Reopening March 1st!

From the Desk of the President

Ron Dremel

After a two month winter break we are open again for the 2023 season. Ed and his team have been working on some new exhibits and we look forward to your visit this year to learn more about Piper Aircraft’s history.

I am excited that we will be working on expanding our exhibit space to allow for additional airplane displays which we anticipate bringing into the museum soon. Our first floor has a lot of what I consider “wasted space”, which can be turned into exhibit space without too much difficulty.

We also have some challenges facing us this year. Our aging infrastructure requires some costly repairs. Our roof needs repaired, it’s not leaking yet, but it’s only a matter of time. Two of the eight HVAC units on the roof are not working and need repaired. Our parking lot is in need of sealing and the lighting needs upgraded. Also, some interior lighting needs to be replaced. All of these projects add up to somewhere north of $55,000. Some can be pushed back another year, but some will be addressed this summer.

I am excited to say that we recently accepted the generous donation of a 1949 PA-16 Clipper. But we need to cover the cost of bringing it to Lock Haven from Oregon. We are exploring the best, and least expensive way to get it here.

To help pay for the needed improvements the museum board of directors has decided to run a fundraising campaign this spring. It has been two years since we ran our last fundraising campaign. We thank everyone who has been so generous in the past. Your support of the museum is greatly appreciated.