SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The San Diego Air & Space Museum is inviting the public into its restoration shop for the very first time, offering a behind-the-scenes look at where aviation history is being rebuilt by hand.
When visitors head downstairs, they are surrounded by aircraft in various stages of restoration — all works in progress. Among them is the Hughes H-1 Racer, a one-of-a-kind plane that set a record for the fastest cross-country flight when it was built. The museum's team is remaking it by hand using images from the National Air and Space Museum, where the original is on display.
All of that painstaking work is being done by volunteers. The museum's President and CEO Jim Kidrick says it's time for their work to be recognized.
"I think that we all came to a mutual decision as a team just to say, hey, time to open it up, time to show them our soul, who we are, and share with them something that they don't get anywhere else,"
One of those volunteers is Bob Parker. At 83 years old, Parker has been volunteering at the restoration shop for 18 years. A former supermarket manager, he turned to aviation after retiring, found the restoration shop, and hasn't looked back.
"To be able to come here and have a part of building something that's going to last for a long, long time and to be able to bring people in and say, hey, I had a hand in building this — it's neat," Parker said.
Beyond the aircraft, visitors on the tour will also get to see engines being rebuilt, learn about the mechanics behind them, and view some of the shop's work on Ripley's Believe It or Not cars.
Tours begin Monday, Aug. 3, and will be offered on Mondays and Wednesdays. The tour costs an additional $10. The CEO of the Air and Space Museum believes it is an experience visitors won't forget.
More information: https://sandiegoairandspace.org.
