A Passion for Aviation

There’s a story behind every historic aircraft on display at Dover’s Air Mobility Command (AMC) Museum. Early in the morning of June 6, 1944, 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers boarded the Museum’s C-47 in Saltby, England, and flew over the English Channel — their destination was St. Mère-Église, France. Their mission was to liberate the town from the control of the Nazis. At 2:06 a.m. the D-Day paratroops met their destiny, jumping out of the C-47 under heavy fire from German artillery. 
 

According to a written excerpt from the crew chief of the plane, “All hell was breaking loose outside. Planes were blowing up in the air and the roar of exploding shells was deafening. The plane gave a lurch, then headed toward the ground at an angle as the pilot stuck the nose and the left wing toward the ground to get the utmost of flying speed. At first, I thought we had been hit and was all ready to jump out the door.” The plane and the crew survived D-Day and visitors to the AMC Museum can stand where the brave paratroopers waited anxiously for their orders to jump on that harrowing day. 
 

The C-47 was taken out of service by the Air Force in 1964 and in 1979 was discovered at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. The plane was saved, flown by helicopter to the Dover Air Force Base (AFB) in 1986, and then meticulously restored. The C-47’s incredible story is just one of many museum guests can learn about at Delaware’s largest tourist attraction. A total of 37 restored aircraft can be viewed inside the Museum’s massive hangar and outside on its pathway to aviation history. In addition, on the third Saturday of every month from April to October, they host an Open Cockpit Day so you can get a closer look at many of the aircraft.
 

The attraction is America’s sole museum dedicated to airlift, air refueling, aeromedical evacuation and executive support. Visitors can see the only C-5 Galaxy on display anywhere in the world. Those who lived or worked in the Dover area in the 1970s, ‘80s, and ‘90s likely remember the deafening noise the C-5s made as they took off and landed at the Dover AFB. The C-5 on display is also the only plane of its kind to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile midflight. Air Force Two, several helicopters, and the many other aircraft will also leave guests in awe. 
 

Co-op member Bill Welser is President of the Museum’s Foundation, which is responsible for raising money to support the Museum's mission. The retired 3-star general served as the wing commander at the Dover AFB from 1992 to 1994 and says the Museum, which opened in 1986, wasn’t always in the pristine condition you’ll find it in today. “In the old buildings on base, when it rained outside, it rained in the Museum for three days and there just were not funds to renovate those buildings”.
 

At the same time, in an effort to clean up base facilities, a request to tear down the current hangar was turned down by the State Historical Preservation Office since it was the only remaining WWII hangar in the First State. “The doors were on the floor, holes were in the ceiling, and there were rats the size of cats,” he said. 
 

Welser and his staff proposed a renovation and the move of the Museum to the current location.  In the mid-1990s, the Museum relocated after the hangar was renovated.  After the 911 tragedy, the base fence line was moved to allow for a Museum entrance off base so all visitors can access the Museum without a pass, and it is free to the public.
 

Over the years, staff and countless volunteers have transformed the attraction into one of the nation’s preeminent aviation museums. “The strength and purpose of this museum is to teach about the 80 years of air mobility history,” says Deputy Museum Director Eric Czerwinski. “Being a natural born airplane nut, I’m blessed to have the opportunity to contribute to the preservation of the aircraft because once they are gone, they’re gone. A lot of people don’t realize that some of these aircraft are among the very last ones in existence.”
 

Each year, 140,000 people visit the museum, many from other countries. Aside from viewing the dozens of planes on display, visitors can test out their flying skills in a new flight simulator and catch a bird’s-eye view of the Museum’s aircraft and the flight line at the Dover AFB from the air traffic control tower. The tower was used by the Base from 1956 through 2009. Visiting this unique destination is an experience that wouldn’t be possible without the Museum and Foundation staffs, and a dedicated team of 88 volunteers who play a vital role in restoring and maintaining aircraft. 
 

“I think one of the most impressive things about our museum is our volunteers who are passionate about telling our story. In addition, each plane has a crew chief that makes sure they stay in good shape and have proper maintenance. We could not open the doors without our volunteers.” says Welser. The Museum is always in need of new volunteers, and you don’t need to be a retired military member or aviation mechanic to make a difference at the facility. “You don’t need to know anything about airplanes to work and restore them. We have folks out there who had never worked on an airplane before,” says Co-op member Jeff Brown, who serves as Secretary of the Foundation’s Board and Editor of the “Hangar Digest” publication. 
 

Volunteers play a particularly important role in restoring aircraft once they arrive at the Museum, often in disrepair. The process to restore the planes can be painstaking, and those working in the restoration hangar take a lot of pride in preserving important pieces of American history. “The precision by which they work, and the experience and knowledge they have of what it’s going to take to make that airplane function as a display plane is incredible. They can turn a rust-bucket into something that looks like it just came out of the factory,” says Welser. 
 

The excitement of staff and volunteers at the AMC Museum extends beyond ensuring visitors leave the site with a sense of awe and curiosity about the history of aviation. 

The Museum is proud to announce plans for a massive expansion that will bring a new hangar and an education and conference center to the site. This will allow the Museum to expand their display space and current summer aviation camp to include launching aviation education programs aimed at high school and college students. The project is entering the design phase, and the Foundation is seeking donations to help fund the expansion. According to Welser, “We’re relying on our Delaware neighbors to be part of the transition since the Museum doesn’t belong to us, it belongs to the people of Delaware, come be part of Our Legacy!” 
 

While the AMC Museum team is focused on the future, they say they’ll continue to pursue their passion of offering visitors an extraordinary experience at a world-class museum in the heart of Delaware. According to Czerwinski, “To be able to preserve this history for future generations is something we couldn’t be more excited about.”