SM AIRPORT The Museum of Flying needs a place to land.
Two options are being considered by directors of the museum — closed since 2002 — and members of the Airport Commission, who are expected to make a recommendation next month as to where the museum’s permanent home should be.
Fittingly, both potential sites are at the Santa Monica Airport, which boasts a unique collection of aircraft and memorabilia from the early days of aviation when Donald Douglas set up his production company at the site, according to David Price, chairman of the museum. The present airport is where Douglas built the World Cruiser biplanes — the first aircraft to successfully circumnavigate the earth. One of the original cruisers is still in the museum’s collection, which is housed in various hangers at the airport and an airfield in Camarillo.
“It’s like having the Hope Diamond,” Price said of the cruiser.
The museum was forced to close in July 2002, citing a lack of funds to cover expenses such as insurance, labor and other operational costs that would have enabled it to remain open during hours convenient to the public.
The museum was located within the Supermarine complex at the airport. Under the terms of a lease with City Hall, Supermarine — a fixed base operator providing maintenance, storage and refueling services for aircraft — was and still is required to provide a home for the museum, as well as pay some operating expenses, Price said.
Supermarine was recently purchased by Atlantic Aviation, which will be required to fulfill those duties under the lease. Atlantic will be required to spend about $200,000 on improvements to the new space and another $150,000 annually to help the museum stay afloat, Price said.
Officials with Atlantic could not be reached for comment.
Of the two options being considered, one is located directly across the ramp from where the museum was previously located from 1989 to 2002. Though smaller than the previous space — around 12,000 square feet — it was expected that the new location would provide valuable interaction with the aviation exhibits and related memorabilia, said Bob Trimborn, acting airport manager.
During discussion, however, certain problems were discovered. The proposed location — a hanger — would require structural and construction upgrades to suffice health and safety codes.
That option is still on the table, as is a south-side alternative that would mean relocating the museum to a space at the airport formerly used by park maintenance staff.
The south-side site would need an estimated $800,000 in renovations and an additional, 2,500-foot aircraft display hanger. Monthly rent would be around $2,000, which would go to City Hall.
Price is hoping that a new location will breathe new life into the museum, attracting more visitors interested in seeing rare fighter planes used in battle and a jet featured in the James Bond film “Goldfinger.” He’s especially interested in having more schools come visit so that children can learn about the “romance and creativity” of aviation.
“You see these little 5-year-olds and they look at you and go ‘Wow! You know what? I’d like to be a pilot some day,’” Price said. “No matter what location we find, I think the public will welcome us back with open arms and recognize this is a great educational tool and a place full of fond memories.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 28, 2007. Read the original PDF.