In support of an official event 

The Museum will be closed Sunday, May 25
In addition, the Fourth Hangar will be closed Saturday, May 24

Access to the Presidential Gallery will be limited from May 15 to June 5
 

National Museum of the United States Air Force
National Museum of the United States Air Force
Presidential aircraft at National Museum of the United States Air Force

About the Museum

Welcome to the official website of the National Museum of the United States Air Force -- the oldest and largest military aviation museum in the world -- located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, near Dayton, Ohio. This site is provided as a public service by the National Museum of the United States Air Force, Public Affairs Division.

Use the top navigation bar to find information about planning your visit as well as events and activities taking place at the museum.

Meet the Director

Learn about museum divisions. 

Museum Mission

The National Museum of the United States Air Force collects, researches, conserves, interprets and presents the Air Force’s history, heritage, and traditions, as well as today’s mission to fly, fight, win … air power anytime, anywhere to a global audience through engaging exhibits, educational outreach, special programs, and the stewardship of the national historical collection. With our educational outreach, we motivate, educate, and inspire youth interest in the United States Air Force (USAF) and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The statutory duties delegated by the Secretary of the Air Force (SECAF) are accomplished on behalf of the American People.

We are the keepers of their stories™

Playlist:
Video by NMUSAF PA
Museum Audio Tour 8a: Air Power Gallery: WASP
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
Dec. 31, 1969 | 1:18
As early as 1930, the War Department considered using women pilots, but the Chief of the U.S. Army Air Corps called the idea "utterly unfeasible," stating that women were too "high strung." Nothing was done until after the American entry into World War Two. Facing the need for male combat pilots, the situation by mid-1942 favored the use of experienced women pilots to fly U.S. Army Air Forces aircraft within the United States. Two women's aviator units were formed to ease this need, and more than 1,000 women participated in these programs as civilians attached to the Army Air Forces. In August 1943, they were merged into a single group, the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASP program, and broke ground for all U.S. Air Force female pilots who would follow in their footsteps. As you walk by the AT-10, notice the mannequin representing a female pilot and learn more about the WASP uniforms in the Women Airforce Service Pilots exhibit. You may also read more about women pilots in World War Two by visiting the links in the Resources section of this podcast or listening to audio recordings of guest lectures in the Carney Auditorium portion of the pod map.
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heritagetourmuseumaircrafthistoryWWIIWomenWaspWorld War IIpilotsaviationairplanes
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Up Next

Museum Lecture Series 30: America's Women Military Aviators: From WASP, to Thunderbirds, to the future
56:17
Museum Lecture Series 30: America's Women Military Aviators: From WASP, to Thunderbirds, to the future
Now Playing
Museum Audio Tour 8a: Air Power Gallery: WASP
Museum Audio Tour 8a: Air Power Gallery: WASP
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Contact Us

National Museum of the
United States Air Force
1100 Spaatz Street
Wright-Patterson AFB OH 45433
(937) 255-3286

Plan Your Visit

Air Force Mission

The mission of the United States Air Force is to fly, fight and win ... airpower anytime, anywhere.

To achieve that mission, the Air Force has a vision:

With a Total Force of more than 689,000 personnel, Airmen work to support all aspects of airpower, which includes five core missions: air superiority; global strike; rapid global mobility; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and command and control. Airpower also requires people and resources dedicated to unit readiness, base infrastructure and talent management.