Flightline Summer 2026
Hangar Party, New Exhibits and More!
The food is ordered, the band is booked, the beverages are chilling, and special aircraft are making plans to fly in for one of Bowling Green’s favorite traditions: Hangar Party 2026.
If you’ve attended before, you know it is more than a fundraiser. It’s part community celebration, part backyard BBQ on a grand scale, and part tribute to the American aviators who have defended our freedoms. Most importantly, it helps Aviation Heritage Park & Museum continue preserving stories, inspiring young people, and creating experiences that connect generations through aviation history.
This year’s Hangar Party is especially meaningful because it is part of Bowling Green’s America 250 celebration, commemorating our nation’s 250th birthday. We are proud to be part of this historic milestone and look forward to celebrating it with our community.
If you haven’t purchased tickets or sponsored a table, there is still time to join us for Hangar Party 2026: American Air Power, Anytime, Anywhere on June 20 from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Bowling Green-Warren County Regional Airport.
In this issue of Flightline, you’ll meet five remarkable aviators who will be honored at this year’s Hangar Party, learn about our summer STEM programs, discover how local students are visiting the Museum through grant-funded field trips, revisit a memorable reunion connected to the origins of Aviation Heritage Park, and learn how you can help us honor military families in an upcoming exhibit.
On behalf of our staff, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters, thank you for being part of the Aviation Heritage Park & Museum family.
Bob Bubnis
Executive Director
Five Aviators to Be Honored at Hangar Party 2026
One thing that continues to amaze visitors is the number of extraordinary aviators who have come from South Central Kentucky.
From Willa Brown, who helped break barriers in aviation while serving her country during World War II, to Terry Wilcutt, who flew four missions aboard the Space Shuttle, our region has produced individuals whose accomplishments reached far beyond Kentucky.
This year, Aviation Heritage Park & Museum is proud to honor five local aviators whose service, leadership, and achievements represent the very best of that legacy. Three of these honorees will be featured in new exhibits opening July 4 at the Museum, with additional exhibits to follow.
Lt. Col. Gerald Roark
KC-135 and EC-135 Command Pilot and founding airborne operations leader for U.S. Central Command. More information.
CWO3 Charles Browning
Vietnam combat assault helicopter pilot who flew dangerous missions during Operation Lam Son 719. More information.
CW4 Timothy “T-Bone” Vincent
U.S. Army Ranger and Apache pilot who fired the opening shots of Operation Desert Storm. More information.
Lt. Col. Nathan Baker
EA-6B Prowler pilot, Combat Mission Commander, and Iraq and Afghanistan veteran. More information.
Lt. Col. Roy D. Simmons
World War II combat reconnaissance pilot and recipient of France’s Legion of Honor. More information.
We invite you to learn more about these remarkable aviators and join us as we recognize them during Hangar Party 2026.
Summer STEM Camps Nearly Full
One of the most rewarding ways Aviation Heritage Park & Museum serves the community is through our STEM education programs.
Interest in our 2026 STEM Camps has been tremendous. Most camps are completely full, and only a few seats remain in Aviation Camp CHUCK on July 6. If you are interested in Aviation Camp CHUCK or joining a waitlist for another camp, please visit AHPcamp.com.
This year we nearly doubled our camp offerings and expanded them from half-day programs into full-day learning experiences focused on aviation, robotics, rocketry, and drone technology.
Thanks to a grant from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), 40 students from Bowling Green and Warren County schools will attend camp at no cost. These students were selected because of their interest in STEM and aviation, but may not otherwise have had the opportunity to participate.
We are deeply grateful to TVA for helping inspire the next generation of pilots, engineers, innovators, and problem-solvers.
Hatcher Foundation Funds Free Field Trips
One of our favorite sights throughout the year is watching a school bus pull up in front of the Museum.
Students step off eager to explore aviation history, climb into aircraft, and discover stories they have never heard before. We encourage touching the aircraft and love it when those same hands go up to ask questions.
Many groups have the opportunity to meet pilots connected to the aircraft and exhibits on our campus. Combined with the enthusiasm of our volunteer docents, those experiences help bring history, science, and aviation to life.
Thanks to a $5,000 grant from the Billie Pitchford Hatcher Charitable Foundation, Aviation Heritage Park & Museum is able to provide free field trips to area schools and homeschool groups.
As our mission has always been to educate, inspire, and engage the next generation of achievers, these visits are among the most important things we do.
If your school or homeschool group would like to schedule a visit, please visit School Tours or call 270-421-4885.
We thank the Hatcher Foundation for helping us reach so many young people through these educational experiences.
Duncan Hines Days Brings Nearly 500 Visitors to the Museum
While we normally celebrate the lives of South Central Kentucky aviators, this year we joined a community-wide celebration honoring another Bowling Green legend: Duncan Hines.
For the past several years, Duncan Hines Days has brought together residents and visitors through food, music, history, and fun activities across the city. As we considered how Aviation Heritage Park & Museum could participate, someone suggested exploring the cakes people baked during World War II, when ingredients such as eggs, sugar, and milk were rationed.
One idea led to another.
On June 2, visitors sampled war cakes and trench cakes while learning about the real Donut Dollies. These remarkable American Red Cross women served troops from World War II through Vietnam, delivering coffee, pastries, games, conversation, and encouragement when service members needed it most.
Free cake and brownie mixes were distributed throughout the day, and nearly 500 people visited the Museum.
Many were first-time guests, giving us the opportunity to introduce them to Aviation Heritage Park & Museum and the stories we preserve.
And yes, while Duncan Hines was a real person from Bowling Green, Betty Crocker was entirely fictional.
The Return of Basco 1 and Basco 3
Truth be told, the story of Aviation Heritage Park & Museum began on April 16, 1972.
That day, a squadron with the call sign “Basco” launched on a mission over Vietnam. When the bombers they were scheduled to escort never arrived, their mission shifted to searching for enemy MiGs.
What followed was a dramatic air battle.
Captain Fred Olmstead served as Basco Flight Leader, while then-Major Dan Cherry flew Basco 3. During the engagement, both men shot down enemy MiGs and earned kill stars.
More than fifty years later, the aircraft Dan Cherry flew that day, Phantom 550, stands proudly at Aviation Heritage Park’s Circle of Honor. The events of that mission would eventually inspire the creation of the Park itself.
On May 19, Fred and Barbara Olmstead visited the Museum with Dan Cherry.
As they toured the exhibits, old memories resurfaced. Stories were shared. There was laughter, reflection, and an appreciation for the remarkable journey that had brought them back together.
At the end of the visit, Fred summed up the experience perfectly:
“This museum is so beautifully done. Who would have thought that all of this would have come from what happened that day over Vietnam? I am proud and honored to be included in the stories you tell here.”
Help Us Honor Military Families
The men and women who serve in our nation’s military are rightly honored for their sacrifices. Less often recognized are the families who support them every step of the way.
Thanks to the Two Creeks Garden Club, visitors to Aviation Heritage Park & Museum pass both a Blue Star Marker and a Gold Star Marker as they enter the building. Together, these memorials remind us of the sacrifices military families have made for generations.
To further honor those families, we will open a special exhibit on September 13 titled The Wind Beneath Their Wings.
While the exhibit focuses on the families of aviators, a companion mural will feature photographs of military families representing all branches of service and all eras.
We are seeking candid and posed photographs showing service members with their families.
If you would like to participate, please email your photos to [email protected].
By submitting a photograph, you grant permission for its possible use in the exhibit. While we cannot guarantee every photo will be included, we look forward to sharing as many family stories as possible.
Calendar of Events
Aviation Heritage Park & Museum is a free aviation museum located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, dedicated to preserving the stories of the aviators who shaped American aviation history.
June 20 – Hangar Party 2026, 5:00-10:00 p.m.
July 4 – Independence Day and Freedom Gallery Opening
July 6 – Aviation Camp CHUCK
July 11 – Simulator Saturday
July 13 – Robot Camp BUMBLEBEE
July 25 – Simulator Saturday
