museum’s flight simulator, you can
virtually take off from the San Martin
airport and fly over the Santa Clara
Valley, which is a lot harder than it
seems! Not only will you gain an
appreciation for the skill and knowl-
edge that every pilot must possess, but
you might get a sense of whether you
have what it takes to be a pilot as well.
When you step into the museum’s
Ole Fahlin Memorial Propeller Shop,
you’ll find members hard at work
crafting old fashioned propellers.
This is the only FAA-approved repair
station on the West Coast and it
specializes in custom-built, experimen-
tal, and antique wooden propellers.
The shop has repaired propellers from
all over the world, including two for
the Smithsonian and two for the Glen
H. Curtiss Museum. Members like
Herb Robbins are always happy to
receive visitors and show what goes
into the making of propellers. He may
also crack an aviation joke or two and
challenge you with a science question.
“When the kids come in, I like to give
them little lessons on physics,” he said
with a chuckle.
Those thirsting for more aviation
knowledge can find a plethora of
information at the Wings of History
Museum’s library. The library consists
entirely of donated material and
features over 4,000 hardbound books.
Some of their books date back to the
WWI era and you can find a variety
of biographies and autobiographies, as
well as pilot flight manuals and engine
and airframe manuals. But for the
museum’s librarians, the real gem is
the aircraft magazine collection. Over
the years the museum has collected
32
more than 125 titles, many of which
are missing a number of issues. “One
of the most exciting things we ever
received was an issue that dated
back to 1916 – 1917 and it was in
great condition,” Norm Zimmerman
recounted with a smile, “When we get
an issue that’s been missing like that
it’s like giving me a key to the
kingdom.”
To celebrate the spirit of flight,
the Wings of History Museum will
be hosting its 15th Annual Fly-In and
Open House on May 30th. Food is
available all day and there are dozens of
fun things to see and do. At 7:00 am,
when the air is typically calm, people
can float in the sky in a hot air balloon.
Visitors are given free admission to
the museum and all of the San Martin
Airfield displays. The museum mem-
bers have a great time showing people
the wonders of flight and they offer fun
activities for kids, such as rib building,
making model airplanes, a scavenger
hunt, and a maze. Kids who are a
part of the Young Eagles Program and
are between the ages of 8 – 17 get a
free flight! In addition to the aircraft
displays, there will also be antique cars
and old farm equipment on display.
The event is open to the public. Due
to the event’s popularity, the museum
gladly welcomes volunteers for the day
of the event, as well as the day before
for set up.
Whether you’re looking for a fun
family outing or you’re an aviation
enthusiast looking to share stories
abou