women in aviation, the mechanics of flight, urban air mobility and weather.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
One of the museum's most popular attractions is the forward fuselage and flight deck of a retired British Airways Boeing 747-100, painted in Flying Tigers colors, open for public access via staircase.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Collection
Aircraft
- Aero Commander 500U<ref name="aircraft">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Aero L-39 Albatros<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Airbus Vahana<ref name="aircraft" />
- Arnold AR-5<ref name="aircraft" />
- Beachey Little Looper – replica<ref name="aircraft" />
- Bede BD-5T<ref name="aircraft" />
- Bell 47D<ref name="aircraft" />
- Boeing 737-200 – cockpit<ref name="aircraft" />
- Boeing 747 – forward fuselage<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Boeing Condor<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Bright Star Swift<ref name="aircraft" />
- Buhl A-1 Autogiro<ref name="aircraft" />
- Cessna 177 Cardinal<ref name="aircraft" />
- Colomban Cri-cri<ref name="aircraft" />
- Curtiss Model D – replica<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Del Mar DH-20<ref name="aircraft" />
- EAA Penguin<ref name="aircraft" />
- Fairchild Hiller FH-1100<ref name="aircraft" />
- Fokker Dr.I – replica<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- General Atomics MQ-1 Predator<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Grumman HU-16(RD) Albatross<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Hiller 360<ref name="aircraft" />
- Hiller Flying Platform<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Hiller VXT-8 – replica<ref name="aircraft" />
- Hiller J-10<ref name="aircraft" />
- Hiller OH-23B Raven<ref name="aircraft" />
- Hiller UH-12A
- Hiller XH-44 – replica<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Hiller XROE-1 Rotorcycle<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Hiller YH-32 Hornet<ref name="aircraft" />
- Hiller YH-32 Hornet<ref name="aircraft" />
- Hollmann HA-2M Sportster<ref name="aircraft" />
- Irvine Aerocycloid – replica<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Kitty Hawk Flyer<ref name="aircraft" />
- Lockheed YO-3 Quiet Star<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Maupin-Lanteri Black Diamond<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Marriott Avitor – replica<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Montgomery Evergreen
- Montgomery Gull – replica<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Montgomery Santa Clara – replica<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- NASA AD-1<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Opener BlackFly<ref name="aircraft" />
- ParaPlane PM-1<ref name="aircraft" />
- Pietenpol Air Camper<ref name="aircraft" />
- Pitts S-1C<ref name="aircraft" />
- Quicksilver MX<ref name="aircraft" />
- RotorWay Scorpion<ref name="aircraft" />
- Rutan Defiant<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Rutan Long-EZ<ref name="aircraft" />
- SoloTrek XFV<ref name="aircraft" />
- SpaceShipOne – replica<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Stearman-Hammond Y-1<ref name="aircraft" />
- Thaden T-1 Argonaut – fuselage<ref name="aircraft" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Travel Air D4D<ref name="aircraft" />
- United Helicopters UH-4<ref name="aircraft" />
- Velie Monocoupe Model 70<ref name="aircraft" />
- Vin Fiz Flyer – replica<ref name="aircraft" />
- Wisk Cora Gen5<ref name="aircraft" />
- Wright Flyer – replica<ref name="aircraft" />
Ground vehicles
- Baker electric automobile<ref name="aircraft" />
- Messerschmitt KR200<ref name="aircraft" />
Simulators
- Curtiss Wright P-2<ref name="aircraft" />
- Del Mar DHT-2<ref name="aircraft" />
- Link Trainer<ref name="aircraft" />
- McDonnell Douglas A-4M Skyhawk cockpit simulator<ref name="aircraft" />
Events
The museum hosts the Biggest Little Air Show, an annual airshow consisting of radio-control model aircraft ending with a piloted aerobatic demonstration.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It also holds an annual Airport Runway Run.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
This museum sponsored Vertical Challenge, an annual all-helicopter airshow from 2000-2010, and a final one in 2012.Template:Citation needed In 2011 and 2016 an aviation festival event called Heli-Fest was held instead.Template:Citation needed
Programs
This museum offers two Scouts BSA Merit Badge programs, the Aviation Merit Badge and the Weather Merit Badge.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
See also
References
Notes
Bibliography
External links
Template:Fairchild Industries Template:San Carlos, California