MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- The pieces of aircraft, scattered parts and skeletons of airframes at the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum Restoration Shop may look like sights from a junkyard, but aircraft don’t go there to die, they go to live again.

The curators and crew of the museum aboard the air station locate, restore and display vintage aircraft to teach Marines and patrons about the history of Marine Corps aviation.

“Every person on this base is a part of Marine aviation history,” said Steve Smith, the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum curator. “There’s more to aviation than just the airplane, we’re trying to tell the whole story.”

The Museum is the only one in the world dedicated primarily to Marine Corps aviation. The National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Va., and the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Fla., loan the Flying Leatherneck the majority of its inventory.

Workers inspect an aircraft’s condition at the beginning of its restoration journey to determine what steps they will need to take to return it to its former glory. A four-person crew receives, restores and maintains all of the items and aircraft at the restoration shop’s 27,000 square feet warehouse.

The goal of the curators and crew is to restore the aircraft to its original state and best represent its era. “We’re representing the Marine Corps and if we don’t do that right then we’re in the wrong business,” said Smith. “It’s very important that when we roll out an airplane it’s dead on.”

Restoration shop workers often encounter problems such as locating parts, refitting pieces and matching paint schemes. “The most common problem with the aircraft is corrosion,” said Leon Simon, the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum Aviation Restoration Shop assistant curator.

Workers use ordered parts, or parts fabricated in the shop, to replace corroded pieces a sandblaster cannot easily clean.

Their final step is painting the aircraft. Workers reference the internet and research through on-site archives to match squadron logos and paint schemes that best represent the history of squadrons and aircraft.

With a new lease on life, the aircraft are proudly displayed to represent the historic story of Marine Corps aviation.

                                           -30-