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Established from the largest private collection of vintage warplanes in the US, the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, is a time capsule of aviation in the 20th century with an emphasis on World War II. Bravo Zulu is an account of this brainchild of celebrated collector Jerry Yagen and his wife Elaine.
List of contents
Foreword
Introduction
Sopwith 1-1/2 Strutter
Thomas-Morse S-4 Scout
Fokker Dr.I
Fleet Model 2
Junkers Ju 52
De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Messerschmitt Bf 109
Supermarine Spitfire MK IXe
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
General Motors FM-2 Wildcat
North American B-25 Mitchell
Bell P-39 Airacobra
De Havilland DH.98 Mosquito
North American P-51D Mustang
General Motors TBM Avenger
Goodyear FG-1D Corsair
Messerschmitt Me 262
Douglas AD-4 Skyraider
Military Aviation Museum Programs
Epilogue
Appendix: The Military Aviation Museum Collection
About the author
Gerald
“Jerry” Yagen, founder of Military Aviation Museum, was born in Hamburg,
Germany, just a few months after the end of WWII. As the son of an American
Army Air Corp commander, he spent much of his childhood on airbases and traveling
to other countries. He continued to travel as an adult, often piloting himself
and his family in one of his collected planes. Jerry logged more than 4,800 hours in twenty-one different
aircraft before retiring from active flying in early 2021.
Jerry’s passion for aircraft collection and restoration
exploded thirty years ago when he purchased a crashed P-40 Kitty Hawk that had
been discovered in northern Russia. He had it shipped to Norfolk, Virginia, and
later to New Zealand for restoration. That P-40, a fully restored
award-winning, airworthy war plane, is kept in one of seven hangars in rural
Virginia Beach, with over eighty other planes and projects, comprising a world-class
collection of historic artifacts in the Military Aviation Museum.
Jerry is also founder and president of Aviation
Institute of Maintenance and Centura College, which operates more than twenty
colleges across the US. He was inducted into the Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame
in Richmond, Virginia, in 2014. Jerry and his wife Elaine have lived in
Virginia Beach for more than fifty years, raising two children (both married),
and enjoying four grandchildren.
Summary
" An uplifting and captivating collector’s account adorned with beautiful photography." —Kirkus Reviews
"Bravo Zulu is a passionate collector's personalized and enthusiastic ode to military aviation history." —Foreword Reviews
"Throughout the carefully detailed pages, readers will find stunning photographs of these airplanes in action as well as concise accounts of their history, including their often painstaking journeys to flight-ready restoration." —BookLife Reviews
“To the Yagen family, their passionate staff, dedicated volunteers, and pilots, I say, Bravo Zulu!” —Timothy J. Keating, Admiral, USN Ret.
Established from the largest private collection of vintage warplanes in the US, the Military Aviation Museum in Virginia Beach, is a time capsule of aviation in the 20th century with an emphasis on World War II.
Bravo Zulu is an account of this brainchild of celebrated collector Jerry Yagen and his wife Elaine. These pages recall some of the most exciting war stories ever told and some of the most famous airplanes of all time—from Replica Fokker Dr. I triplanes built to resemble those flown by the Red Baron to painstakingly restored original combat veteran aircraft like the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Supermarine Spitfire the collection includes many of the most iconic historic aircraft.
Bravo Zulu was created to bring the stories that surround this incredible collection to life, beautifully illustrated with images of the Museum aircraft in flight, this book is the perfect way to experience the collection if you cannot visit the museum.
Bravo Zulu recalls the tales of the tireless searches for and restorations of each remarkable plane, which the Yagens dedicated themselves to collecting and sharing with the world.
Foreword
- Military Aviation Museum will exhibit and promote the book at the EAA AirVenture 2022 event at OshKosh (https://www.eaa.org/airventure)
- Marketing to the 138k+ social media followers across all platforms for the Military Aviation Museum
- Promotion in the Military Aviation Museum's Prop Noise Newsletter
- Messaging to the museums donators, members, and volunteers
