The Long Island Early Fliers Club has kicked off its effort to establish an aviation museum at the Bayport Aerodrome in Bayport. Once the site clearing work is completed a hangar structure will be built to house memorabilia and aviation artifacts.
The group is one of three aviation organizations at the aerodrome and is focused on promoting public education. It is a non-profit education corporation formed in 1958. The group collects aviation memorabilia and restore these items, whenever possible, to museum quality.
"Some examples of our work are Charles Lindbergh’s Jenny that is on loan to the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, along with an additional Jenny fuselage that is displayed, without fabric, to show how it was constructed," Second Vice President Fred Coste told Patch in an email.
"In addition, a stroll through the passenger terminal at L.I. MacArthur Airport, will allow people to view our life size 1909 Bleriot replica, which was the first plane to fly across the English Channel in 1911."
Coste said the group is building the new hangar as it needs more space for, not only for its collection, but also to work on the items it hopes to display around the country.
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The club is also interested in developing programs that it can provide to local school districts that will inspire students to seek out careers in the aviation industry.
According to Coste, the new hangar project has been presented on two different occasions, in the past two years to the Bayport Civic Association
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"We look forward to welcoming community members to our new, larger home at the Bayport Aerodrome," said Coste.
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