Moving day at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum

Thursday, September 22nd 2005, 10:00 am

By: News On 6

Tulsaâ€™s Vision 2025 sales tax money is hard at work. Construction on the Tulsa Air and Space Museum is far enough along to begin the process of moving aircraft to the new facility.

As News on 6 reporter Rick Wells explains, the first order of business, get the biggest plane in first.

Its moving day at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum and the big project is to get this F-14 Tomcat out of the old museum and towed over to the new one. Easier said than done. Once out we can tell you, this part of the project was a bit of a logistics headache. TASM curator Kim Jones: "Our F-14 was the last thing to come out of the old museum, but the first thing that needs to come in here."

So, they had to move all the smaller planes out first and stage them somewhere else on the airport. The F-14 Tomcat is on loan from the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida. Odd to see a supersonic aircraft creeping along the tarmac.

Actually moving aircraft into the new facility is a special day for everyone out here, particularly for founding chairman Lee Raney. "It's an emotional moment it kind of brings tears to your eyes a little bit."

The new facilities will almost double the size of the old museum, plenty of room for exhibits as well as classroom space to help introduce and education kids about aviation and space flight.

Construction is continuing on the museum's planetarium with its Electric Sky Theater, one of only two of those in the world. The Tomcat almost ready, gets a final bath and clean up before it's rolled into its new home.

Vision 2025 money and private donations are building the Electric Sky Planetarium, it will open in March. The museum's grand opening is set for November 12th - 20th.