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If you got in your car right now, how long would i

If you got in your car right now, how long would it take you to get to our museum?

📅 On This Day in Aviation History — November 2, 19

📅 On This Day in Aviation History — November 2, 1947

79 years ago today, the world's largest flying boat proved it could fly—even if only for a few seconds!

On November 2, 1947, aviation pioneer and industrialist Howard Hughes took the controls of his enormous Hughes H-4 Hercules, better known as the Spruce Goose, and lifted the massive aircraft off the waters of Long Beach Harbor, California, for its first and only flight.

Originally conceived during World War II, the Hercules was intended to transport troops and supplies across the Atlantic, helping reduce dependence on shipping routes threatened by German submarines. Hughes and shipbuilder Henry Kaiser envisioned an aircraft unlike anything the world had seen.

With a wingspan of nearly 320 feet, eight Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engines, and a structure built primarily from laminated birch wood, the H-4 was an extraordinary feat of engineering.

Despite its famous nickname, the Spruce Goose wasn't actually made of spruce! Wartime restrictions on strategic materials encouraged Hughes to use wood construction, incorporating the specialized Duramold process.

Unfortunately, development took longer than anticipated, and World War II ended before the aircraft was completed.

By November 1947, the project had attracted considerable criticism over its cost, delays, and whether such an enormous wooden aircraft could actually fly.

Hughes was determined to answer that question.

During what was expected to be a series of water-taxi tests, he accelerated the Hercules across the harbor and brought it into the air. For roughly 26 seconds, the gigantic flying boat remained airborne before settling safely back onto the water.

It was a brief flight, but an unforgettable moment in aviation history.

The Hercules never flew again, and no additional examples were built. Yet its immense size, unconventional construction, and ambitious design secured its place among aviation's most remarkable experimental aircraft.

It may not be quite as big as the Spruce Goose, but can you name the aircraft in our collection with the largest wingspan?

What's scarier the day after Halloween: A graveyar

What's scarier the day after Halloween: A graveyard full of bones or a Boneyard full of planes?

Don't be too frightened! We're sort of necromancers around here, for planes at least.

Here at Yanks, we have a deep passion for restoring old aircraft, and an ambition to match. That results in us buying up scraps of quite a few old pieces while we can, and having their frames wait their turns in our aptly-named Boneyard while we find the parts and the time to put their full bodies back together.

Have you visited the Boneyard lately? Which one are you dreaming of seeing one day?

📸 credit for the first two photos: @uretskyaviation

🎃✈️ Happy Halloween from Yanks Air Museum! 👻 Whet

🎃✈️ Happy Halloween from Yanks Air Museum! 👻

Whether you're flying high on a broomstick or piloting something with a little more horsepower, we hope your Halloween is full of thrills, treats, and just the right amount of fright!

From all of us at Yanks, have a spook-tacular Halloween, and may you all fly in airplanes, not scare-planes! 🧙‍♀️✈️

Credit goes to @only_doris on tiktok for an amazing pumpkin carving video! We just had to share it.

It's Mischief Night! The day before Halloween when

It's Mischief Night! The day before Halloween when all the spooky creatures and kids come out to cause chaos. Luckily, we have our very own chaotic cat right here!

For those of you swooning over our hell-kitty from the Hellcat, we'd love to reintroduce Gee Bee! Otherwise known as Geebs 😻

Geebs first wandered into our hangar via the Cat Distribution System September 16th, 2023, and has been with us ever since. We called the cutie over, gave him a few treats, and he let us pet him in return. At first, we wanted to call him Tyson, after the boxer, but he ended up seeming more like a racer. Gee Bee eventually became Geebs, and 3 years later, he has full run of the hangar, going wherever he pleases, but we do make sure he's well fed, healthy, and even take him to the groomer now and then. There's no better loved hangar cat out there.

How many of you have met Geebs in person?

📅 On This Day in Aviation History — October 29, 19

📅 On This Day in Aviation History — October 29, 1953

How do you fly faster than a world speed record... without actually breaking it?

On October 29, 1953, U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Frank Kendall “Pete” Everest Jr. climbed into a prototype North American YF-100A Super Sabre and set out to establish a new world speed record over California's Salton Sea.

The Super Sabre represented a major leap forward in fighter development. Although it shared a name with the famous F-86 Sabre, the F-100 was an entirely new design, incorporating a more sharply swept wing, a powerful after-burning Pratt & Whitney J57 turbojet, and the ability to exceed Mach 1 in level flight.

Flying the YF-100A (serial number 52-5754), Everest made four high-speed passes over a three-kilometer course, averaging an impressive 757.75 mph. That was nearly 5 mph faster than the existing record, set just weeks earlier by a Navy pilot flying the Douglas Skyray.

But there was a catch.

Under Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) rules, a new record had to exceed the previous one by at least 1%. Everest's performance fell just short of that requirement!

Fortunately, his record attempt wasn't over.

Everest next flew four passes over a longer measured course, keeping the aircraft within approximately 100 feet of the surface. This time, his official average was 755.15 mph, establishing a new world speed record for the longer straightaway course.

The achievement helped demonstrate the remarkable capabilities of the new Super Sabre, which would become the first operational U.S. Air Force fighter capable of supersonic speed in level flight.

Who here thinks Everest should've gotten credit for both world records?

While we may not have the exact prototype he flew, you can swing by the museum to check out our F-100C-25 Super Sabre (54-2091) and imagine going that fast yourself!

Here's an easy costume idea for this weekend: Pi

Here's an easy costume idea for this weekend:

Pick up a few models from our gift shop, hold them in your hands, and go as an Aircraft Carrier. 😉

#MotivationalMonday How has flight helped inspir

#MotivationalMonday

How has flight helped inspire your life?

🇺🇸 Honor Our Veterans This Veterans Day at Yanks A

🇺🇸 Honor Our Veterans This Veterans Day at Yanks Air Museum! ✈️

This November 11, join us as we honor the brave men and women who have served our country.

At Yanks Air Museum, preserving military aviation history also means honoring the people whose courage, dedication, and sacrifices helped shape that history.

In recognition of their service, we're offering FREE museum admission to all veterans and active-duty military personnel!

📅 Wednesday, November 11, 2026
🕙 10 AM – 4 PM
📍 Yanks Air Museum | Chino, CA
🎟️ FREE admission for veterans and active-duty military (current ID required for active-duty personnel)
🚗 FREE parking for everyone!

Spend Veterans Day exploring aviation history and honoring those who helped make it.

To all our veterans: Thank you for your service. We hope to see you there! 🇺🇸

When was the last time you hung out with us here a

When was the last time you hung out with us here at the museum?

It's time to play our favorite game! Name this pla

It's time to play our favorite game! Name this plane! (And no, it's not "Rick")

Today, October 20, we're recognizing the professio

Today, October 20, we're recognizing the professionals who help keep the skies safe and aircraft moving around the world!

On October 20, 1961, the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations (IFATCA) was founded, bringing together air traffic controller associations to promote aviation safety and advance the profession worldwide. This year's International Air Traffic Controller Day marks the organization's 65th anniversary!

From the busiest international airports to smaller general aviation fields, air traffic controllers play an essential role in aviation. They coordinate aircraft movements, manage complex airspace, and provide pilots with critical instructions and information—all while making countless decisions that help flights operate safely and efficiently.

While pilots and aircraft often get the spotlight, the people guiding them from the ground are just as important to the story of aviation.

Here at Yanks Air Museum, we celebrate the remarkable people who have helped aviation advance throughout history. Today, we're giving a special salute to the men and women whose expertise, concentration, and communication skills keep our skies moving.

To air traffic controllers everywhere: Thank you for everything you do, and happy International Air Traffic Controller Day! ✈️

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Honoring Charles Fisher Nichols, Founder of Yanks Air Museum and Aviation Visionary
Ark Coffee at Yanks Air Museum
Aircraft flown in the 1989 Hollywood film ‘Always’ bought by Yanks Air Museum
Cobra Attack Helicopter At Yanks Air Museum

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If you got in your car right now, how long would i

If you got in your car right now, how long would it take you to get to our museum?

📅 On This Day in Aviation History — November 2, 19

📅 On This Day in Aviation History — November 2, 1947

79 years ago today, the world's largest flying boat proved it could fly—even if only for a few seconds!

On November 2, 1947, aviation pioneer and industrialist Howard Hughes took the controls of his enormous Hughes H-4 Hercules, better known as the Spruce Goose, and lifted the massive aircraft off the waters of Long Beach Harbor, California, for its first and only flight.

Originally conceived during World War II, the Hercules was intended to transport troops and supplies across the Atlantic, helping reduce dependence on shipping routes threatened by German submarines. Hughes and shipbuilder Henry Kaiser envisioned an aircraft unlike anything the world had seen.

With a wingspan of nearly 320 feet, eight Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engines, and a structure built primarily from laminated birch wood, the H-4 was an extraordinary feat of engineering.

Despite its famous nickname, the Spruce Goose wasn't actually made of spruce! Wartime restrictions on strategic materials encouraged Hughes to use wood construction, incorporating the specialized Duramold process.

Unfortunately, development took longer than anticipated, and World War II ended before the aircraft was completed.

By November 1947, the project had attracted considerable criticism over its cost, delays, and whether such an enormous wooden aircraft could actually fly.

Hughes was determined to answer that question.

During what was expected to be a series of water-taxi tests, he accelerated the Hercules across the harbor and brought it into the air. For roughly 26 seconds, the gigantic flying boat remained airborne before settling safely back onto the water.

It was a brief flight, but an unforgettable moment in aviation history.

The Hercules never flew again, and no additional examples were built. Yet its immense size, unconventional construction, and ambitious design secured its place among aviation's most remarkable experimental aircraft.

It may not be quite as big as the Spruce Goose, but can you name the aircraft in our collection with the largest wingspan?

What's scarier the day after Halloween: A graveyar

What's scarier the day after Halloween: A graveyard full of bones or a Boneyard full of planes?

Don't be too frightened! We're sort of necromancers around here, for planes at least.

Here at Yanks, we have a deep passion for restoring old aircraft, and an ambition to match. That results in us buying up scraps of quite a few old pieces while we can, and having their frames wait their turns in our aptly-named Boneyard while we find the parts and the time to put their full bodies back together.

Have you visited the Boneyard lately? Which one are you dreaming of seeing one day?

📸 credit for the first two photos: @uretskyaviation

🎃✈️ Happy Halloween from Yanks Air Museum! 👻 Whet

🎃✈️ Happy Halloween from Yanks Air Museum! 👻

Whether you're flying high on a broomstick or piloting something with a little more horsepower, we hope your Halloween is full of thrills, treats, and just the right amount of fright!

From all of us at Yanks, have a spook-tacular Halloween, and may you all fly in airplanes, not scare-planes! 🧙‍♀️✈️

Credit goes to @only_doris on tiktok for an amazing pumpkin carving video! We just had to share it.

It's Mischief Night! The day before Halloween when

It's Mischief Night! The day before Halloween when all the spooky creatures and kids come out to cause chaos. Luckily, we have our very own chaotic cat right here!

For those of you swooning over our hell-kitty from the Hellcat, we'd love to reintroduce Gee Bee! Otherwise known as Geebs 😻

Geebs first wandered into our hangar via the Cat Distribution System September 16th, 2023, and has been with us ever since. We called the cutie over, gave him a few treats, and he let us pet him in return. At first, we wanted to call him Tyson, after the boxer, but he ended up seeming more like a racer. Gee Bee eventually became Geebs, and 3 years later, he has full run of the hangar, going wherever he pleases, but we do make sure he's well fed, healthy, and even take him to the groomer now and then. There's no better loved hangar cat out there.

How many of you have met Geebs in person?

📅 On This Day in Aviation History — October 29, 19

📅 On This Day in Aviation History — October 29, 1953

How do you fly faster than a world speed record... without actually breaking it?

On October 29, 1953, U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Frank Kendall “Pete” Everest Jr. climbed into a prototype North American YF-100A Super Sabre and set out to establish a new world speed record over California's Salton Sea.

The Super Sabre represented a major leap forward in fighter development. Although it shared a name with the famous F-86 Sabre, the F-100 was an entirely new design, incorporating a more sharply swept wing, a powerful after-burning Pratt & Whitney J57 turbojet, and the ability to exceed Mach 1 in level flight.

Flying the YF-100A (serial number 52-5754), Everest made four high-speed passes over a three-kilometer course, averaging an impressive 757.75 mph. That was nearly 5 mph faster than the existing record, set just weeks earlier by a Navy pilot flying the Douglas Skyray.

But there was a catch.

Under Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) rules, a new record had to exceed the previous one by at least 1%. Everest's performance fell just short of that requirement!

Fortunately, his record attempt wasn't over.

Everest next flew four passes over a longer measured course, keeping the aircraft within approximately 100 feet of the surface. This time, his official average was 755.15 mph, establishing a new world speed record for the longer straightaway course.

The achievement helped demonstrate the remarkable capabilities of the new Super Sabre, which would become the first operational U.S. Air Force fighter capable of supersonic speed in level flight.

Who here thinks Everest should've gotten credit for both world records?

While we may not have the exact prototype he flew, you can swing by the museum to check out our F-100C-25 Super Sabre (54-2091) and imagine going that fast yourself!

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