Cold War Air Museum invited to DFW Aviation Expo

DFW International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration and American Airlines are pleased to invite students, ages Elementary through High School and College, to attend the Sixth Annual Career Expo at DFW Airport.

Last year, more than 4,000 students attended the event which includes tables of college and career recruiters and advisers as well as modern and vintage aircraft, located both indoors and out.

This year, the Cold War Air Museum has been invited to participate. We have supported other Career Events at Lancaster and other local airports, but this will be the biggest such event for us to date.



Our Mi-2 will be flying over for the event. Our story reinforces the utility of military and civilian aircraft around the world and the shortage of, and high demand for, aircraft mechanics, technicians and pilots worldwide.

Mil Mi-2, Bord 212 next up

At the Cold War Air Museum, we're getting a lot of experience with our Mi-2s. We learn as much as we can from former field and factory techs that contact us and visit. You can share your experience and stories by contacting us at the museum as others have done.

Our local techs and mechanics have also applied lots of their experience at dealing with problems that occur in aging aircraft everywhere. Opening and inspecting the fuel bay for corrosion is now a standard procedure for Charles. We are fortunate to have his experience and skills. Sometimes we don't know what we must deal with inside until we get down to bare metal.

Getting down to the bare metal requires quite a bit of work and and if there are indications it is necessary, we also remove the external stiffeners (hats) to inspect the area beneath.

After evaluating the work to be done, to patch or replace, the decision was made to replace a section of the skin on 212 as we did with Bord 211. This requires suspending the Mil so we can safely remove more of the structure. Work is proceeding as shown in the earlier posts on Bord 211.

Mil Mi-2, Bord 213 nears operational readiness

Another Cold War Air Museum, Mi-2 is near her FAA sign-off.


The bright tail rotor on 213 stands out. The colors distinctively identify this tail rotor as having once been destined for a German base. Pete shows the relative size of the aircraft and where we have some clean-up left to do.


In order to show the ships tail, the first picture above violated the photographer's dictum that "you should never take a photograph of a woman or an airplane from behind".To make up for that first picture, here is another. Paint touch-up will come after everything else is done.


Like her sister ship 211, Bord 213 will soon have a basic complement of U.S. compatible radios. The instrument panel hinges forward to allow access behind the panel. Power for the soon-to-be panel mounted radios is being run from the communications breaker panel above the pilot on the left.

Supersonic Cowboys - Captain Ron Knott

The F-8 Crusader was the first operational fighter with a top speed in excess of 1,000 mph and the last American fighter with guns as a primary weapon.

Ron Knott, author of Supersonic Cowboys, a compilation of stories about the valiant F-8 and her pilots, found us this weekend.

Ron's book is available through his web site, where more information can be found about Ron, his book and his support for our country. We appreciate Ron's visit and we honor Ron and all those whose stories are told in Supersonic Cowboys.


Ron's son Kerry, a private pilot, got a taste for fast flight in an L29 trainer. As a flying museum, we value seeing this kind of experience passed from generation to generation.

68SJ is one of the L29's actively flying at Lancaster. Currently there are four U.S. licensed L29s with eight rated pilots based at the airport. No longer showing her Bulgarian colors, Bord 45 is now painted in a unique design created by her local pilot team.

Following Kerry's flight Sunday morning, another group arrived Sunday afternoon. On those occasions when someone has the opportunity to fly with one of the pilots of these aircraft, friends and family may come to share in a unique, generally once-in-a-lifetime, experience.

These kids are sharing dad's fun along with other family members through 68SJ's on-board cameras.

This kind of second life for these former soviet block jets could hardly have been envisioned by their designers and former flight crews.