Tagged: National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

Seventy years ago this week American aviators were at war in Europe. In airplanes known as the B-17 Flying Fortress they were flying bombing missions over Germany. One of those planes, nicknamed “The Memphis Belle” flew its 25th combat mission on May 17th, 1943, and then came home to the US with its crew. One of the Memphis Belle’s first stops was Wright Field in Dayton, where today she’s being restored at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

Actor, Anthony Edwards has signed on to take part in this week’s presentation of TOP GUN 3D at the new Air Force Museum Theater. Edwards, who played the role of Navy Lt. Nick “Goose” Bradshaw in the 1986 Paramount Pictures blockbuster, will co-present one of two scheduled screenings  of the new 3D version of TOP GUN. 

It’s all part of this year’s Film Festival of Aviation.  This week, I spoke with the festival’s founder, Ron Kaplan to get the run-down on this year’s entries, and the Air Force Museum's new big screen theater.

The national Air Force museum in southwest Ohio will close some galleries starting next month due to federal budget cuts.

The director of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force says the presidential and research and development galleries will be closed until further notice beginning May 1.

Museum Director Jack Hudson says popular exhibits in the affected galleries include President John F. Kennedy's Air Force One and the XB-70 Valkyrie. He says museum officials hope to reopen those galleries as soon as possible.