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Lone Star Flight Museum unveils plan for $35 million facility at Ellington Airport

Staff report | October 27, 2014 | Updated: October 27, 2014 1:58pm

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Photo By Gary Coronado / Houston Chronicle

Houston Mayor Annise Parker, who taxied in on a Stearman airplane, unveils plans Monday, Oct. 27, 2014, for a 130,000-square-foot Lone Star Flight Museum at Ellington Airport.
Photo By Gary Coronado/Houston Chronicle

Larry Gregory, president, Lone Star Flight Museum, at the unveiling of the master plan for the new $35 million 130,000 square-foot Lone Star Flight Museum at Ellington Airport Monday, Oct. 27, 2014, in Houston, Texas.
Photo By Gary Coronado/Houston Chronicle

Scott Rozzell, at the podium, vice chairman, Lone Star Flight Museum, at the unveiling of the master plan for the new $35 million 130,000 square-foot Lone Star Flight Museum at Ellington Airport Monday, Oct. 27, 2014, in Houston, Texas.
Photo By Gary Coronado/Houston Chronicle

Annise Parker, Mayor, City of Houston, second from left, at the unveiling of the master plan for the new $35 million 130,000 square-foot Lone Star Flight Museum at Ellington Airport Monday, Oct. 27, 2014, in Houston, Texas. The plane was know as the "pilot maker" because of its important role in preparing pilots for combat. A Chance Vought F4U-5N Corsair is shown in the background.
Photo By Gary Coronado/Houston Chronicle

A rendering at the unveiling of the master plan for the new $35 million 130,000 square-foot Lone Star Flight Museum at Ellington Airport Monday, Oct. 27, 2014, in Houston, Texas.
Photo By Gary Coronado/Houston Chronicle

A rendering at the unveiling of the master plan for the new $35 million 130,000 square-foot Lone Star Flight Museum at Ellington Airport Monday, Oct. 27, 2014, in Houston, Texas.
Photo By Gary Coronado/Houston Chronicle

A rendering at the unveiling of the master plan for the new $35 million 130,000 square-foot Lone Star Flight Museum at Ellington Airport Monday, Oct. 27, 2014, in Houston, Texas.
Photo By Gary Coronado/Houston Chronicle

A Chance Vought F4U-5N Corsair at the unveiling of the master plan for the new $35 million 130,000 square-foot Lone Star Flight Museum at Ellington Airport Monday, Oct. 27, 2014, in Houston, Texas. Built for Argentina, this Corsair served as a front line fighter during the 1950's.
Photo By Gary Coronado/Houston Chronicle

Annise Parker, Mayor, City of Houston, gives a thumbs up after taxiing in on a Boeing PT-17 Stearman Kaydet at the unveiling of the master plan for the new $35 million 130,000 square-foot Lone Star Flight Museum at Ellington Airport Monday, Oct. 27, 2014, in Houston, Texas.
Photo By Gary Coronado/Houston Chronicle

Annise Parker, Mayor, City of Houston, taxis in on a Boeing PT-17 Stearman Kaydet at the unveiling of the master plan for the new $35 million 130,000 square-foot Lone Star Flight Museum at Ellington Airport Monday, Oct. 27, 2014, in Houston, Texas.
Photo By Gary Coronado/Houston Chronicle

The Boeing PT-17 Stearman Kaydet at the unveiling of the master plan for the new $35 million 130,000 square-foot Lone Star Flight Museum at Ellington Airport Monday, Oct. 27, 2014, in Houston, Texas.
Photo By Gary Coronado/Houston Chronicle

The North American T-6 Texan at the unveiling of the master plan for the new $35 million 130,000 square-foot Lone Star Flight Museum at Ellington Airport Monday, Oct. 27, 2014, in Houston, Texas. The plane was know as the "pilot maker" because of its important role in preparing pilots for combat.
Photo By Gary Coronado/Houston Chronicle

A Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress at the unveiling of the master plan for the new $35 million 130,000 square-foot Lone Star Flight Museum at Ellington Airport Monday, Oct. 27, 2014, in Houston, Texas.
Galveston's Lone Star Flight Museum showcases many vintage aircraft, including the B-17 Flying Fortress.
Photo By Brett Coomer/Staff

Vintage aircraft are shown at the Lone Star Flight Museum.
Photo By Brett Coomer/Staff

Vintage aircraft are shown at the Lone Star Flight Museum.
Photo By Pete Holley

The inside of a historic airplane is on display at the Lone Star Flight Museum.
Photo By Pete Holley

Workers are busy at the Lone Star Flight Museum.
Photo By Pete Holley

A B-17 bomber known as the "Flying Fortress" is one of the World War II-era planes on display at the Lone Star Flight Museum.
Photo By Pete Holley

Lone Star Flight Museum
This Stearman plane is part of the collection at the Lone Star Flight Museum.
This T-41 Mescalero is on display at the Lone Star Flight Museum.
This photo shows the Lone Star Flight Museum's B-17 "Flying Fortress" (top) and its P-51 Mustang "Galveston Gal" (bottom).
Photo By Pete Holley/HC staff

This photo shows the wing of a T-6 airplane known as a "pilot maker" because the military used it as an advanced training plane. The aircraft is at the Lone Star Flight Museum.
This historic aircraft called the "Flying Fortress" is on display at the Lone Star Flight Museum.
Photo By J. Patric Schneider/Freelance

Aircraft from the Lone Star Flight Museum are shown flying over the city of Houston on the Fourth of July in 2013.

The Lone Star Flight Museum starts a new era with today's unveiling of the master plan to build a 130,000-square-foot museum at Ellington Airport.

The museum has been located in Galveston for 20 years and was renovated after damage from Hurricane Ike. The new plan includes a spring 2015 groundbreaking on the project that will reopen in 2016 at Ellington.

On hand for today's event were Houston Mayor Annise Parker, who taxied in on a Stearman airplane, as well as museum president Larry Gregory, Houston Airport System director Mario Diaz, retired NASA astronaut Bonnie J. Dunbar, former U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige and museum vice-chair Scott Rozzell. Dunbar and Paige are also co-chairs of the museum's education committee.

Museum officials and patrons have already raised $25 million of the $35 million needed for the project that will include an enriched educational experience. The new museum will feature examples of historic aircraft, of course, but will include a hands-on interactive learning environment for students, focusing on science, technology, engineering and math.