The National Museum of the US Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, opened the doors to its new, fourth hangar this week. Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James and Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh took part in the grand opening ceremony on Tuesday, according to a release. The public was granted access starting on Wednesday. The 224,000 square foot building displays the VC-137C (SAM 26000) that flew John F. Kennedy’s body to Washington, D.C., the C-141C Hanoi Taxi, the only remaining XB-70 Valkyrie, and a 96-ton Titan IVB space launch vehicle, along with many other aircraft, vehicles, and artifacts. Welsh on Tuesday unveiled the names for each of the building’s four galleries—Maj. Gen. Albert Boyd and Maj. Gen. Fred Ascani Research and Development Gallery, Allan and Malcolm Lockheed and Glenn Martin Space Gallery, William E. Boeing Presidential Gallery, and the Lt. Gen. William H. Tunner Global Reach Gallery, according to the release. The hanga?r also houses three STEM learning nodes.
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
