Yankee Air Museum Hangar Destroyed, Some Warbirds Saved

The good news is that the Yankee Air Museum's B-17G, B-25D and C-47 -- its most prized possessions -- were saved from a fire that raced through the organizations hanger near Ypsilanti (MI). The bad news: the hangar and the aircraft that were in it, were totally destroyed.

Smoke from the fire could reportedly be seen from 10 miles away, as evidenced by ANN news spies who were lightning-quick in getting to us details of the tragedy. Seven different fire departments responded to the Saturday night fire, but could do little more than watch the hangar burn, according to authorities on the scene at the Willow Run Airport.

Lost in the blaze were an OV-10 which was just days from coming out of the restoration process; an L-60 Lodestar; a CG-4 troop transport glider; an HM-293 "Flying Flea;" a homebuilt biplane and a Benson gyroplane. Also lost to the fire was an F-105 which, at one time, flew with the USAF Thunderbirds.

Some 20 other aircraft on static ramp display were untouched by the flames and smoke. But the museum's hangar displays, featuring uniforms and photographs, as well as its library, were burned to the ground.

"Oh my God," gasped museum president Jon Stevens, who told the Ann Arbor Daily News that he got word of the fire while attending a social gathering.

His marketing director, Brian Higgins, was celebrating his birthday when he got the call. "I've aged a little bit more tonight," he told the Daily News after rushing to the Willow Grove Airport. "The reaction of the (museum) members out here is that we're sad but we'll come back, better than ever."

The Heroes

Stevens said the fire was discovered by a B-25 crew returning from a tour of the autumn foliage. He said they smelled smoke and very quickly got the B-17G, B-25D and C-47 out of the hangar before it was engulfed in flames.

"God bless the people who helped get those air crafts out," said Higgins. "They are heroes."

The hangar was built by Henry Ford in 1941 to produce B-24 Liberators. It was taken over by the museum in 1981. The 50,000 square-foot facility was to be the subject of a $55 million fund drive for renovation and restoration.

"In some ways we'll start over, but starting over with a lot more than the original founders," Stevens told the Daily News. "I have too much sweat equity in that place, as do a lot of other good people. We'll figure a way to rebuild it."

(ANN is EXTREMELY grateful to the many news spies who provided us with details and, in some cases, running commentaries on the fire and its aftermath. You are the backbone of our publication and you have our sincere admiration for the way you've kept us up to date on this story. --ed.)

FMI: www.yankeeairmuseum.org