Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum

Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum
	Location in California
Established	1999 (at current location)
Location	4203 Anderson Avenue; Marine Corps Air Station Miramar; San Diego, California; United States
Coordinates	32°53′28″N 117°8′21″W
Type	Military aviation museum
Director	Christopher Van Stelle
Curator	Steve Smith[1]
Website	Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum and Historical Foundation

The Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum is a United States Marine Corps aviation museum currently located at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego, California. The museum contains exhibits and artifacts relating to the history and legacy of United States Marine Corps Aviation. The outdoor exhibits include 31 historical aircraft, multiple military vehicles and equipment. Indoor exhibits feature photographs, artifacts and artwork from the early days of aviation to the present.[2]

Overview

The Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum has the largest collection of historical aircraft flown by U.S. Marine Corps aviators in the world. Currently on display in an outdoor setting are 31 aircraft from World War II to the present. Indoors there are 8 galleries displaying artwork, photographs, uniforms and artifacts from World War I to today.

The museum has a 27,000 square foot restoration hangar.[3]

In 2021, the USMC announced that it would be permanently closing the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum at its current location at MCAS Miramar.[4] Supporters of the museum are working to move the museum to a new location to prevent its permanent closure and dispersal of the artifacts and aircraft.[5][6]

The Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation has successfully started discussions with the City of Irvine about a possible relocation of the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum back to Orange County, CA.[7] The museum would be a centerpiece of the City's Cultural Terrace, located at Orange County Great Park, the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro.[8] MCAS El Toro was the original home of the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum. The Foundation has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the City of Irvine outlining responsibilities to move forward with the planning process.[9]

Collection

Aircraft on display

Beechcraft T-34B Mentor 140688[10]
Bell AH-1J Sea Cobra 157784[10]
Bell 214ST 28166[10]
Bell UH-1L Iroquois 157824[10]
Boeing Vertol CH-46E Sea Knight 154803[10][11]
Douglas A-4C Skyhawk 148492[10]
Douglas A-4F Skyhawk 154204[10]
Douglas A-4M Skyhawk II 160264[10]
Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk 158467[10]
Douglas F3D-2 Skyknight 124630[10]
Douglas F4D-1 Skyray 139177[10]
General Motors TBM-3E Avenger 53726[10]
Grumman A-6E Intruder 154170[10]
Grumman F9F-2 Panther 123652[10]
Grumman F9F-8P Cougar 141722[10]
Hawker Siddeley AV-8C Harrier 158387[10]
McDonnell F2H-2 Banshee 124988[10]
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet 161749[10]
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet 163152[10]
McDonnell Douglas F-4S Phantom II 157246[10]
McDonnell Douglas RF-4B Phantom II 151981[10]
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 81072[10]
North American SNJ-5 Texan 90866[10]
Northrop F-5E Tiger II 741564[10]
Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler 161882[12]
North American Rockwell OV-10D Bronco 155494[10]
Sikorsky CH-53A Sea Stallion 153304[10]
Sikorsky HRS-3 Chickasaw 130252[10]
Sikorsky HUS Seahorse 150219[10]
Vought F8U-2NE Crusader 150920[10]
Vought RF-8G Crusader 144617[10]

Other exhibits

AAI RQ-2B Pioneer – This aircraft is mounted to the M927 Truck on display.[10]
BMP-1 – This vehicle was captured from the Iraqi Army during Desert Storm.[10]
D-20 – This vehicle was captured from the Iraqi Army during Desert Storm.[10]
MT-LB – This vehicle was captured from the Iraqi Army during Desert Storm.[10]
Landing Signals Officer (LSO) Shack[10]
M1097 Avenger[10]
M927 Truck[10]

In storage

Bell HTL Sioux 64-15338[10]
Bell UH-1N Twin Huey 159198[10]
Stinson OY-1 Sentinel 42-14918[10][13]
Douglas A-4B Skyhawk 142879[10]
Douglas SBD-1 Dauntless 1612 – Under restoration[10][14]
Ford M151A2
Kaman HOK-1 Huskie 139990[10]
Lockheed TO-1 33840[10]
North American PBJ-1J Mitchell 44-86727 – Under restoration[10]
Piasecki HUP-2 Retriever 128596 – Under restoration[10]
Vought RF-8G Crusader 146858[10]
General Motors FM-2 Wildcat 16278[10]

MCAS Miramar Post Exchange

The following items, being located away from the museum complex, are available only to visitors who have access to the post exchange.

Photo gallery

Notes

"Board Of Directors". Flying Leathernecks. Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
"About The Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum". Flying Leathernecks. Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
Luke, Steven (31 August 2012). "Stepping Inside the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum". NBC 7 San Diego. NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
Saunders, Mark (23 February 2021). "MCAS Miramar Flying Leatherneck Museum to close permanently". 10 News San Diego. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
Dyer, Andrew (2021-03-18). "Backers fight to save Marines' Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum ahead of April 1 closure". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
"Marine Corps air museum could be coming to Irvine's Great Park". Orange County Register. 2021-06-21. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
"Flying Leathernecks Aviation Museum". City of Irvine. 2021-06-14. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
"Planning & Future Development". City of Irvine. 2019-06-03. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
Podcast, The Inside Loop-. "The Inside Loop - Podcast - Looking To the Future". Google Podcasts. Retrieved 2021-09-29.
"Aircraft Listing" (PDF). Flying Leathernecks. Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation. October 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
""Lady Ace 09" unveiled at aviation museum". Marines. 30 April 2010. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
"EA-6B Prowlers on Display". VAQ136.com. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
Gray, James (Summer 2014). "L-5 Newsletter" (PDF). Sentinel Owners & Pilots Association. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
Wilkens, John (13 August 2017). "Three Americans, one plane: Seeking closure for a WWII disappearance". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 21 August 2017.

External links

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[BoD-1] "Board Of Directors". Flying Leathernecks. Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation. Retrieved 21 August 2017.

[Museum-2] "About The Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum". Flying Leathernecks. Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation. Retrieved 14 April 2018.

[3] Luke, Steven (31 August 2012). "Stepping Inside the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum". NBC 7 San Diego. NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Retrieved 21 August 2017.

[4] Saunders, Mark (23 February 2021). "MCAS Miramar Flying Leatherneck Museum to close permanently". 10 News San Diego. Retrieved 24 February 2021.

[5] Dyer, Andrew (2021-03-18). "Backers fight to save Marines' Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum ahead of April 1 closure". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 2021-04-18.

[6] "Marine Corps air museum could be coming to Irvine's Great Park". Orange County Register. 2021-06-21. Retrieved 2021-09-29.

[7] "Flying Leathernecks Aviation Museum". City of Irvine. 2021-06-14. Retrieved 2021-09-29.

[8] "Planning & Future Development". City of Irvine. 2019-06-03. Retrieved 2021-09-29.

[9] Podcast, The Inside Loop-. "The Inside Loop - Podcast - Looking To the Future". Google Podcasts. Retrieved 2021-09-29.

[aircraftlisting-10] "Aircraft Listing" (PDF). Flying Leathernecks. Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation. October 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2017.

[11] ""Lady Ace 09" unveiled at aviation museum". Marines. 30 April 2010. Retrieved 11 August 2017.

[12] "EA-6B Prowlers on Display". VAQ136.com. Retrieved 11 August 2017.

[13] Gray, James (Summer 2014). "L-5 Newsletter" (PDF). Sentinel Owners & Pilots Association. Retrieved 11 August 2017.

[14] Wilkens, John (13 August 2017). "Three Americans, one plane: Seeking closure for a WWII disappearance". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 21 August 2017.