The Inspire Aviation Foundation has become the custodian of the Naval Air Station Atlanta Archives after their donation by the  Naval Air Station Atlanta Reunion Group. This group is comprised of U.S. Navy veterans who served at NAS Atlanta from 1941 to 2009; many of them contributed to the archive with donated photographs, newspaper clippings and artifacts which all related to their time at the former NAS Atlanta. The reunion group formed in 1959 when the air base moved from its original location in Chamblee, Georgia (now Dekalb-Peachtree Airport) to a consolidated airfield with the U.S. Air Force in nearby Marietta (now known as Dobbins Air Reserve Base). The first NAS Atlanta reunion took place in 1960 and they have continued each year ever since. NAS Atlanta formally ceased operations in 2009, handing over its facility to the National Guard.

The NAS Atlanta archives include hundreds of fascinating original photos, base programs and directories, promotional literature, along with engineering and architectural drawings for the construction of the original WWII-era Naval Air Station in Chamblee. The Inspire Aviation Foundation plans to digitize the original photographs and documents for future access and exhibition and to properly store the originals. This requires a specific photographic process and archival preservation supplies to store the paper documents.

Once the project is completed, the Inspire Aviation Foundation will develop a historical ground tour for the airport (DeKalb-Peachtree Airport) with an accompanying book about NAS Atlanta and its legacy as its guide. The material from the NAS Atlanta Reunion Group Archive will contribute to the production of an exhibit at the future Atlanta Air and Space Museum, dedicated to NAS Atlanta and modern-day Dekalb-Peachtree Airport.

The projected cost for this conservation and photography project is $3,500, and the Inspire Aviation Foundation would very much appreciate contributions to help preserve these important documents and images for generations to come.  

You can donate by clicking HERE

Inspire Aviation Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to bringing a world-class air and space museum and educational center to the Atlanta metro area. It recently conducted the next step in this development process with the launch of a master study to evaluate the feasibility of the museum and educational campus at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport.