A Quick Background of Aviation Heritage Group

Quick Links:

• Revised Bylaws - December 2006 Revisions to the March 2006 bylaws, marked in red, are subject to membership approval at the April 1, 2007 Annual Meeting.
• Printable Membership Application
• Revised Membership Classes and Qualifications - December 2006

The membership charged the Interim Board with the responsibility of more clearly defining the qualifications necessary for individual membership, and also clarifying the rights and privileges of members representing commercial or for-profit enterprises.

Those proposed revisions to the classes and qualifications for membership may be found here. Once approved, they will become Article II, Section II of the Bylaws.

The Interim Board was also responsible for assembling a slate of candidates to fill out the 11-person Board of Governors, to be elected by e-mail prior to the end of 2006. Members will also be asked to approve the revised bylaws in this same election.

The Interim Board (listed above) will continue to operate AHG until the next Annual Meeting, scheduled for Sunday afternoon, April 1, 2007 at 3PM at the Town and Country Hotel, 500 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, California 92108.

AHG Launch - 2005

During the Mutual Concerns of Air and Space Museums Seminar at Seattle in March 2005, a group of participants met to discuss the possibility of establishing a new association to serve the collective needs of the international aerospace heritage community. A committee of six museum professionals met at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo in August 2005 to develop a concept for the new organization. The group consisted of:

• Bob Elllis, Kalamazoo Air Zoo
• Ben Kristy, Evergreen Air Museum
• Frank Lennon, USS Saratoga Museum Foundation
• Bill Sheridan, Quonset Air Museum
• Adam Smith, EAA AirVenture Museum
• Tony Smyth, Canada Aviation Museum

This meeting resulted in the formation of the Aviation Heritage Group (AHG) with the following goals:

• To educate its members about best practices for them to employ as they inform the public about the role that aviation and space exploration have played in world history;
   
• To act as the unified voice of the aviation heritage community on matters of mutual concern, not only in the United States but worldwide;
   
• To communicate and encourage the use of the best professional standards in the preservation, restoration and display of artifacts and memorabilia;
   
• To act as a clearinghouse for information, products and services that may help institutional members manage and operate their facilities in more cost-efficient and professional ways;
   
• To host meetings, events and other networking opportunities to facilitate an exchange of information;
   
• To provide a tangible return on the membership investment by offering benefits that save money, save time and increase revenue;
   
• To help members do all they can to ensure that future generations never forget the sacrifices of those who have gone before.

The organizing committee hosted a charter membership meeting at the 2006 Mutual Concerns seminar in Washington, DC. A report on the successful launch can be found here.

At the 2006 public meeting, the charter members approved draft bylaws, subject to clarification of certain membership categories and privileges. Those approved bylaws (March 2006 version) can be viewed in their entirety here.