USAF Established

An Independent Air Force On July 26, 1947, President Harry S. Truman used this pen to sign the National Security Act of 1947 while aboard the Douglas VC-54C Sacred Cow, the first dedicated presidential aircraft. This act officially established the United States Air Force as a separate and co-equal branch of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S.

U.S. Army School of Military Aeronautics at The Ohio State University

Note: This item is currently in storage.As World War I continued throughout Europe, it quickly became apparent that there was a shortage of trained pilots in the United States. The War Department and the U.S. Army formed the Aviation Cadet Training Program, and commissioned six universities across the country to open aviation schools. The Ohio

U.S. Model Bugatti

Note: This item is currently in storage.The U.S. Model Bugatti is a 16-cylinder engine of approximately 410 hp, built in 1918 by the Duesenberg Motors Corp. of Elizabeth, N.J. The engine had been redesigned for American production by Mr. Charles Brady King, thus becoming known as the King-Bugatti engine. For the amount of power it produced, the

U.S. Technology Representative Civilian Olive Drab Garrison Cap

Note: This item is currently in storage.This garrison cap belonged to the donor's father, Wentworth D. Fling, who served as a civilian technology representative working for Fairchild Camera and Instrument Co. in early 1944, developing and training B-24 gunners in the use of the Fairchild K-8 electronic gunsight.Donated by Mr. Rodger Fling.Click

Unarmed Tanker in Combat Search and Rescue

On April 7, 2003, an unarmed KC-135 Stratotanker's crew put themselves in harm's way to help the crew of a downed F-15E. The KC-135 crew flew into hostile airspace north of Baghdad, Iraq, to refuel aircraft involved in the rescue, some of which were critically low on fuel. All four crewmembers, from the 22nd Air Refueling Wing, received the

USAF Humanitarian Efforts in Bosnia-Herzegovina

"Throughout this bloody conflict, Sarajevo remained a symbolic reminder of UN resolve to achieve peace in the region thanks to the efforts of professional flight crews and ground crews of the U.S. Air Force." - Gen. Ronald R. Fogleman, Chief of Staff, USAF, March 1996 As communism collapsed and the Cold War ended, the Germans tore down the Berlin

U-2 Aircraft Carrier Tail Hook and "Q-tip"

Aircraft Carrier Tail HookIn the 1960s, U-2s could not reach certain remote targets because political difficulties prevented basing the aircraft in some foreign nations. The CIA and U.S. Navy, therefore, studied the idea of launching U-2s from aircraft carriers.Project Whale Tale fitted a few U-2s with arresting hooks like the one on display here.

U-2 Pilot's Party Suit

This "party suit" was not worn on missions, but instead was a strictly recreational outfit. It belonged to U-2 pilot Capt. Frank "Fuzzy" Furr, who wore it during the Southeast Asia War while deployed at U-Tapao, Thailand, in the early 1970s. Many pilots had customized party suits, and wore them for fun at unofficial gatherings. Party suits were

U-2s Around the World in the Cold War

The U-2 flew from bases around the world during the Cold War, including West Germany, England, France, Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, Panama, Pakistan, South Vietnam, the Philippines, Japan, Thailand and South Korea. The USAF called its U-2 operators "Air Weather Squadrons," while the CIA called the same units "detachments." Both the USAF and the CIA flew

U-2 Mission

The Air Force jointly managed U-2 development, testing and missions with the CIA from the start. Pilots for overflights of the USSR, though, were civilians working for the CIA. President Dwight D. Eisenhower believed sending military pilots over the USSR would be perceived as an act of war, so USAF Reserve fighter pilots voluntarily quit the