Air Zoo

The Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, generally called the Air Zoo, is an aviation museum next to the Kalamazoo Airport in Portage (Michigan ) near Kalamazoo. This museum is the first in the world that tries to combine the Museum character with elements of a theme park. In the Air Zoo many rare aircraft are on display, including the last remaining SR- 71B Blackbird. Many of the aircraft are airworthy.

History

The Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum was founded in 1977 with the idea to make and historically important military aircraft and be a basis for research and education. The opening took place on 18 November 1979 the museum to this quickly became the tenth largest private aircraft museum in the United States of America.

In 1994, the Restoration Center was added by old planes can even be rebuilt or repaired. In early 1999, the term Air Zoo was developed, and we began planning a major expansion. On April 25, 2003, work began on a new exhibition hall, which should be twice as large as the original. In it, today several attractions are available, such as carousels, flight simulators, and a 4 -D cinema, but also new aircraft such as a Grumman F -14, Douglas A -4, Vought F -8 and the aforementioned SR- 71B Blackbird.

The new building contains the largest painting in the world within a building. The creator of the work is the aviation painter Rick Herter, who ( in German " Age of Flight " ) called the painting " Century of Flight".

Swell

• O'Leary, Michael. " New Aviation Museum prepares for takeoff ," Air Classics, April, 2004, retrieved December 1, 2006.
• Prichard, James. " The sky 's the limit for museum mural ," The Associated Press, March 21, 2004, retrieved December 1, 2006.
• Prichard, James. " New Interactive Aviation Museum Has Rides", The Associated Press Online, May 1, 2004, retrieved December 1, 2006.
• " Expanded Kalamazoo Air Zoo prepares for takeoff ", The Oakland Press, March 27, 2004, retrieved December 1, 2006.