Statement of Purpose: To commemorate the Minter Field training base of WWII and document the role of aviation in the lives of the people of Kern County and Southern California.

Minter Field is base for many flying WWII aircraft, including Stearmans, Ryans, Stinsons, North American AT-6s, and Harvard, and a P-51 Mustang. Minter Field is the home of Reno Air Race Champions Bill "Tiger" Destefani and "Strega", and 8 time winner Eddie Van Fossen who flew the AT-6 "Miss T-N-T", which are included in tours. The field is known for many restoration companies who specialize in Warbirds and Antiques.

The Museum is currently restoring 2 period aircraft: an Aeronca L3B "Grasshopper" and a Vultee BT-13 Valiant". New to our collection is a 1928 design Pietenpol Sky Camper, recently built and donated for display.  Inside is a nearly completed Link Trainer. We are also renovating an original 1945 Minter Field GMC fire truck to go along with the 2 operational jeeps: a Ford and a yellow Willys "Follow Me", plus an original 1940s era Plymouth Staff car that was stationed at Gardner Field in Taft, CA. We have several other vehicles waiting for their turn for restoration.

Highlights: The Museum is housed in the original fire station, built at Minter field in 1941. It is the last examples of this architecture left on the field. The base was a major basic training facility where nearly 12,000 pilots received basic training in BT-13s, UC-78's, AT-6s, P-38s and B-25s.

Exhibits: The Museum houses artifacts and photographs of the men and women who were stationed here as well as other military eras. Artifacts include military uniforms, radio equipment, a Link Tranier, a Norden Bomb Sight; Medals and Patches, Echelons (Class Books), Snap Roll Newsletters, hundreds of photographs and documents, and beautiful aviation art.
The Museum features a wonderful collection of models of aircraft and military vehicles.  There are several recreations of historic aircraft, ships, and even a German Railroad cannon.
The Museum has a new database of over 9,000 names of staff and cadets who were at Minter Field. Many include pictures in class books. There is also a DVD library of over 700 hours of military and aviation videos, cataloged by subject and names.