Lack of housing hangs up aviation museum

Lolita Harper

AIRPORT DISTRICT -- Forced recently to vacate its spot at the Portal

of the Folded Wings at Valhalla Memorial Park, the Burbank Aviation

Museum is searching for support to keep the city’s rich aviation history

alive.

The nonprofit group hoped to get support from the city, the Lockheed

Co. or the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority in the form of

land or an abandoned structure where it could display its memorabilia.

Unfortunately, those hopes have been replaced with reality.

“With all the old aviation sites, there have been plenty of empty

buildings -- plenty of opportunities -- but too much red tape,” said

museum President Les Copeland.

Aviation enthusiast Ron Dickson said he understands the city can’t

just give buildings away, but was disappointed there was no support from

Lockheed or the airport authority. Dickson said he had spoken to airport

deputy director Randy Berg about possible space in a proposed new

terminal.

“It’s just too early to know now,” Berg said. “We don’t even know the

plans for the new building.”

Berg and airport authority spokesman Victor Gill both said the airport

plans to devote substantial resources to preserving aviation history.

“We would like to have preservation through exhibit space so that

visitors would have an idea of the history,” Gill said.

Burbank’s aviation history includes flights by great aviators like the

Lindberghs, Amelia Earhart and Wiley Post. Lockheed also produced

numerous aircraft in Burbank that were integral to the country’s success

in World War II, the Korean War and during the Cold War.

It’s not only the planes that Dickson believes should be remembered,

but also the people who designed, built and flew them.

“I wanted a place where the old-timers could come and sit and talk so

we could document their stories, because when they’re gone, the history

is gone,” Dickson said.

Preservation of Burbank’s aviation history is extremely important said

Mary Jane Strickland, founder of the Burbank Historical Society.

“[Aviation] was such an integral part of Burbank’s history,”

Strickland said. “It brought thousands of jobs and changed the face of

the city.”

The Burbank Historical Society has no room to display any of the

memorabilia from the Burbank Aviation Museum. The museum houses a $35,000

Lockheed display, funded by Lockheed. Her museum is out of space,

Strickland said.

“It’s a shame they don’t have a space of their own,” she said. “But

your talking a lot of money, and it’s hard to do.”