The museum is proudly located on the Schenectady County Airport, one of the earliest consolidated airports in the country, where Charles Lindbergh landed in 1927 in his Spirit of St. Louis.

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During the 1930's, these facilities were an aircraft manufacturing site and became a military training base during World War II. Aircraft research and development conducted here was so important that the first jet airmail started from this site in 1946.

With the establishment of the General Electric Flight Test Facility (1946-1964) and the Malta Rocket Test Station toward the end of WWII, it became known as "The Little Peenemunde of the US" because of its rocket and jet engine research and development. The museum site and its buildings are part of this heritage.

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Now a days the Schenectady County Airport is home to ESAM-Yes you can fly in to our museum, please click here for instructions!-, the Stratton Air National Guard Base, Richmor Aviation, an Armed Forces Reserve Center, the Schenectady County Airport Business Park, and the Schenectady County Community College’s aviation and air traffic controller program. With an average of 163 flight operations daily, the Schenectady County Airport is a busy place to be.

 

Most days you can see private aircraft and training planes readying their engines to take off to the skies. However, every once in a while, we witness a special treat, the New York Air National Guard’s Lockheed LC-130 Hercules planes take off, land and do pallet drops right here at our airport! These planes are special ski-equipped aircraft used for scientific missions all the way in Antarctica. The Schenectady County Airport is home to the only USAF unit in the nation equipped with the air cargo lift capability to handle these polar destinations.