Charlotte aviation museum named for famed Captain Sully opens new gallery
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Nearly 100,000 people have visited the museum since it opened last June with a new name and a new facility. Photo: Ashley Mahoney/Axios
Sullenberger Aviation Museum's new gallery opens inside a 1930s hangar on Saturday, May 31.
Why it matters: This latest section of the museum to open will showcase a range of commercial and military planes.
Catch up quick: Sullenberger Aviation Museum reopened last June with a new name and a new home. The museum's name honors Captain C.B. "Sully" Sullenberger, the pilot who safely landed the Charlotte-bound U.S. Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River.
- You may know the 2009 flight as "Miracle on the Hudson."
- The aircraft from Flight 1549 can be seen in the museum's adjacent main gallery.
The latest: The Navy/Marine Corps Gallery is housed inside the W.P.A. Douglas hangar, which was the original home of the museum. Now the hangar will tell Charlotte Douglas International Airport's story and its influence on the city, museum president Stephen Saucier says.
What to expect: The hangar was built in 1936 as part of the Works Progress Administration, making it an artifact in and of itself, Saucier says.
- The gallery includes seven aircraft, with everything from commercial aircraft like a Piedmont Airlines DC-3 to military aircraft like the F-84 Thunderjet.
- One plane has been converted into a two-person flight simulator.
By the numbers: $34 million was raised to build the current iteration of the museum, including $5 million from Charlotte Douglas International Airport's Cannon Fund. The airport renovated the hangar shell, Saucier says.
- It cost roughly $1.5 million for the museum to bring the gallery to life, per Saucier.
If you go: Saturday's grand opening starts at 9am for museum members and 10am for nonmembers. There will be food trucks.
- Sullenberger Aviation Museum is at 4108 Minuteman Way near CLT.
- Tickets are $24 for those over age 18, $20 for seniors (65+), $18 for ages 5-17, free for children younger than 5 years old, $20 for military members (active or veterans), $20 for aviation professionals and $20 for educators.
What's next: The museum will launch summer camps for 4th-8th grade students this year with a focus on STEM education and aviation.
Take a look around the "Aviation City" exhibit.
Go deeper: See inside the Charlotte aviation museum named for famous Captain Sully