Adam Estes

About Adam Estes

Raised in Fullerton, California, Adam has earned a bachelor's degree in history and is now pursuing his master's in the same field. Fascinated by aviation history from a young age, he has visited numerous air museums across the United States, including the National Air and Space Museum and the San Diego Air and Space Museum. He volunteers at the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino as a docent and researcher, gaining hands-on experience with aircraft maintenance. Known for his encyclopedic knowledge of aviation history, he is particularly interested in the stories of individual aircraft and their postwar journeys. Active in online aviation communities, he shares his work widely and seeks further opportunities in the field.

Aviation Museum News

Profile Report: Santa Maria Museum of Flight

April 5, 2023 Adam Estes 0

by Adam Estes The Central Coast of California between San Francisco and Los Angeles is well known for its spectacular ocean vistas, historic sites such as Hearst Castle, and the patchwork of award-winning vineyards scattered […]

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NMUSAF Curtiss Jenny Restoration Update

March 9, 2023 Adam Estes 0

A few weeks ago, we published a story by Adam Estes describing the history of the original Curtiss JN-4D Jenny presently undergoing restoration at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. […]

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Kermit Weeks’ A-26 Invader Flies

February 25, 2023 Adam Estes 7

by Richard Mallory Allnutt (Chief Editor) Kermit Weeks’ Douglas A-26B Invader (41-39401) made its first successful post-restoration flight on February 20th, 2023, making a thirty-minute hop from Chino Airport in Chino, California. Aero Trader performed […]

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National Museum of the U.S. Air Force – Updates in the Early Years Gallery

February 21, 2023 Adam Estes 0

by Adam Estes Prompted by centenary commemorations for historic milestones of the First World War in recent years, many museums chose to revamp some of their exhibits celebrating the sacrifices involved in that conflict; the […]

Planes of Fame A-26 Invader to Fly Again!

January 20, 2023 Adam Estes 1

by Adam Estes Most readers will know that, for the past half century, the legendary Planes of Fame Air Museum has based the majority of their collection at Chino Airport in San Bernardino County, California. Less well […]

Planes of Fame to Build New Facility in Santa Maria, California

January 13, 2023 Adam Estes 0

by Adam Estes After a multi-year effort, Planes of Fame Air Museum recently announced plans to expand their presence into California’s Central Coast region, selecting a site for a new facility which they will construct at […]

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F-86A Sabre Restoration at March Field Air Museum

December 26, 2022 Adam Estes 1

by Adam Estes A rare North American F-86A Sabre, albeit one with a somewhat existential identity, is among several restoration projects presently underway at the March Field Air Museum in Riverside, California. The aircraft has only […]

Freshly Restored Douglas A-1H Skyraider Unveiled at NMUSAF

November 22, 2022 Adam Estes 0

by Richard Mallory Allnutt (Editor) Back in June, we published Adam Estes’ marvelous article detailing the history and preservation status of Douglas A-1H Skyraider BuNo.134600, a former U.S. Navy example which went on to serve […]

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The City of Irvine’s Lockheed PV-1 Ventura

October 31, 2022 Adam Estes 17

by Adam Estes With the Flying Leathernecks Aviation Museum edging closer to reopening at its original home within the grounds of former Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) El Toro in Irvine, California, it is interesting […]

USAF Museum Curtiss JN 4D Jenny Restoration 2

NMUSAF Curtiss JN-4D Jenny Restoration

September 13, 2022 Adam Estes 0

by Adam Estes In the last four years, specialist technicians at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force (NMUSAF) in Dayton, Ohio have refurbished several WWI-era aircraft, including an Avro 504K and Thomas-Morse S4C Scout. […]