Warbird Enthusiasts Unite In Wake Of Tragic Fire

EAA officials have offered the organization's assistance to the Yankee Air Museum near Ypsilanti (MI) after a fast-moving fire destroyed the museum and most of its collection on Saturday evening.

Although the museum structure, constructed in 1941, and several airplanes were destroyed, fortunately three prize airworthy aircraft -- a B-17, B-25 and C-47 -- were taken out of the main hangar before they could be damaged.

EAA AirVenture Museum director Adam Smith spoke with Yankee Air Force museum director Jon Stevens, immediately offering the museum leadership any support that EAA could provide.

"This is, of course, devastating news to all of us involved in aviation preservation," Smith said. "The Yankee Air Force group has been a staunch supporter of EAA and Warbirds of America activities in support of our mission to preserve aviation's heritage. We sympathize with their loss, which is also a loss for all aviation enthusiasts, and will provide what assistance we can."

The Yankee Air Force had brought all three of those airworthy aircraft to the EAA AirVenture fly-in at various times over the past several years.

Fortunately, no one was injured in Saturday's blaze that, according to the Ann Arbor (Mich.) News, could be seen from as far as 10 miles away. The three airplanes that were saved were moved away from the hangar by a B-25 flight crew, which had just returned from a flight with that restored aircraft.

Sadly, the museum's building, library and archives, and maintenance facility were lost in the blaze. The museum was founded in 1981 and according to news reports, was in the midst of a $5.5 million capital campaign to construct about a dozen buildings. Stevens has said that the museum will be rebuilt.

FMI: www.yankeeairmuseum.org