Cold War Air Museum - Not Just Kidding Around

Education and Exhibition are part of the foundation of the Cold War Air Museum mission. Our ability to combine these elements draws groups like the one below to the museum.  With an environment that supports seeing, touching, hearing and yes, even smelling cold war era aircraft, visitors like this school group will go home with unique memories to link with their history lessons.

Students and Associates alike enjoy their visit.

How many kids can fit inside an Mi24? (not in flight!)

About the same number as fit on a MiG-21 wing

(definitely not in flight)!

Associates and Volunteers at the Museum may not realize that they are already a part of history in these students eyes, but they enjoy having an attentive audience and expect the students will learn from their day's experience.

The Cold War Air Museum is open every Saturday from 10 till 4. Admission is free, however visitor donations are gladly accepted!. Tours and special events can be arranged for other times.

The city, airport and both museums on the field host a number of events at the airport every year. Check our Current Events page from time to time for special events. Driving directions are available on our area map page.

Thanks for visiting, see you soon!

Cold War Air Museum - DFW Expo

DFW Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration and American Airlines recently invited Elementary, High School and College students to their Career Expo at KDFW.

Thousands of students were brought together with modern and vintage aircraft as well as college and career recruiters and advisers.

The Cold War Air Museum was pleased to fly their Mi-2 and participate in the event.

This year, as in previous years, we have taken part in Career Events at Lancaster, (KLNC) and other local airports. Although numbers were down at DFW from the prior year, the students in attendance brought our total for such events for this year to over 4,000.

- On This Day in Cold War History -

December 12, 1991 - Following a failed military coup aimed at preserving the Soviet Union, the USSR was dissolved into fifteen independent states.

December 12, 1993 - The Constitution of the Russian Federation was adopted.

Mildred Visits the Cold War Air Museum

Without ever leaving Texas, you can visit London, Paris, Rome and Moscow. With a rich culture originating in many different countries, there are towns with worldly names all over our fair state.

So it should not be too surprising to find a contingent of Soviet, Cold War aircraft here as well. The students at Mildred High School, from Mildred, Texas, recently finished studying about the Cold War and their teachers brought them to see and hear about some of the artifacts of the Cold War.

One of the pleasures of volunteering at the Cold War Air Museum is having the opportunity to talk with well behaved young men and women who are the future of our country.

Tracie and Phil took one group under their "wing" for a walk-about and talk-about through the museum. One of the students seems to be taking a picture of Phil in the photo above. While Phil in fact qualifies as a genuine Cold War artifact, we generally refer to him as our volunteer coordinator. Phil also coordinates the community service credit hours for our student volunteers.

Museums use the fancy word "docent", to describe a "knowledgeable tour guide". While Phil and Tracie both certainly qualify as docents, we generally don't use such fancy language here and simply refer to the many pilots and students of history involved with the museum as our "Associates".

Bud took the other group. Dividing the 60 plus students into two groups made it easier to talk with individuals and encourage questions. This group got a look at the T28 associated with our sister museum while moving between our buildings.

The students toured both Hanger One, primarily used for display and Hanger Three, primarily used for restoration.

Hopefully there may be some future aviators (pilots) in the class. These young men are getting a look inside the cockpit of a Mach-2, mig-23 fighter.

Both groups asked many good questions. The girls were less shy about asking questions than the guys. Tracie, a Commercial Pilot and Helicopter Instructor, assured them not only that she flew as much as the guys, but that women make excellent pilots and have career opportunities in aviation.

We enjoyed a special moment of fun with several of the students trying on hats from our collection of Soviet gear. They even convinced one of their teachers to pose with them.

On behalf of the museum, we hope they enjoyed their visit and that it was beneficial for the students, teachers and the school.

College & Career Readiness

The Certificate of Appreciation recently sent to us by a State Senator was in recognition of the support we provide for the local community and schools. Last Friday, CWAM and CAF hosted another event supporting college and career readiness for High Schools in South Dallas County. The event was co-ordinated by Goldenheart, a local community organization.

Many of the students attending were in the JROTC (military training) program. The 500 plus young men and women who visited were well behaved and seemed interested in the information and programs presented. Students came from Carter, A Maceo Smith, Pinkston and South Oak Cliff High Schools.

All of the services presented information about college and programs and had personnel available to answer questions.

Last year, a similar event was hosted inside the Cold War Air Museum (CWAM). This year, the Commemorative Air Force (CAF-DFW) hosted the event and CWAM provided support with volunteers and aircraft at the CAF hangar.

The AN-2 shown behind the students in the lead picture flew in for the event. This Cold-War era, Russian aircraft is regularly flown to events by one of the museum associates. Bruce, the Cold War Air Museum President, is shown greeting the owner and flight crew and thanking them for supporting the event.


Students had a fun opportunity to see and touch a part of history they had studied in conjunction with businesses and colleges presenting career information.


One of the surprise hits at the event was an all electric, street legal car driven by one of the museum associates. This vehicle is a "green" alternative for traveling to and from work. In addition to the aircraft, students enjoyed seeing and sitting in the electric car.

A Commendation

In addition to restoring and preserving aircraft, the museum's mission also includes acting as a resource for school programs. Many of our current and past activities are listed on our main web site. Recently we received a Certificate of Appreciation from State Senator Royce West in recognition of some of these activities.


We are proud of the work we have done and the recognition we are starting to receive. With the help of our Associates, Volunteers and Sponsors we intend to continue to expand. Thank You All! For a job well done.

Its that time of year again, L39 Annuals

Every year our flying aircraft get a condition inspection.
L39, Bord 107 is being moved into the maintenance hanger for this annual event. Bord 25 can be seen in the background. It has been moved out to make room and will be stored temporarily in another hanger.

We took the opportunity to clean and straighten the work area while the aircraft were being moved. In addition to other work, the aircraft will be placed on jacks and hooked to an external hydraulic mule so gear and system checks can be run.

Bord 25, seen past the noses of the Mig21 and L39 will have an engine test run while it is outside to keep its conservation up to date.



Jon supervises students and volunteers as they set up the jacks under the aircraft. The jacks contain a level and should be set precisely vertical before use. our student volunteers are from the Dallas School District Aviation program at Skyline High School.

A Clean Machine

Volunteers at the museum finished cleaning and polishing several more aircraft this weekend.

One of them was the CJ-6A, museum "Bord LN"

Our student volunteer Rene enjoyed a flight after a hard days work. The aircraft rely shine after these guys work them over and we appreciate their careful work.

Spring Cleaning

Even in hangers, airplanes get dirty. One of our regular chores is cleaning. There is something about a clean airplane that seems to attract dust. Fortunately these volunteers don't wear hobnail boots. Most of the L-29's we brought from Bulgaria were covered in scratches as crewmen climbed on the wings in hobnail boots to refuel them during winter training missions. This particular L-29 was originally an R model from Czechoslovakia.

Sean and Rene cleaning Delta-November

Scholarship Group Visits CWAM

Megan Hubbard is a student in the Aviation program at Mountain View College in Dallas. She received a $500.00 scholarship today from the Hella Flying Fezzes. After lunch and a presentation in the airport cafe, many of the group, including Professor of Aviation, Richard Parra, visited the Cold War Air Museum. Megan is shown here in the cockpit of our Mig-23. Congratulations, Megan!

Mountain View College is one of seven campuses in the Dallas County Community College system. The Aviation Program is part of the Career and Technical Education Division of the College. Professor Parra teaches many of the professional and advanced courses in the program.

The "Flying Fezzes" are an aviation interest group whose members are all Shriners. The "Shriners" are a fraternal organization known worldwide for creating and supporting the Shriners Hospitals for Children, a system of 22 hospitals worldwide providing care for children up to the age of 18 in a family-centered environment at no charge – regardless of financial need. Hella is the name of the Dallas branch of the Shriners.

Skyline High School Students

Aviation students from Skyline High School were out Saturday participating in the CWAM "MiG Mechanic Apprenticeship Program". Ok, we don't really have a MiG Mechanic Apprenticeship Program, but we can use all the help we can get! Sammie was back out to the museum this weekend and brought reinforcements.

The MiG-23 has new engine oil and the panels that were off for assembly are going back on. It's meticulous work... screws for each panel have to be located and matched for type, paint and length. Each screw is given a little dab of oil before going back on so that removing it later will be less of a challenge.

NOTAAM Meeting and MiG-23 Cockpit Pictures

The North Texas Association of Aviation Museums meeting was hosted by the CAF DFW Wing at Lancaster. After the meeting, a group came over to visit the Cold War Air Museum.

Sammie Perez, a student at Skyline High, a Dallas magnet school that has a Part 147 FAA A&P training program, took some pictures and sent them to us. Thanks Sammie! We haven't posted cockpit pictures of the MiG-23 before.


Somebody, somewhere has an explanation of why MiG chose this crazy color for all their cockpits. We're looking forward to matching it some day at the paint store. :-)

Update: Here's Sammie in the cockpit of the MiG-23.