SAAC Forum

The Museum is Hickory Aviation Museum, in Hickory NC.  We host plenty of car clubs as it's every easy access to our aircraft display, enter under the wing of the P-3C Orion, between engines 1 and 2 and onto the tarmac.  We'll also have our newly acquired Bell USMC SuperCobra AH-1W Gunship on display in a couple of weeks, so there is plenty of aircraft to photograph with your cars.  We also have a complete F-14 cockpit that everyone can sit in and see what it was like inside a Tomcat.  Unfortunately, our F-4 Phantom is in our restoration area and will be unavailable.   Once we come up with a date, I'd like to publicize a little so visitors can come out and enjoy the planes and our great cars.  Our museum is a registered 501C non profit and there never is an admission charge, we rely on donations and corporate assistance.  Sorry for confusion on museum webpage link, I had a typo when I originally sent it to BG.  www.hickoryaviationmuseum.org, and we are on all the social media platforms as well. Any questions, feel free to ask.   

Museum sent out an email on 1/6 announcing the move and new address, the rest is on Mustang Owners Museum Group page on FB.  Museum cited no reason other than for "future growth"......

I see the museum has "closed" and moved across the street to some non-descript building to "reorganize".  Hopefully the true story will come out, but word is it was not making $$ on admission, but a lot of people who paid for bricks, books, etc and donated $$ are not very happy wondering where all the money went?  I never understood the place,  if it weren't for people loaning them cars to display, there was not really much reason to go there.  Time will tell.....

Here is a link to the Americarna 2019 video with lot of drone footage.  Not a whole lot of Shelby coverage, but we sneak into a few scenes.  https://www.facebook.com/americarnatv/videos/504617416810876/

Carolina Region at Americarna 2019.

I'll be there, planning on arriving before 7:30am, pays to get there early to unload and find a big enough area in the VIP lot so we can all park together.  It was already pretty full last year when I got there at 8.  Forecast calling for 30% chance of rain and worse on Sunday, so I doubt it will get postponed like last year. 

#1609 and P-3C Orion (Retired) #156515.  The aircraft was built in 1969 and was in service until 2017. 

The City of Hickory NC is throwing it's first Fall Wings and Wheels event this Saturday, November 16, 10a-3p.  There will be a parking area for collector and classic cars and I think it's more of a cruise-in than a judged car show and there is no charge.  I will be bringing out #1609 for the day.  For eats, there will be food trucks and the airport café will also be open.  They are offering av-gas at a discount, so hopefully we'll get some interesting aircraft visiting, plus they are selling helicopter and airplane rides.  We will have the Hickory Aviation Museum fully open for the day and I will be giving tours of our mighty Lockheed   P-3C Orion Anti-Submarine Warfare aircraft, the only one in the country that is open for visitors to tour.  There are also 15 other aircraft on display.  Forecasted weather is supposed to be around 50 and sunny for the event.     

Quote from: gjz30075 on November 28, 2018, 01:27:39 PM
I know it's an unusual car for this event but any information about the Lotus Cortina?  Owner?

No clue, I'll guess someone from the Charlotte vicinity.  Very clean car, I recall.

Quote from: Steve McDonald Formally known as Mcdonas on November 28, 2018, 12:05:37 PM
Great photos looks like a real nice group of cars. Did they fire the GT40 up?

Driven to the parking area from the trailer.  Sounded good!

Phew, finally finished the gallery.  It was a gray day to start, but the sun came out and despite the event being moved a day, the turnout was still outstanding.  GT40 P/1046, 67 GT350 #1609, and Tom Cotter's 289 Cobra were in attendance.  Ray Evernham couldn't be a better host, talking to people and taking photos, also wandering around were Ryan Newman, Johnny Benson, and Robin Pemberton from Nascar.  https://www.flickr.com/photos/30404532@N04/albums/72157704101695865

1 Shelby and 425 Vettes so far, help!!!!!

With a 19,000% chance of rain on Saturday, the show has been moved to Sunday 11/25. 

I'll be there, and I'll be sure to be photographing.   

Any update?