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The Tillamook Naval Air Station Museum, located near the Pacific Coast in Tillamook, Oregon, features one of the finest privately owned collection
of operational Warbirds in the nation. This collection is housed and displayed in a WWII Blimp Hangar (one of two used during the war to house the K-Ship blimps employed in coastal patrol duties). This structure happens
to be the largest clear span wood structure in the world! The second blimp hangar at the site burned to the ground in 1992. Most of the display aircraft are maintained in flying condition, which they can frequently be
found to be doing during the spring and summer months. The Museum is non-profit and is operated by the Port of Tillamook Bay.
Unfortunately, the Tillamook NAS site may be best known to aviation enthusiasts outside the
area as the last airfield that aviation historian and writer Jeff Ethel took off from. Jeff had used the 4000 ft Tillamook NAS air strip while filming the Lockheed P-38 segment for his "Roaring Glory Warbirds"
television program. He was killed in the crash of the P-38 Lightning he was flying. His father, a WWII P-38 pilot, was in attendance when the incident happened. |
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