by Chris Sasser,
Texas Transportation Institute
“Every project begins with research,” said Roger Freeman, historic aviation expert, collector, restorer and founder of the Pioneer Flight Museum in tiny Kingsbury, Texas, as he produced a binder stuffed with photos and documents. Based on his vast archive of historic aircraft plans and photos, if anyone would understand the value of research, it’s Freeman.
In 1996, Freeman decided to take on the ambitious challenge of building an exact replica of the first plane to ever fly in China: a 1910-model Farman aircraft. The catch? He had only a handful of existing photos to go by. The payoff? The plane would hang in the terminal building of the new Hong Kong International Airport.
“England had a similar-type plane that I was able to study,” said Freeman. “From the existing photos and that plane, I drafted a set of plans that the customer in Hong Kong accepted.”
On November 18, 1997, Freeman piloted the plane in Hong Kong and it was then transported to its current position above the southern arrivals and departures area.
As impressive as this feat is, it is only a small part of the historic legacy that Freeman and volunteers throughout his community are undertaking with the Pioneer Flight Museum.
“The museum was established to preserve the memory of aircraft from the early days of flight, specifically dating from the years before World War II,” said Freeman. “Many of the museum’s aircraft are flyable, and others are projects being restored or built to flying status.”
Among the flyable aircraft include a 1909 Bleriot XI, Curtiss Canuck, Fokker Dr.I and D.VII, 1941 Meyers OTW and the jewel of the collection, a Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout.
”This is the only S-4C still flying, and one of only a handful that have survived from the days of the Great War,” noted Freeman.
The museum also has project aircraft which are worked on and maintained by volunteers, and several period vehicles. These include an Indian motorcycle and sidecar, a Nash Quad truck and several Ford Model Ts with various bodies built on them.
The museum also hosts community events such as air fairs and fly-ins several times a year.
“I want this to be a living museum,” said Freeman. ‘When people visit, I want them to hear the history of these aircraft and the stories behind them.”
The Pioneer Flight Museum is open 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. Weekends are also available by appointment. For more information, please call 830/ 639-4162 or e-mail [email protected].
