Summer 2023

Dear Friend,

Some people said it couldn't be done. Others were hopeful but thought the goal might be too ambitious. When the mission was successfully completed, everyone was impressed.

This is all true of the Berlin Airlift, which you can read about in this edition of our eNewsletter. There are also parallels to our museum’s history and success.

A museum honoring the service of American airmen located an ocean apart from the United States? It seemed like a long shot when US Army Air Force veterans who flew from the Duxford airfield during World War II set out to create the American Air Museum in 1989. With the help of patriotic Americans like you, the veterans’ vision began taking shape when ground was broken for the museum in 1995.

From subsequent construction to the grand opening in 1997, through an extensive redevelopment completed in 2016, our dedicated members have been crucial to making the museum a place of inspiration and a stirring memorial to American airmen who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II missions originating at British airfields. Your support remains paramount to this day.

Please take a moment to catch up on our work by reading the following online articles:

The Berlin Airlift

June 26 will mark the 75th anniversary of the start of this massive supply and relief operation that was the first major confrontation between the East and West during the Cold War.

Our world would likely be quite different today, and the second half of the 20th century would certainly have unfolded differently, if not for the success of the Berlin Airlift. Read more here.

Featured Aircraft: C-47 Skytrain

The C-47 entered service in 1942 with the capacity to transport 28 troops in combat gear, or 14 wounded soldiers on stretchers, or a jeep, artillery pieces, and other supplies loaded through the aircraft’s yawning cargo door. Learn more.

Flying Days: The Americans

On July 28, visit the museum for an air display spotlighting the shared World War II history of loss, love, and duty between the UK and US. Learn more about this event and others at IWM Duxford.

On behalf of everyone at the American Air Museum, I want to thank you for being a vital partner in our mission of learning and remembrance. It’s not the same as maintaining an airborne lifeline for millions of Berliners against long odds. But you can still take pride in creating the museum and shaping its future.

With gratitude,

Brandon Gregory's signature

Brandon P. Gregory
Executive Director

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