Tumwater Tutors Come To You

Aviation enthusiasts love visiting the Olympic Flight Museum in Tumwater, Washington, located on the east side of the Olympia Regional Airport. The non-profit organization’s mission is to both preserve and fly vintage aircraft. Museum volunteers are skilled at introducing not only the history of the planes, but also of the pilots. To maximize time at the museum, students should work with a Tumwater tutor to keep homework under control and maximize museum time.

Established in 1998, the museum features a collection of aircraft from pre-World War II biplanes to Vietnam-era helicopters. Most of the aircraft are in flying condition. Their interiors have also been through extensive restoration. A rotating selection of aircraft can be observed in the main hanger and may include FG-1D Corsair and P-51 Mustang fighter planes, UH-1 Huey and H-43 Huskie helicopters, and many more. Visitors to the museum also get to see a large collection of scale models, engine displays, photos, patches, letters, uniforms, personal effects, and WWII artifacts.

One of the most poignant exhibits details the service of Thomas Churchill Nelson, Jr., Aviation Radioman First Class, U.S. Naval Reserve, whose plane was shot down in the Battle of Santa Cruz on October 26, 1942. Nelson’s wife, Mrs. Sybil Dorothy Nelson, was informed by the Secretary of the Navy one year later that her husband was considered deceased. Six months later, however, Nelson was reported as being a prisoner of war in Tokyo. After the crash, Nelson had been found alive and afloat in the Pacific Ocean and was captured by the Japanese Navy, who confined him to a war camp. The exhibit includes a letter written to Nelson by President Harry Truman on November 23, 1945, expressing joy at Nelson’s safe return to America and thanking him for his service.

Some of the museum’s heritage aircraft from WWII, Korea, and Vietnam eras are flown at an annual airshow hosted by the museum. The show also features some eighteen aerobatic performers by well-known air-show performers. Air show visitors can also view vintage military aircraft from most military branches and a representation of a World War II camp with authentic military vehicles and personnel costumed in proper historic uniforms. The show is one of only a few flying events remaining in Western Washington. Due to costs of operations, insurance, fuel, and development, the majority have gone by the wayside.

Visiting the museum is sure to awaken an appreciation for the aviation pioneers who made flight possible and the military personnel who protected the United States. Tumwater tutors and teachers can use the museum’s displays to teach students about aviation from different eras.