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Help save this historic little Cessna

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aerog

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The airplane club I'm a member of is trying to save a <span style="font-style: italic">British</span> 1966 Reims Cessna 150. In 1980 Janette Schönburg flew the little two-seat trainer was from London England to Darwin, Australia, solo.

After returning to England the airplane was damaged in a storm and then put on display in the London Science Museum. It was used as static display that museum patrons could sit in to get a feel for the airplane. Eventually they closed the exhibit and it seemed certain the airplane was destined for the scrap yard.

Not long ago the situation was discovered by one of the club members and the US-based Cessna 150/152 club took ownership of the airplane. The plan is to ship the airplane to a club member's hangar in Florida where it will be restored to the way it looked for that historic 11,000 mile trip. The goal is to have it flying to be displayed at the nation's two largest sport-flying events in Lakeland, Florida and Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

This is "everyone's airplane" and it proves that if you set your mind to doing something, anything is possible.

Already an engine core has been donated but the club needs additional funds to move the airplane from London to Florida. It needs to be out of the museum by <span style="font-weight: bold">September 3</span>.

If you're an aviation enthusiast and would like to donate - or know someone that would - please check out the G-AWAW website, donations are accepted there via paypal or mail. Rescue G-AWAW also has a Facebook page.

<span style="font-weight: bold">THANKS!</span>

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Many thanks!

They're trying to see if "The Sun" will help out too. Fingers crossed.
 
I don't have any money to contribute, or I would.

I like to see historically-significant civilian aircraft honored. Seems like most people just want to see military stuff in museums.

I was on a tour of Silver Hill with my class. We came to the 180 that circumnavigated the world and the Docent said, "I don't even know why we have this."

It flew around the world, knucklehead! Just because it didn't kill people doesn't mean the Smithsonian shouldn't have it!
 
OK, here's something sort of funny.

We have family friends who live in Virginia who used to own the Miles Mohawk that Charles Lindberg flew around Europe in before WW II.

The plane was a mess when they got it and they were trying to restore it......but the husband was getting older and less-able to work on it. They couldn't find anyone who wanted it, so they ended up sending it to a museum in England where it was restored and (I think) is on display.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miles_Mohawk
 
That was a one-off custom built plane by Miles too. Truly unique.
 
Here it is, a thing of beauty! In a British museum. PJ

MilesMohawk.jpg
 
I've always thought that Miles were very stylish aircraft.

I think it's interesting to note that Miles produced the first ball-point pen, the Biro, when orders for aircraft slowed.

Having been laid-off from an aircraft manufacturer, I'm always interested in what other products an aircraft maker can produce when orders are slow so they can keep the plant open and workers employed.
 
How do y'all plan on getting it back over here, flying it or dismanteling it and shipping?
 
The fund-raiser is to get it to the US "as is". The aircraft will be crated and shipped to a club member in Florida then stored and worked on here. It will be trailered to fly-ins until the restoration is complete, then it'll be flown to them. Once the project is complete I'm sure it'll be in a museum (either in Florida or Wisconsin), but it hasn't really gotten that far along yet.
 
In case there's some confusion for those reading the end of the thread, the donations are for a Cessna 150 - not the Miles :wink:
 
Update:

Thanks to everyone involved, the airplane has been moved out of the museum and is being packed up for shipping. It will soon be on it's way to the US for full restoration!

Here's the airplane (and Jan) in London yesterday as they were loading everything into a shipping container.

990728620_weV4F-M.jpg
 
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