Aviation Museum of New Hampshire

It's with sadness that we bring news of the death of James N. Tamposi, Sr. of Nashua, who passed away on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 at age 104. A full obituary is expected in the near future. For now, we wanted to let members of the Aviation Museum community of the recent loss of a Granite State icon—a legend whose flying career began in the 1930s and included service in World War II and co-founding Daniel Webster College in Nashua in the 1960s. Even after celebrating his 100th birthday, Mr. Tamposi was an active member of the Aviation Museum of N.H., attending our 2023 Nashua Fly-In BBQ as well as this past summer's Classic Car Show. We will miss his presence, his spirit, his stories, and his ability to inspire all who had the privilege of knowing him. R.I.P. and fly high, Mr. Tamposi.

We've been watching the weather and have decided to close the Aviation Museum of N.H. on Sunday, January 7 due to the predicted snow storm, which will likely hit the hardest during our usual open hours. There will be no changes to Saturday's open hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Stay safe and we'll see you next week when we're open during our usual hours of Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1-4 p.m. Enjoy this image of a winter storm of the past from 2013 at the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.

Those of us who volunteer or work at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire sometimes forget how fortunate we are to be located in the original 1937 terminal building at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. A reminder of how special this vintage building is came recently via a 'Granite Geek' column published Jan. 1, 2024 in the Concord Monitor by writer David Brooks, a long-time area journalist who recently started volunteering with us.

The column was about the Alton Bay Seaplane Base and Ice Runway But Brooks also worked in a few references to the Aviation Museum, which he wrote "...sits alongside the main runway at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, and is what may be the funkiest building in the Granite State. The museum is in the airport’s original terminal, which looks like an escapee from Miami Beach, sporting a green Art Deco vibe that is about as un-New England as it gets.

"If you don’t know the museum, you should. It’s a cool place to learn about general history you might not know, like the New Boston Bombing Range, and see far more state airplane-related stuff than you’d expect. Make sure to check out the canopy from a Navy jet that was ejected during a crash and ended up being used as a snow sled by kids who found it in the woods. You won’t find that at the Smithsonian."

Thanks, David! The column in the Concord Monitor was in preparation for a more in-depth piece he's working on for the winter edition of the Aeronaut, the museum's quarterly publication, which should be in the mail to members by the end of this month. (If you're not a member, please consider signing up. Info is online at https://nhahs.org/support-us/memberships/

And let's hope it gets cold enough for the runway to actually open this year. Fingers crossed!

To read David's full column online, go to: https://www.concordmonitor.com/ice-runway-new-hampshrie-53386855

The year 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the passing of aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh, who died of complications from lymphoma on Aug. 26, 1974. Lindbergh's death was preceded by a dramatic flight on a United Airlines DC-8 from New York City to Hawaii, where the ailing pilot wished to be laid to rest.

One of three pilots on the United DC-8 for that journey was Ken Perkins, the flight's co-pilot, now retired and a New Hampshire resident. Perkins will recount the experience in 'Lindbergh's Final Flight,' a talk at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire on Thursday, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m.

The flight was made against doctor's orders on Aug. 19. Lindbergh, laid across a set of first class seats and curtained off from the other passengers, was accompanied by family members. On the way, his wife Anne Morrow Lindbergh remarked that the journey was similar to his solo trans-Atlantic flight in 1927, as "no one believed he could do either and survive."

The presentation, which will include other tales from Perkins' many decades of experience during what is now seen as "the Golden Age of Aviation," is part of the museum's "Exploring Aviation" speaker series.

Admission is $10 per person; members can attend free. Tickets are available at the door or can be purchased in advance by calling the museum at (603) 669-4877 during business hours. For more information, visit the Aviation Museum's website at www.aviationmuseumofnh.org

Special bulletin! Due to popular demand, the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire's special 'Flying Home for the Holidays' exhibit has just been extended three additional weeks!

Originally scheduled to close on Sunday, Jan. 14, the exhibit of World War II-era uniforms and large-format posters will remain on display through Sunday, Feb. 4. The exhibit features period uniforms from the U.S. Army Air Corps, U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Marine Corps, plus a selection of vintage large format posters from the World War II era.

The Aviation Museum is open Fridays and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sundays 1 to 4 p.m. Admission to 'Flying Home for the Holidays' is included with the museum’s regular entrance fees. The exhibit was created in partnership with the Wright Museum of World War II of Wolfeboro and the Millyard Museum in Manchester.

Eighty years ago, at the height of World War II, the U.S. Army’s Grenier Air Base (today’s Manchester-Boston Regional Airport) played a major role supplying the Allied campaign in Europe, dispatching newly trained pilots and convoys of aircraft across the North Atlantic to aid in the battle against the Axis powers and fascism.

Although the war was being fought in distant lands, it was very much a presence on the home front, with the holidays being an especially poignant time for those with loved ones fighting overseas. 'Flying Home for the Holidays,' is intended to help bring to life an era that is fading fast, as only a small number of World War II veterans remain to tell their stories in person.

The uniforms are what might have been seen in U.S. cities and towns, worn by the few military personnel fortunate enough to be home during the holidays while war was being waged across the globe. The posters tell the story of a nation at war, with many carrying seasonal themes to urge citizens to sacrifice in their daily lives or to purchase war bonds to aid the Allied effort.

The exhibit is the Aviation Museum's most recent effort to bring attention to the important role that Grenier Air Base played in World War II and the Cold War when it operated from 1941 to 1966. Today, almost all trace is gone of the once-sprawling military facility, which hosted thousands of troops during its heyday.

Other upcoming initiatives include the publishing of a book about Grenier Air Base currently being written by Leah Dearborn, the museum’s assistant director, and a reunion of Grenier Field personnel and their families scheduled for June 1, 2024, to mark the 80th anniversary of the Allied D-Day invasion in 1944.

For more information about the ‘Flying Home for the Holidays’ exhibit, and to download a complete guide, visit our ‘Flying Home for the Holidays’ exhibit page: https://nhahs.org/hours-and-directions/flying-home-for-the-holidays/

Coming in January! The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire will hold its Annual Membership Meeting on Thursday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. at the Aviation Museum of N.H., 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, N.H.

All are invited to our annual update on all that's going on at the Aviation Museum. You'll hear reports about the museum's operations, financial health, volunteer activities, archive work, and ongoing projects such as our high school student-plane building program and our new 'Flights of Discovery' youth aviation summer camp.

The public is welcome to attend and ask questions of board members and staff; current members will also be asked to ratify new or returning members to our board of directors. The meeting is free and open to all; those wishing to attend remotely, please check https://nhahs.org/2024/01/01/annual-membership-meeting-to-be-held-thursday-jan-18/ for login and password credentials.

By the way, the meeting isn’t all business—we like to incorporate some fun elements, too. As an incentive to attend in person, attendees will be eligible for valuable (and not-so-valuable) door prizes and maybe a few other surprises. Join us and find out!

Here’s a gallery of photos from last year's annual meeting, held at the SEE Science Center. Enjoy!

Coming in 2024 to the Aviation Museum of N.H.! Laurence Criner and Kathryn Boyd star in 'The Flying Ace' (1926), a vintage aviation melodrama with an all-Black cast. Produced at the time for Black audiences in segregated theaters, 'The Flying Ace' will be screened with live music in honor of Black History Month on Thursday, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Aviation Museum of N.H., 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, N.H. Tickets are $10 per person at the door. Advance tickets are available by phone at (603) 669-4877. Membership discounts do not apply to this screening. For more information, visit https://nhahs.org/2024/01/01/the-flying-ace-1926-with-live-music-on-thursday-feb-8/

Happy New Year's Eve from all of us at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire! We're open today (Sunday, Dec. 31) from 1 to 4 p.m. for end-of-year visits and plane-watching in our parking lot, where we're finally enjoying some blue sky after an entire school vacation week of rain and fog. Check out our 'Flying Home for the Holidays' exhibit, which features World War II era uniforms and vintage posters on loan from our friends at the Wright Museum of World War II (and with mannequins from the Millyard Museum.) Thanks to everyone who visited the Aviation Museum during the holiday vacation week. We'll be back open regular hours starting Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. Our next "extra family days" extending opening schedule will be during New Hampshire's winter school vacation week: Wednesday, Feb. 28 through Saturday, March 2.

Straw rockets! That's what young visitors can make at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, open today (Friday, Dec. 29) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You'll find plenty of aviation-related activities and exhibits to keep the whole family busy as school vacation week draws to a close. Highlights include our exhibit 'Flying Home for the Holidays' featuring World War II uniforms and posters from the collection of the Wright Museum of World War II, on display now through Sunday, Jan. 14. Plus our holiday display of Christmas trees decorated with more than 1,000 toy planes and model aircraft—and one festooned with antique air sickness bags! Come find out why we were named 'Best Place to Take Kids' in southern New Hampshire three years in a row by the readers of HippoPress! Visit the Aviation Museum at 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, N.H. For more info, call (603) 669-4820 or visit www.aviationmuseumofnh.org.

A great rainy day activity for the whole family! Starting today, the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire will be open extra days during the holiday school break. We're open from Wednesday, Dec. 27 through Saturday, Dec. 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Currently, our 'Flying Home for the Holidays' exhibit features authentic World War II era uniforms and posters on loan from the Wright Museum of World War II. Also, enjoy our holiday display of special Christmas trees decorated with more than 1,000 toy planes and model aircraft, including our famous air sickness bag tree! Kids can take part in hands-on activities in our classroom, browse hundreds of aviation books in our library, or try one of several flight simulators. Learn about our student plane-building partnership with the Manchester School of Technology and Tango Flight, which is about to expanded to another N.H. high school! Check out our store for hard-to-find aviation merchandise plus holiday items on steep markdown. And then there's the parade of airplanes landing and taking off right next to our parking lot at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. Come find out why we've been named 'Best Place to Take Kids' three years a row in the Annual HippoPress Readers' Poll—visit the Aviation Museum of N.H. today! We're at 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, N.H. More info at www.aviationmuseumofnh.org.

Starting today! The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire is partnering with our friends at the Filotimo Casino & Draftkings Sportsbook Manchester in a series of benefit days to raise funds for our non-profit organization. The dates are Wednesday, Dec. 27 through Saturday, Dec. 30. During this time, the Aviation Museum will receive 30 percent of the house profits, per N.H. casino licensing regulations. It's a great way for non-profit organizations to raise much-needed operating funds to help us carry out our community service mission. We thank everyone at Filotimo (located at 1279 South Willow St., in the old Canad Cinemas multiplex) and their parent company, the New Hampshire Group, for finding dates on their schedule this year for the Aviation Museum. Good luck to all who visit Filotimo during our dates—win or lose, thanks for your support!

Consider making an end-of-year tax deductible donation to the non-profit Aviation Museum of New Hampshire. You'll support our programs to find young people pathways into aviation and aerospace. From our student plane-building program to our intensive youth aviation summer camp, these efforts all depend on community support. Donate online today and please give generously: https://nhahs.org/support-us/2024-annual-fund/

Merry Christmas from everyone at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire! In honor of the holiday, we bring you a vintage photo of Santa arriving at Grenier Air Base (today's Manchester-Boston Regional Airport) in 1966. We've restarted the tradition of inviting Santa to our home at the airport every December to give area young people a chance to meet the big guy in person. We hope he makes everyone's wishes come true when he passes through this part of the globe later this evening. You can find out where he is right now by checking Norad's online Santa tracker at https://www.noradsanta.org/en/map And wouldn't you know, when we just checked in now, Santa had just passed over Kyiv, Ukraine, and was on his way to Moscow, Russia. Let's hope that's a good omen for everyone wishing for peace in 2024. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire is open tomorrow (Friday, Dec. 22) from 10 to 4 p.m. Come enjoy 'Flying Home for the Holidays,' our special exhibit of authentic World War II uniforms and posters, on display for limited time only in collaboration with the Wright Museum of World War II and the Millyard Museum. For a complete guide to our 'Flying Home for the Holidays' exhibit, click here: http://tinyurl.com/bdh68h4c Plus enjoy our collection of more than 1,000 toy planes and model aircraft decorating our magical forest of aviation-themed Christmas trees. For the younger folks, hands-on activities in our classroom will keep small hands busy as we all count down the days to Christmas Eve! And for those who haven't finished holiday shopping, the museum store is stocked with one-of-a-kind items to stuff any size stocking. It's all at the Aviation Museum this Friday, Dec. 22—and Saturday, Dec. 23, too. (We're closed on Sunday, Dec. 24 for Christmas Eve.)

We're adding extra days for the holiday break! The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire will be open from Wednesday, Dec. 27 through Saturday, Dec. 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. so families can visit during the upcoming holiday school vacation. Come see more than 1,000 toy planes and model aircraft on display, with many decorating our forest of Christmas trees inside the museum. Kids can join in our challenging (but fun) museum scavenger hunt, or enjoy hands-on activities and crafts in our classroom. Check out our 'Flying Home from the Holidays' exhibit of authentic World War II uniforms and poster, presented with help from the Wright Museum of World War II and the Millyard Museum, and which includes a detailed history of the years when Manchester's airport was home to the U.S. military's Grenier Air Base. Our collection of vintage Barbie aviation-themed posable dolls is featured in a special holiday display. Plus you can't get closer to the airfield action at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport than our parking lot. Come explore the museum named 'Best Place to Take Kids in Southern New Hampshire' three years in a row in the annual HippoPress Readers' poll. It's a great day out for the whole family! (P.S. we're closed on Sunday, Dec. 24, Christmas Eve, but we're open on Sunday, Dec. 31, New Year's Eve, from 1 to 4 p.m.)

We're open extra days for last-minute shopping! The store at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire will be open from 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 20 and Thursday, Dec. 21 to help finish your holiday gift-buying. We're at 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, N.H. 03053—not far from the Mall of N.H. Visit and browse a range of unusual aviation-themed items. You'll find our shelves stocked with model and toy aircraft, specialty books, made-in-N.H. aviation history jams, aviation-themed candles (with scents including 'Jet Fuel in the Morning' and 'New Plane Smell') and many other hard-to-find items, plus museum logo merchandise including hats, mugs, patches, and more. New this year: "Plane Tags," which allow you to own an actual piece of metal from the fuselage of an historic scrapped airliner, warbird, or private aircraft! If you're still getting cards out, pick up a package of our custom-printed 'Santa at Grenier Field' historic image holiday cards. For a gifts that keeps on giving all year long, pick up a gift membership in the Aviation Museum for the avgeek in your life, or a "N.H. Heritage Trail Passport," which for $25 provides admission to 21 Granite State museums! Finally, if you can't make it in person, we offer a selection of merchandise online at www.aviationmuseumofnh.org: just click on 'Shop.' Happy holidays from all the Aviation Museum elves—we'll see you at the store! (P.S. The store will be open during regular hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 22 and Saturday, Dec. 23. We're closed on Sunday, Dec. 24 for Christmas Eve.

Stamp of approval! The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire this week received a generous donation of unused U.S. postage stamps long-time member and volunteer Paul Lavoie. Here volunteer Ken Sears sorts through some of the stamps, which are common issue and still good for postage. As such, they have no collector value, but so will be put to good use in the museum's mailing programs. If you have unused stamps, or a stamp collection that you don't know what to do with, the Aviation Museum will gladly accept them as a donation. Besides regular issue stamps for postage, we're also looking for several vintage U.S. airmail stamps to round out and upgrade our collection. Call Jeff Rapsis at (603) 236-9237 for more info: the stamps must "mint original gum" (meaning unused); we don't accept cancelled or damaged stamps.

News alert! The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire was the subject of an in-depth profile published this week in General Aviation News. Headlined 'A Gem of the North Country,' the piece by writer Ted Luebbers covered our organization from propeller to tail, and included information about our education outreach efforts. Thanks very much to our friends at General Aviation News for the attention! Check it out here: https://generalaviationnews.com/2023/12/13/gem-of-the-north-country/

Gem of the North Country — General Aviation News If you consider yourself a true aviation aficionado, whether pilot or aviation enthusiast, and you find yourself near Manchester, New Hampshire, make sure to visit the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire.

The iconic glass tower at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire needs a periodic cleaning, especially when we're about to unveil a new exhibit. With our 'Flying Home for the Holidays' display of World War II uniforms and posters set to open tomorrow (Friday, Dec. 15), volunteer Paul Scarlett climbed the stairs and went to work. The model of the Jenny flown by legendary pilot Bob Fogg (which Scarlett helped build) that hangs in the tower remains in good shape. The glass tower itself, however, which dates from 1937, is showing its age. Fortunately, it's due for a complete rehab in two years. For now, we'll try to keep it looking good, something that's possible thanks to the efforts of volunteers such as Paul!

Last week, the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire hosted 'Travel and Tourism' Day, part of this year's 'Leadership Greater Manchester' program run by the Greater Manchester Chamber Of Commerce. Organized by Ted Kitchens, director of Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, and Erik Lesniak of the chamber, about 45 members of this year's class spent the day learning about the considerable impact that travel, tourism, and aviation have on business, the economy, and the quality of life in southern New Hampshire. Highlights included a behind-the-scenes tour of the airport plus time on the museum's Elite Flight Simulator. Congratulations to all members of this year's program and thanks for visiting the Aviation Museum during this busy holiday time.

Mannequin wrangling! Final preparations are underway for 'Flying Home for the Holidays,' a special exhibit of World War II-era uniforms and posters to be displayed at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire from Friday, Dec. 15 through Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024. Today's tasks included taking delivery of a dress uniform jacket worn by U.S. Army Air Corps 2nd Lt. Max C. Hauenstein, a B-17 pilot attached to the 8th Air Force in England during World War II. The jacket, which will be on display, belongs to his son, longtime Aviation Museum volunteer Lee Hauenstein. Debbora Losch, the museum's education director, inspects the uniform and dresses a mannequin, one of four on loan our friends at the Manchester Historic Association. Other uniforms and posters in the exhibit are on loan from the Wright Museum of World War II in Wolfeboro. For more information on the exhibit, visit www.aviationmuseumofnh.org.

Scenes from Santa's visit! Saturday, Dec. 9 saw Santa Claus make his annual visit to the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, where the Big Guy arrived by helicopter to visit with fans and families. More than 250 children met Santa during the event, which also included hands-on activities in the museum's classroom. Many thanks to all the volunteers and business supporters who made Santa's visit possible, with a special shout-out to CR Helicopters of Nashua, Signature Flight Services, Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, the Common Man Roadside, the Manchester Airport Fire Department, the Londonderry Police Department's Airport Division, and all our neighbors for letting visitors park along the streets. Happy holidays from the Aviation Museum, where our special 'Flying Home for the Holidays' exhibit is on display through Sunday, Jan. 14! Museum of New Hampshire

Many thanks to our friends at the Common Man Roadside for providing hot chocolate, coffee, doughnuts and other holiday goodies to all those who came to visit with Santa Claus on Saturday, Dec. 9 at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, where the Big Guy arrived via helicopter. We're grateful to Common Man Roadside for coming in early to set up and provide holiday cheer to everyone free of charge throughout Santa's visit. We could not ask for a more community-minded partner to help make this annual event special and memorable for all. Thanks and all best wishes to everyone at the Common Man Roadside!

Santa's arrival by helicopter at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire on Saturday, Dec. 9 was aided by spectacular weather: bright skies, no wind, and warmer-than-normal temperatures. With about 800 people on hand, touchdown was right on schedule at 11 a.m., with Santa arriving in a Robinson R-44 Chopper piloted by Bob Cloutier of CR Helicopters of Nashua, N.H. Once Santa alighted, he was escorted into the museum, where he met one-on-one with his fans for two hours. He then made his departure via fire truck courtesy the Manchester Airport Fire Department. Many thanks to our fire department friends, who let a few lucky youngsters climb up into the truck's cab while waiting for Santa. Thanks also to members of the Londonderry Police Department, Airport Division, who opened two cruisers for the kids to explore. Santa would agree that it's really the ONLY way you should experience the inside of a police cruiser. Many thanks also to our friends at Signature Flight Support at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport for facilitating Santa's helicopter visit. Happy holidays to all!

Santa Claus brought his special magic to the Museum of New Hampshire on Saturday, Dec. 9, arriving by helicopter and meeting with fans and families for two hours. We have a LOT of photos from Santa's visit, and we'll be sharing them over the next few days. For now, to show you the wonder and joy that Santa inspires wherever he goes, we bring you his personal photo album from Saturday's visit, filled with images from photographer Steve Heffelfinger. If these photos don't put you into the holiday spirit—well, then your first name must be 'Ebenezer.' Seasons Greetings from everyone at the Aviation Museum!

Santa is coming by helicopter to the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire today at 11 a.m.—and our friends at the Common Man Roadside are ready with coffee, hot chocolate, and donuts for everyone! Families can then visit with Santa until 1 p.m., when he departs by fire truck courtesy the Manchester Airport Fire Department. It's all happening today at the Aviation Museum, 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, N.H. For more information, visit our website at www.aviationmuseumofnh.org.

Looking for something truly unique for the aviation lover in your life this Christmas? The Aviation Museum of N.H.'s gift store has you covered! Just in time for the holiday season, we are now carrying PlaneTags. PlaneTags are not your average luggage tags; they're made from the skin of retired aircraft, hand cut, stamped, shaped and individually etched, ready to serve as an ID tag or displayed on your tree. We've got a range of aircraft in stock, whether you're interested in owning a piece of a Black Hawk or a Beechcraft Bonanza. We'll have them and lots of other aviation-related merchandise for sale tomorrow when Santa visits the museum by helicopter at 11 a.m. Come join us and get some holiday shopping done at the same time!