Come Fly With Me

This week, I had the opportunity to visit the Glenn H. Curtiss Aviation Museum in Hammondsport, NY. The Curtiss museum is dedicated to the memory of aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss, and serves as a repository of early aviation history and local history as well. The museum also features an active restoration shop.

The name Glenn Curtiss might not ring a bell with the average person, and that's something this museum quickly works to correct. A DVD presentation in the museum's theater tells the story of Mr. Curtiss, who started his career as a bicycle manufacturer, moved on to racing, manufactured engines for airships, and later built "flying machines" as a member of the "Aerial Experiment Association," a group funded by Alexander Graham Bell. That association would lead to the first pre-announced public flight of a heavier-than-air flying machine in America on July 4, 1908, and Glenn Curtiss would receive U.S. Pilot's licence #1 (Orville Wright received license #5).

Curtiss was also for a time known as "The Fastest Man In The World," a title given to him by newspapers of the time due to his unofficial world record of riding at 136.8 miles per hour on a V8-powered motorcycle he designed. Curtiss also made the first long-distance flight in America, flying from Albany to New York City, and built the first aircraft for the U.S. Navy.

All of that is only part of the Curtiss story, and the museum does a remarkable job of shining a light on a personality that many know nothing about.

The museum features 22 historic aircraft, many originals and some reproductions, including the "June Bug," the plane Curtiss flew on that historic flight in 1908, the U.s. Navy's first airplane, and a 1943 C-46 "commando" WWII transport plane that sits at the museum's entrance.

136 MPH...in 1907!

There is an impressive collection of bicycles, including a "Velocipede," (aka "Boneshaker") circa 1865, and an 1890 high wheeled bicycle. The automobile collection includes a stunning array of classic vehicles from the early 1900s on up. The original motorcycle that earned Curtiss the "Fastest Man On Earth" in 1907 resides at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, but the Curtiss Museum has an exact replica.

Of particular interest is the museum's restoration shop, which is staffed entirely by volunteers. Currently, shop workers are in the midst of restoring a Curtiss P-40 WWII fighter, salvaged from a flight that crashed in the Everglades in 1943 on a training mission. Working from vintage blueprints, these talented craftsmen are making amazing progress.

Panorama of the restoration shop

Another view of the restoration shop

Curtiss' Camera

The museum also serves as a repository for local Hammondsport history, featuring memorabilia from area shops, items from the Curtiss home, farm implements, even collections of model trains and a camera collection that I found particularly fascinating.

As it turns out, Curtiss' first job was with the Eastman Dry Plate and Film Company, which would later be known as the Eastman Kodak Company. Curtiss surreptitiously created (and sneaked into the Eastman shop) a machine that improved a process for which he and his co-workers received piecework payment, thus substantially increasing his earnings, and later took a serious interest in photography.

An impressive collection of cameras through the years.

The breadth of the museum's collection is almost impossible to describe. There are items ranging from vintage farm items that reflect the region's agricultural heritage, a section dedicated to winemaking in the Finger Lakes, collections of wooden boats that display incredible function combined with stunning artistry, and, of course, plenty of transportation items. You never know what you're going to find, and that's part of the fun of this museum.

How's THAT for a sidecar?

In addition to the regular collections, the museum is showcasing a Civil War naval exhibit, including firearms, personal equipment and uniforms through September 7.

The museum is located just outside the town of Hammondsport on Keuka Lake in the Finger Lakes Region of Upstate NY. Hammondsport has the distinction of being recently named the "Coolest Small Town in America" by Budget Travel, and the moniker is well-deserved. You'll want to carve out some time to visit the fun shops, restaurants and area wineries in and around the Hammondsport area. You can easily spend the better part of a morning or afternoon in the Curtiss museum, so plan your time accordingly.

If you go:

Where:
Glen H. Curtiss Museum
8419 State Route 54
Hammondsport, NY   14840

General Information Line:
607. 569.2160

Admission:
Adults: $10
Seniors (65 and over): $8.00
Students (7-18): $7.00
Family and group rates available

Website: www.glennhcurtissmuseum.org