Aviation Trail, Inc.
A non-profit corporation in partnership with the
National Park Service
to promote Aviation Heritage
in the Dayton region
Home of the largest
private parachute collection.*
April 15, 2016 - ATI Trailblazer Award
AIR FORCE MUSEUM, MUSEUM FOUNDATION
RECEIVED THE 2016 ATI TRAILBLAZER AWARD
on Friday, April 15
Recipients and presenters of the 2016 Trailblazer Awards pose with their citations following the Aviation Trail luncheon April 15 at the Hope Hotel & Conference Center. From left to right they are: Paul Woodruff, ATI trustee and award presenter to the Air Force Museum Foundation; Frances Duntz, Foundation Chairman of the Board of Trustees; Lt. Gen. Jack Hudson (USAF Ret.) Director of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force; and Col. Roger McClure (USAF Ret.), ATI trustee and award presenter to the Museum.
The ATI Board of Trustees chose the Museum and the Museum Foundation for their team efforts in completing the fourth museum building scheduled for its public debut June 8—privately financed by the Museum Foundation--and for their sustained excellence over the years in telling the Air Force story of aviation and aerospace achievements
ATI President Marvin Christian said, “It is Aviation Trail’s honor and privilege to recognize these organizations with our 2016 Trailblazer Award. Dayton and the Miami Valley are justifiably proud of the Museum’s many years of displaying our nation’s aviation and aerospace achievements to visitors from literally around the world.”
It was through the fund-raising efforts of the Museum Foundation that the Museum’s $40.8 million fourth addition became a reality. Since 1960 the Foundation has remained a philanthropic, nationally recognized, non-profit organization which assists the Museum with public fund raising and oversees various day-to-day operations of the Museum which attracts one million visitors annually.
In the new, fourth building, visitors will explore more than 70 aircraft in four galleries: Presidential, Research and Development, Space and Global Reach. The new 224,000 square-foot area also will have a walk-through Space Shuttle exhibit and three STEM learning nodes for student instruction in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The new facility brings the museum’s total exhibit space to 19 acres with 360 aerospace vehicles and missile and thousands of artifacts. In addition to exhibits, there are within the museum an IMAX Theatre, Museum Store, the Valkyrie and Refueling cafes, an Air Force Museum Theatre, flight simulators, and office space for staff.
Aviation Trail hosts the Trailblazer event annually to mark the birthday of Wilbur Wright, April 16, 1867. This is the 33rd presentation of the Trailblazer Award during ATI’s 35-year history of promoting and supporting the area’s aviation heritage, especially sites linked to Wilbur and Orville Wright.
For Museum information: www.nationalmuseum.af.mil
For Foundation information:www.afmuseum.com
For ATI information: www.aviationtrailinc.org
ATI contact: Marvin Christian 937.275.5271