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The Newsletter of The New England Air Museum Vol. 51, No. 3 Spring 2020 Education Begins Early at NEAM Director of Education Amanda Goodheart Parks, Ph.D., leads a preschool program during a recent field trip to the museum. A Message from NEAM’s Board Chair I am deeply inspired by the sense of community I have Our staff continues to work tirelessly, taking care of our witnessed as we collectively address and contend with the facility and aircraft, planning future events, developing challenges of a serious pandemic. NEAM members, visi- educational programming, and preparing for the moment tors and volunteers are foremost in my thoughts and your when we can open our doors to the public once again. safety and security are of greatest concern. It is in times of uncertainty that we find strength in As an organization we will take any measures available community. Today, as always, I am proud to be part of the to us to help slow the spread of Covid-19 and safeguard the NEAM community. I look forward to welcoming you back health of our own community. We are closely monitoring to the New England Air Museum very soon. guidelines regarding public gatherings; we have thoroughly Be Well. cleaned and disinfected our exhibit spaces and we have closed our doors to the public for the first time since the Scott E. Ashton tornado of 1979. Together we survived that disaster, and Board Chair, New England Air Museum we will survive this as well. neamnews-spring2020b.indd 1 3/22/20 11:41 PM Page 2 Spring 2020 C. A. H. A. Our Mission C.A.H.A. owns and operates the New The New England Air Museum is committed to England Air Museum, which is located at Bradley International Airport, 36 Perimeter presenting the story of aviation, Road, Windsor Locks, CT 06096. Corporate the human genius that made it possible, headquarters for the organization is located at and the profound effects that is has had on the way the Museum and can be reached by phone at in which we live.. (860) 623-3305 during business hours. Visit We achieve this by preserving and presenting our website at: www.neam.org. historically significant aircraft Membership in C.A.H.A. is open to anyone and related artifacts with an interest in aviation. Benefits include free admission to the museum during regular engaging our visitors through high-quality exhibits hours of operation, discounts on gift shop that help them understand aviation technology, history, purchases and on fees for special events and and the stories of the men and women programs, receipt of the NEAM news, the who built, flew, and made history with these famous machines monthly e-blast and voting privileges at orga- inspiring students through our innovative and hands-on nizational meetings. education programs that allow them to discover Contributions of original articles, news and reflect on aviation history and its ties to items and/or photographs, in addition to sug- social studies, science, geography, and technological advancements. gestions for the improvement of NEAM news are solicited and welcome. Design and layout of NEAM news is provided by Tom Bittel. Officers Directors Please direct membership problems which President: Scott E. Ashton Warren Boley might include errors or changes of address Vice-President: Stephen Perez Lee Boulanger to Debbie Reed, Executive Director at the Secretary: Ted de Groot Kate McGinnes Collins Treasurer: Michael J. Morneau Museum. The NEAM Research Library is open William H. Costen by appointment only. The research staff can be Jeffrey A. Dominick reached at [email protected] for online queries. Robert M. Garneau William P. Gonet Joanne Hastings NEAM Staff Gary A. Hunt Kim A. Jones Executive Director ................................................................ Deborah J. Reed Paul A. Lange Director of Education ................................Amanda Goodheart Parks, Ph.D. Sean Lee Controller and Grants Officer ............................................... Karen F. Giroux William J. McGurk Roy C. Normen Director of Advancement and External Affairs .............................. Ron Katz Cornelius O’Leary Curator ....................................................................................Nicholas Hurley Thomas S. Sargis Visitor Services Manager ....................................................... Jeanie Rozbora Robert Stangarone Jeffrey J. White Private Events Manager ............................................................... Erin Sniffen Directors Emeritus Restoration Coordinator ........................................................ Robert Vozzola Lawrence R. Churchill IT Coordinator ................................................................ Robert B. Stanwood George A. Clyde Igor I. Sikorsky, Jr. Research Librarian ..............................................................Carlton A. Stidsen Joseph G. Lynch Webmaster .............................................................................. Gary Gudinkas William A. O’Neill NEAMnews Editor ...........................................................................Tom Bittel Nelson A. Sly, Jr. neamnews-spring2020b.indd 2 3/22/20 11:41 PM Spring 2020 Page 3 interns Sarah Sparks, Lauren Geary, From the Executive Director and Jonas Otto and what they com- pleted for us. When I orig- increase in the number of students 15. The outdoor exhibit signs were inally sat down and scouts served the Education replaced with stainless steel signs to prepare my Department. donated by Circuit Breaker Sales NE remarks for this 4. We hosted a fundraising event for of Seymour, Conn. newsletter, the the New England Women in Avi- 16. Business After Hours was a success world was a ation exhibit that will be in the with three events. very different connector between the Military and place. As we all Civil Aviation hangars. 17. 17. Rental business has more then doubled, with NEAM becoming a work together to try to slow the spread 5. Many of the staff took part in in-stu- wedding venue. of COVID-19, the New England Air dio TV and radio appearances and Museum is doing its part. We closed our podcasts. 18. We brought back our Museum Travel doors for the first time since the 1979 Program. 6. New events included 50th Anni- tornado. We cleaned every inch of our versary of the Apollo moon landing, 19. Upgraded our internet service. hangars. We are following CDC guide- FIRST Robotics Day, Haunted Han- And, I must acknowledge our amazing lines regarding social distancing, and we gar Trick or Treat, and in conjunc- volunteers! This is Merriam-Webster’s are working hard to bring NEAM into tion with the U.S. Customs Depart- definition for volunteer: a: a person who your homes through new online content. ment, we hosted two Passport Days. voluntarily undertakes or expresses a will- In the meantime, we want to thank you, ingness to undertake a service: such as b: our members, donors, and volunteers, for 7. Last year’s Women Take Flight and Easter Egg events brought in their one who renders a service or takes part in your continued support as we continue to a transaction while having no legal con- fulfill our mission. None of what you’ll largest attendances to date. 8. The Education Department branded cern or interest c: a person who does work see in this newsletter would have been without getting paid to do it possible without you. From our NEAM our longstanding weekend family family to yours, I wish you health and programs as Flights of Family Fun, My definition? Men and Women, we peace during these unprecedented times added new Family tours to their pro- can’t do without. I strongly believe that and look forward to welcoming you back gramming slate, and expanded our our volunteers are the best in the world. to the museum soon. annual Soar into Summer program- They’re selfless, dedicated, willing to do ming series. anything we ask of them, and they’re al- 2019 was the first full year with full- 9. Film crews from China spent two ways here! time staff and all of us working together as days filming “Jack’s Hack” and a team. I’m proud of this “new” staff and Without their assistance in everything learning more about the 58th Bomb what we accomplished last year. As I look we do here at NEAM, this museum would Wing; the curator and a film crew back, I’m amazed at the success we had as not be the success that it is. The work- filmed aircraft from our collection a team to execute new exhibits, aircraft manship that the restoration group can that flew off the USS Intrepid; and moves, reaching new audiences with our produce amazes not only me, but the vis- National Geographic filmed the B-29 rental program, educating school children itors and students who can see their work for an episode of their series “Drain and visitors, and being creative with new firsthand. Our docents are the BEST, as the Oceans” events. I won’t go into detail what every- we constantly get letters, emails and Face- one has achieved, their year-end reports 10. We received proclamations from Gov. book posts from visitors about their ex- will follow mine. But I would like to high- Ned Lamont’s office recognizing 40 perience with this wonderful group. Our light some outstanding accomplishments. years of preserving aviation history library volunteers continue to catalog and and recognizing Women in Aviation. update our incredible collection. All the 1. Moving airplanes? Sounds like fun 11. Along with Lt. Governor Susan volunteers that assist in our special events though the planning can take up to Bysiewicz, we celebrated Amelia Ear- and after-hour rentals; the craftsmen who 4-5 months. In our case, the Military hart’s birthday, recognizing women create, build and paint, their work is first- and Civil Aviation hangars were in leadership roles. class; and the volunteers who clean the re-configured. 12. We hosted the D-Day Squadron exhibit hangars once a week, the compli- 2. New exhibits included the 50th before they departed to Europe to ments we get on how clean our museum Anniversary of the Apollo moon celebrate the 75th anniversary of looks continue to come in. Our staff may landing; the 40th anniversary of the D-Day.