Carolinas Aviation Museum set to break ground on new $30M facility this month
Construction will start this month to completely upgrade the Carolinas Aviation Museum, which houses a famous plane. The facility also will get renamed for a national hero and soon offer education programs, flight simulators and interactive exhibits.
Local and state officials are expected to gather on Sept. 27 for a groundbreaking of the $30 million, 105,000-square-foot facility next to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, according to a news release Tuesday from the museum.
The museum will be renamed to honor Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger who landed his US Airways Flight 1549 in 2009 on the Hudson River, saving all aboard the New York-to-Charlotte flight. The museum, which temporarily closed in 2019, has housed the “Miracle on the Hudson” plane.
The full name of the museum won’t be revealed until early next year, spokeswoman Clare Rizer told The Charlotte Observer.
The new museum site will span three buildings and include flight simulators, interactive exhibits and STEM education programs, the museum stated in its news release.
Construction is expected to be completed in two phases, with a museum opening date of late 2023. Museum officials expect the new campus will draw more than 15,000 students to STEM programming and career development labs.
There also will be an outdoor plaza with historic aircraft and a space to view the active runways and taxiways of the airport.
It will be at the W.P.A. Douglas hangar, which dates back to around 1936.
‘Living laboratory’
The museum will offer more than just a space to walk through and check out exhibits.
It’s being developed as part of an initiative led by UNC Charlotte called Charlotte Aviation Innovation and Research Institute. That means the museum will be used as a “living laboratory” for things like workforce development and research.
The museum intends to serve as a hub to inspire students to pursue careers in STEM, aerospace and aviation.
The project’s cost has been supported by public and private dollars. That includes $10 million in state funds thanks to an appropriation from the general fund in the 2022-23 budget. It also includes $3 million from Mecklenburg County and a $5 million matching grant from the airport and city of Charlotte’s non-taxpayer fund.
Honeywell donated $1.5 million. Red Ventures CEO Ric Elias donated $1 million, while one of his company’s brands, Lonely Planet, donated $500,000. Elias was on the plane when Sullenberger landed on the Hudson.
“Clearly (the donors) they see the impact this facility and its innovative programs will have, returning tremendous value for the investments being made,” Marc Oken, board and campaign chair for the Carolinas Aviation Museum said, according to the news release.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the source of some donated funds from Red Ventures CEO Ric Elias and one of his company’s brands. The story has been updated.
This story was originally published September 13, 2022 at 11:34 AM with the headline "Carolinas Aviation Museum set to break ground on new $30M facility this month."
