Vintage Aero Flying Museum

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Vintage Aero Flying Museum, (VAFM) formally LaFayette¹ Escadrille Flying Museum is Colorado's international aviation museum at Platte Valley Airport, 4 miles NW of Hudson, Colorado and 40 miles NE of Denver, Colorado 303-668-8044.

Mr. Andy Park, son of the last WWI Lafayette Escadrille member that 'flew west', Dr. James Park², maintains the legacy and history of the LaFayette Escadrille pilots. The collection of each of these pilots' original uniforms and memorabilia are on display in custom cabinets in a secured hangar of WWI aircraft. The detailed history of these great men can be seen and experienced in this setting. There is no other collection of this magnitude exists in the world today. The Parks have created a world class museum in a rural setting, much like a French rural WWI air field, at the Platte Valley Airport. VAFM is a 501C(3) non-profit organization.

Contents 1 Flying aircraft on display 2 Related Wikipedia articles 3 External Web Sites of Colorado 4 External Web Site References 5 Footnotes

[edit] Flying aircraft on display

• 1917 Fokker Dr.I (replica),
• 1918 Fokker D.VII,
• 1917 Sopwith Pup,
• 1917 SE5a

Other flying aircaft are displayed and others are going through restorations (Fokker D.VIII).

[edit] Related Wikipedia articles

• Colorado Aviation Historical Society
• Pueblo Historical Aircraft Society
• Peterson Air and Space Museum
• Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum
• Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum

[edit] External Web Sites of Colorado

• Colorado Aviation Historical Society, Denver, CO
• Peterson Air and Space Museum, Colorado Springs, CO
• Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Musuem, Pueblo, CO
• Vinetage Aero Flying Museum, Hudson, CO
• Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum, Denver, CO

[edit] External Web Site References

• Lafayette Pilots' Memorial
• History of the Escadrille
• New England Air Museum's Lafayette Escadrille Online Exhibit
• Motivations of the Lafayette Escadrille Pilots by Guy Nasuti

[edit] Footnotes

• ¹History behind the capital "F" in LaFayette:

There are two different usages of Lafayette and LaFayette. The capital F comes from the French spelling as written on the French Air Corp certificates as presented to each flyer of the Escadrille. The LaFayette Foundation decided to use the capital F in many of their documents and writings. Other authors and the general public will use the small F for their writings and general reference to L.E. The French General, LaFayette was the origin name when the French Air Corp renamed the Americana Escadrille to LaFayette Escadrille in honor of General LaFayette who helped General George Washington in the American Revolution.

• ²In 1983 during this late L.E. reunion that the surviving members of the Corps made Dr. James Parks an Honorary Member #9 of the Corp.