Fort Worth Aviation Museum in Texas is assessing damage to its aircraft collection and indoor exhibits after a hailstorm moved through the area Saturday. Executive Director Jim Hodgson told AVweb the museum had just completed its annual Hops and Props fundraiser before the hail storm, which damaged aircraft parked outdoors and knocked insulation down inside the museum’s main gallery.
Aircraft Damage
Hodgson said nearly every aircraft kept outside was affected, with damage ranging from broken canopies to dents, chipped paint and surface markings that the museum is still evaluating. Civil Air Patrol units helped complete a detailed aircraft-by-aircraft assessment Monday. Among the affected aircraft was the museum’s recently repainted Blue Angels F/A-18, along with an F6U Pirate the museum received within the last few months, which Hodgson said is the only remaining example of the type.
“We are extremely fortunate because it could have been a lot worse,” Hodgson told AVweb. “What we found when we came out here on Sunday morning was one of our volunteers started seeing holes on the ground as we were looking at airplanes. And the holes in the ground were up to about two inches in diameter, and they were anywhere from two to three inches deep in the ground.”
Gallery Cleanup
Inside the museum, Hodgson said the hail hit the building hard enough to bring insulation down from the ceiling and spread it over exhibits. The museum has begun cleanup work, including using air purifiers, removing some exhibits and planning for further ceiling and insulation work.
Hodgson said the roof has been inspected and was found to be intact, removing one of the larger questions about reopening the building.
The museum launched a GoFundMe page that, as of Thursday afternoon, had raised $9,295 of a $40,000 goal. Hodgson said an anonymous donor initially offered a $10,000 matching gift and later added another $10,000, bringing the available match to $20,000. The money will go toward repairing exhibits, protecting aircraft and restoring museum operations.
Looking to the Future
The museum plans to reopen its outdoor air park this weekend while the main gallery remains closed. Hodgson said the museum store and restrooms are expected to be available, but a full return to normal operations will depend on the cleanup and repair work.
The museum, which rebranded as the Fort Worth Aviation Museum in 2014, focuses on North Texas aviation history and operates with a collection made up primarily of military aircraft with roots in the region. Hodgson said the museum was founded around the OV-10 Bronco but has since expanded its mission to preserving and presenting North Texas aviation history.
“Aviation is part of the fabric and the mosaic of this community,” Hodgson told AVweb. “I mean, one out of every five people here works in an aviation-related business.”
Hodgson said the museum, which drew more than 17,000 visitors last year, hopes to use the recovery process to broaden awareness of its role in the community.
“We hope that this is going to give the community an opportunity to find out who we are and what we stand for here and why the museum is important,” Hodgson said. “And hopefully be a catalyst towards generating some interest to raise the funds that we’re going to need to start building a building extension or expansion here to be able to start to put some of the airplanes indoors, and in an interim time period, protect some of the other airplanes that are here.”
