Exciting developments are underway at the Hickory Regional Airport, where the future home of the Hickory Aviation Museum is beginning to take shape. On October 26, 2023, representatives from the City of Hickory, the Hickory Aviation Museum, and Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC) gathered to break ground on a landmark facility that will fuse the preservation of aviation history with hands-on education. This collaborative effort, uniting the City of Hickory, the Sabre Society of North Carolina (which operates the museum), and CVCC, aims to create a dynamic space for showcasing vintage military aircraft and advancing STEM-focused workforce training.
Since that milestone, construction has steadily progressed, and recent updates from the museum’s social media channels reveal that the first aircraft are now being moved into the new building. These aircraft are being carefully stored to protect them from ongoing construction activities, while tradespeople continue the meticulous work required to bring the new museum to life.
The first aircraft to enter the facility was an FM-2 Wildcat, Bureau Number 16278, built by General Motors’ Eastern Aircraft Division. This rugged World War II fighter flew combat missions in the Pacific Theater before being reassigned as a training aircraft at NAS Glenview, Illinois. In 1946, it crashed into Lake Michigan, where it remained submerged until its recovery in the early 1990s. After a thorough restoration by the National Naval Aviation Museum, the Wildcat joined the Hickory Aviation Museum collection in 2021.
Following closely was the TO-1/TV-1 “Shooting Star,” a U.S. Navy variant of the Lockheed P-80 jet. Bearing Bureau Number 29689, this aircraft was originally built in 1945 for the U.S. Army Air Forces before its conversion for naval service. Many aviation enthusiasts will recognize it from its time in the iconic Walter Soplata Collection in Ohio, where it was painted blue and marked with the number “689” on the fuselage. The museum acquired this rare early jet in 2022.
The museum’s new facility isn’t just about preserving history—it’s also about preparing the next generation. Through its partnership with CVCC, the museum will support programs at the college’s Workforce Innovation Center. Starting this fall, CVCC will offer training in marine engine systems and boat propulsion, with future plans to expand into aviation maintenance education. In 2024, the museum continued to grow its collection with the addition of a de Havilland Otter and an AV-8B Harrier, further strengthening its role as a regional hub for aviation heritage and hands-on learning. To follow the museum’s progress or support its mission, visit www.hickoryaviationmuseum.org.
**UPDATE** After the article was published, we learned that museum volunteers moved the Turbo Mentor, de Havilland Otter, AV-8B Harrier II, and the F/A-18 Hornet Blue Angel #5 indoors on Friday.
