Private Air & Private AirMart | The Price of Fame, pg 2

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Community : The Price of Fame

In 46 years, the National Aviation Hall of Fame has grown from a star-studded awards ceremony to an exhibit-packed museum. But it’s been a bumpy ride.

By: Cristina Velocci
August/Sept 07 , Page 32

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The Price of Fame, pg 2

“What we have realized since opening in 2003 is that there are expenses our board had not anticipated,” Kaplan says. That includes rehabbing old exhibits used by thousands of visitors each year, installing new ones to keep the center relevant (such as the four new Microsoft flight simulators that arrived this summer) and funding SkyReach, its character-education program that uses inductees as role models. “Enshrinement is the heart of the National Aviation Hall of Fame,” Kaplan says. “But education is its soul.” Until sufficient funds are raised, however, those education initiatives, originally intended for grades K through 12, will have to be limited to grades four and five.

Another problem is the restrictions placed on the NAHF by its big-sister museum. In 2003, when it built its facilities in Dayton, the original home of the Wright brothers, the NAHF chose to share property with the United States Air Force Museum, to piggyback on its visitor attendance. That part of the plan worked — the Hall of Fame draws some 600,000 people a year. “Teaming up with the military was a key turning point for the organization,” Kaplan says. “If it were to have been freestanding, it would have been shut down by now.” But as part of the deal, the NAHF agreed not to compete with the USAF by opening a museum gift shop — traditionally one of the primary source of revenue for museums.

Kaplan has tried to be resourceful, starting an e-museum shop instead, with cool signed photos of aviation war heroes along with the usual assortment of posters and shirts. He’s also looking into other sources of funding, including corporate sponsorships for programs and exhibits. “The organization is 46 years old, but as a freestanding institution, it’s only four,” he says. “We’ve gone from a once-a-year event to being open 350-plus days a year. It’s an abrupt transformation adjusting to life as a destination.”

Which is another way of saying, you can still plan your Dayton fly-in. “Oh, I don’t think we would ever go out of existence,” Vornholt says. “I mean, just think about the opportunity and potential this place has.” And lest you ever need a reminder, all you need to do is drop by on the third Saturday in July.

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