Flying Leathernecks Museum MCAS Miramar

[canberraman]

The recent announcement that the Flying Leathernecks Museum is to permanently close at the end of March this year is very disappointing indeed. I was lucky enough to visit Miramar MCAS back in 2016 and the Museum collection was a must so I thought I would share some of my images before the museum is gone for good. 

 

The details of the closure are as follows: 

 

The Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum at Miramar in San Diego – will close permanently on March 28. Miramar Commander Charles Dockery made the decision in order to save the $400,000 it costs to run the aviation museum per year.
Commanding Officer at MCAS Miramar, Colonel Charles Dockery sat down with News 8 and said the museum will close due to budgetary constraints. Colonel Dockery said, “We are making the decision to close the museum on March 28. This was a National Defense decision when you boil everything down.” The colonel said MCAS Miramar pays over $400,000 a year to the salaries and operations of the museum. That money is being reallocated to higher priority missions, like firefighting and rescue. He added that since 2003, the station and foundation have explored many different ways to find viable long-term funding to remain open to no avail. They are currently working with several aviation and military museums to find homes for the artifacts so people can continue to enjoy them. — News8
The museum opened in 1989 at MCAS El Toro with the expressed purpose of preserving the history of Marine Corps Aviation. A base “realignment” closed El Toro, so the Marine Corps moved the museum to a 27,000-sq-ft facility at Miramar. They maintained and preserved vintage aircraft with their team of workers.

 

Restoration of vintage aircraft was part of the mission of the museum. Restoring aircraft is neither cheap nor easy, but restoration of the aircraft is not the only thing that the Flying Leathernecks had at the museum: special speakers delivered historical facts to the listeners and they even held a “picnic with a pilot” day. Their “open cockpit” day was a hit for anyone, particularly children, who wanted to actually sit inside one of the demo planes. They had a Military Working Dog exhibit and event. The museum contained 31 displays of aircraft that often rotated from their 48 total planes to keep interest going – including “Lady Ace”, the helicopter that evacuated the U.S. Ambassador from the rooftop of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon on April 30, 1975.

 

From the history of Medal of Honor recipients to Marines in space, the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum was a treasure trove of information for all who entered. It even had a gift shop that will remain open on weekends until March 28. In one year alone, 28,000 people passed through its doors and yet they couldn’t get funding to stay open.

 

On with the show.

 

A-4M 160264 mkd 2960 Navy/Marines and with flags of all user nations

 

TA-4J 158467 TM/01

 

A-6E 154170 DT/5 in VMA(AW) 242 mks

 

EA-6B (161882)/04 ex VMAQ-3

 

CH-19E 130252 in HMR-161 mks

 

CH-46E 154803 YW/9 in HMM-165 mks

 

UH-34D 150219 YP/20 in HMM-163 mks

 

AH-1J 157784 WR/706 ex of HMA-775

 

F-5E (741564)/12 ex of VMFT-401

 

F/A-18A 161749/VW/201 ex of VMFA-314

 

AV-8C 158387 WF/4 in VMA-513 mks

 

RF-4B 151981 RF/06 of VMFP-3

 

F-4S 157246 MF/08 in VMFA-134 mks

 

OV-10D 155494 UU/20 VMO-2

 

F-6A  139177 VE/17 mkd VMF(AW) 115

 

F9F-8P 141722 TN/1 VMCJ-3

 

F-8J 150920 DR/00 VMF(AW) 312

 

F9F-2 123652 WL/10 VMF-311

 

F4U-5NL 122189 WF/15

 

T-34B 140688 Quantico

 

Thanks for looking. C&C always appreciated.

 

Mark

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Team Aer Lingus]

Sad news but a sign of the times we now live in. What a fantastic set of photos Mark  looks like a great collection of airframes on view there.

 

thanks for sharing

 

Eamonn

[spruecutter96]

Sad to hear that a great, worthwhile museum is closing down. Unfortunately, it won't be the last in these very troubling times. I hope that the museum's staff can all find work. 

 

Chris.  

[72modeler]

Mark,

 

Thanks so  much for sharing your photos! So sad that the museum is closing. I would  rather have  some of the the insane amount of 'bail out' money being thrown around by our legislative and executive branches might be  directed towards preserving the proud heritage of USMC aviation, aviators, and maintainers. (Sorry about the brief political rant!) I hope the collection can find good homes; the NMNA at Pensacola, the Military Helicopter Museum at Ft. Rucker , and the NASM would be good possibilities.

Mike

Edited March 6, 2021 by 72modeler
added text

[Alpha Delta 210]

Such sad news, but thanks for sharing your images of the incredible collection of air frames.

[canberraman]

Leigh and all,

 

Many thanks for the likes and comments. It is indeed tragic that this excellent collection is to be broken up and a single resting place for much of the USMC history of aviation dispersed to the four winds.  Glad I went when I did

 

Mark 

[F-32]

Awesome shots, I went there back in 2011 but most of the air frames were on base for the air show, so great to see them all!

[Red Dot]

I remember visiting when it was at El Toro. Hopefully, the aircraft will all be saved and sent to other museums

 

Andy