 The view from the open door to the ground floor WELCOME! Office shows the glass display case with 1/48 scale models of a P-47N and Lear 31 on the top shelf, a B-25H, and B-58 on the bottom along with rare literature and shoulder patches. |
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Welcome to the AeroKnow Museum (AKM) web site. The Museum is located inside the Landmark Aviation FBO building at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport close to Abraham Lincoln's burial place, Lincoln Tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery, just north of Springfield, Illinois. If you are approaching from Springfield to the south, heading north on Illinois Route 29 (named J. David Jones Parkway), turn left at the first stop light you encounter coming up the hill after the big intersection at Veterans Parkway. If you're driving south, toward the city from north of the city, keep going straight past the first stop light where you see the Air National Guard planes mounted on pedistals on your right and continue to the second stop light where you turn right. The short entry lane forks left soon after you turn onto it and right in a few hundred feet. Turn right. Follow it to the first parking lot by the general aviation (Cessnas, Pipers and Learjets) where the big red and white "EPIC" sign is and enter the office of the FBO there. The downstairs AeroKnow Museum (AKM) office -- also known as the WELCOME! Room -- is the first door on your right after you pass the counter and hallway to the hangar. If the light is on, and I am there, the door will be open. If the light is on but the door is locked, there will be a sign by the door asking you to call my cell number, 217-331-3661. That's because, as the sign on the door explains, I am working in the museum upstairs. I will gladly come downstairs to show you the WELCOME! room, tell you about the museum and invite you to tour the six additional rooms upstairs.
Better yet, contact me via cell phone at 331-3661 or email me - writer@eosinc.com - at least a day in advance of when you'd like to visit. I will confirm my availability or suggest the best time closest to when you want to come. |
On May 29, 2012 AKM welcomed visitors to an open house with coffee and cake, commemorating the first day of our third year at the airport.
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AeroKnow Museum is a not-for-profit data bank, model airplane museum and photo archive.
Our mailing address is 900 N. Capital Airport Drive, Springfield, IL 62707 Correspondence is welcome at that address or via jobconger@eosinc.com As a 501(c)3 organization, donations to AeroKnow are tax deductible. Your support is cordially invited.
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| Join Abe Lincoln's Air Force, the support adjunct for AeroKnow Museum. Members receive a membership certificate, suitable for framing, and a membership card that tells the world you're a member of Abe Lincoln's Air Force. When we have recruited 100 members we will launch a bi-monthly e-newsletter with pictures a plenty and news of what AKM is up to. Your payment of $15 today entitles you to membership starting today and a full year of the newsletter after we begin publication. Make your eheck payable to AeroKnow Museum and send it to AeroKnow Museum, 900 Capital Airport Drive, Springfield, IL 62707 |
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When you write to AeroKnow, you are writing to founder, director and webmaster Job Conger. I am not a pilot, but I know the language and published a pilot report about an Aerostar 600, published in a national aviation magazine. I have flown right seat with some terrific pilots who appreciate AeroKnow, and there is no one I'd rather be with (with my clothes on) than aviation people. |
SUPPORT American
Aviation Historical Society
This organization, founded in 1956, publishes a rich, photo-packed,
technically illuminating quarterly Journal and a
professional but much smaller, less formal FlightLine newsletter between
Journals. I am privileged to serve as a volunteer on the organization's
editorial committee, but the real work is done by Managing Editor Hayden Hamilton, Journal
Editor Albert Hansen and a group of dedicated historians and contributors all over
the world. NEEDED NOW, besides
new members, are new members and established members who desire to contribute articles
about US aviation history to AAHS. Articles must be US-connected, but may feature
foreign-built aircraft. For example, a recently published article about DeHavilland
Mosquitos evaluated for widespread deployment by USAAF units brought to light aspects of
that versatile aircraft and US pilot capabilities which this historian had never
considered.
There is a TON of fascinating aviation history that remains
unknown to most of us, waiting for new authors to reveal it via their research and
memories. You do not have to be a published author to contribute. Hayden and hardy crew
can take your story and refine it to a finished article that will do you proud and serve
curious present and future generations. To learn more about how you can help, email Hayden
Hamilton whose address is found at the bottom of the AAHS web site home jpage -- www.aahs-online.org
Tell him AeroKnow sent you.
Civil Air Patrol, Central Illinois SEEKS NEW MEMBERS
This organization of teen agers and adults was formed in World
War II and continues today. It conducts 90% of the searches for aircraft lost in the US,
including major involvement with the loss of Steve Fossett. The Springfield-based squadron
is looking for new members to help with the search mission and more. Opportunities to
learn about aviation are many. Senior members work in the fields of emergency services,
youth programs and aerospace education. Young people age 12 and older study aeronautical
science, take orientation flights and develop leadership skills working with the military
and civil sectors. The local squadron meets Wednesday nights, 6:30 p.ml to 98:00 p.m. at
Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport's Illinois Air National GUard Base. Visitors should call
41401441 or 280-0648 to make arrangements. For more information visit www.ilcapspi.org Tell them AeroKnow sent you!
P.S. -- Earnest webmaster is a former Springfield composite squadron member
and I recommend it without reserevation. The leaders and members are focused, sincere,
competent people, and you will be warmly welcomed aboard. And what you learn, including
skills applicable to eventual enlisting in the armed services AND in civilian life will
stay with you for years.
Springfield, Illinois
Area Pilots Should Get to Know
Visit the Springfield Chapter Illinois Pilots Association
web site by clicking here
The Springfield Chapter meet first Wednesdays starting at 6:30 pm
at various restaurants in Springfield during the cold weather and at Jim Thornton's
hangar, D-35 on Charlie Ramp of Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport.
You do not have to be a member to attend a meeting and see what we're all about. Chapter
members and friends receive a monthly newsletter Capital Crosswinds sent via
e-mail and conventional mail about a week in advance of the next meeting. President this
year is John Salz. Attend a dinner meeting of this friendly group. For information about
the location of our next meeting call Vice President Darley Copp: 529-2578. Tell her
AeroKnow sent you.
DO YOU HAVE COMMEMORATIVE LICENSE PLATES? The
Springfield Chapter, IPA wants to pay you a reasonable price for all you don't want to
hold onto so they can be sold to collectors and funds added to the Charlie Wells Memorial
Scholarship Fund. Your contribution will pay for the college education of young men and
women who desire careers in aviation. DONATE your plates to this effort, and the
scholarship fund benefits even more. The plates do not have to be aviation-related; ALL
special license plates are needed. If you have plates to sell or donate, call Darley Copp,
217-529-2578.
Slip 'n' Skid pilots' club
Is an informal group of current and former general aviation pilots and friends who meet once a month for dinner at selected Springfield, Illinois restaurants to talk flying. For more information or to be added to the phone call
meeting reminder list, call Darley Copp --529-2578.
FRIENDS of Springfield Air Rendezvous
I recently went through my copies of the Springfield Air Rendezvous air
show Official Souvenir Programs in my collection and discovered I am missing those
publications for 1993 and 1997, I need at least three copies of each of those
programs, up to ten if possible, for the AeroKnow collection and to use in trade for
issues I need. I have some copies of years not listed above for trade. If you can help,
call me -- 217-331-3661 or email me. Thanks.
THANJ YOU Darley Copp for your donation of a major collection of Piper Comanche newsletters and related publications following the death of your husband and my friend Bill Copp.
THANK YOU Gordon Larson, Illinois Wing, Civil Air Patrol, for your recent donation of aviation magazines matted illustrations of World War II combat aircraft and the 54 issues of Aeronautics, A Complete Guide to Civil and Military Flying. I had a terrific time presenting history to the cadets during your summer encampment at Camp Lincoln, and look forward to expanding cordial ties to the Springfield Squadron.
THANK YOU DAVID HARRIS, Springfield, for your recent donation of mostly
airline-related aviation magazines and books
THANK YOU RITA KUGLER, Springfield for donating flying model materials
several books about peanut and pistachio rubber-powered models, three views and aviation
monographs, full size plans, model engines and model kits in memory of her husband Don
Kugler. Her kindness has added significantly to free flight and scale model resources
here, and will be appreciated by future visitors and correspondent6s.
THANKS TO MIKE GEORGE, Springfield, Illinois for his donation of several hundred
issues of the Experimental Aircraft Association's (E.A.A.) Sport
Aviation, the EAA Warbird Division's Warbirds and many miscellaneous av
mags. These titles are of special historical interest because of their superb
documentation of one-of-a-kind and more popular home-built general aviation aircraft,
restored civilian types and of course, restored military aircraft. Partly in recognition
of Mike's major boost to AeroKnow resources and partly because it needs to be done, and
now we can do it, I am initiating a priority focus on indexing not only Mike's donation,
but all copies of those publications already in the AeroKnow collection. There are still
some holes in the publication run of those titles. If you would like to fill those holes,
please e writer@eosinc.com and I'll send you
a list of current inventory of those (or any other) titles. In the meantime, if you want
good advice regarding business and home security, look up George Burglar and Fire Alarm
Company and give them a call.
THANK YOU BOB ENGLEHART for your August donation of Air Combat, Aviation History, Warbirds
International and other magazines. Indexes for those titles will be updated and posted at
AeroKnow in the next few weeks.
THANK YOU CURT FREEMYER for your May 29 financial contribution. This website is go
for the rest of 2008 because of you..
THANK YOU YVONNE BRANDIS for loaning pictures and clippings which will be shared here
at AeroKnow soon.
THANK YOU GARY FLECK for the pictures
from your dad's airports, an almost forgotten part of Springfield's rich aviation history!
It was a pleasure talking about your memories of the days out by the lake and Sunday
flying with your dad and family. The story of his enterprise will receive the long-overdue
cover it merits when my book hits the shops.
THANK YOU Dave Beatty of Beatty Televisual for sharing pictures from the three
Springfield airports you photographed extensively in the 50s through 70s. The two and a
half hours we spent considering just a part of your incredible collection could have gone
on for another eight hours if we hadn't committed the rest of your afternoon elsewhere.
Those pics from the National Air Races at Southwest in 1956 are nothing less than what the
French say as "incroidale!"
THANK YOU Slip N Skid Fliers Club - Brian & Carol Borecky, Etta Bunger, Joyce
Cooper, Bill & Darly Copp, George Covington, Tom & Dorothy Fitzgerald -- for
your support of Springfield Aviation generously expressed at your March meeting.
Our Mission
AeroKnow was organized by a group of
aviation enthusiasts who believe the best way to learn is to share what we know and reap
from the wealth of feedback contributed by those who appreciate what we do. We intend to
accomplish this mission through Abe Lincoln's Air Force, our support organization, by
offering what we know to aviation enthusiasts all over the world.
AeroKnow Honor Roll
-- Darley Copp, Springfield, Illinois
-- Springfield Chapter, Illinois Pilots Association
-- Barb Gramlich, Springfield, Illinois
-- Dick Henthorn, Hyattsville, Maryland
-- Peter Bourke, Melbourne, Australia
-- Barry Tempest, Kingscliffe, England
-- Brian Borecky, Springfield, Illinois
If you have a business or personal web site connected to
aviation, or Springfield, Illinois, please add a link to AeroKnow.com to your web site and
recommend it to others. Tell us about your aviation-related web site, and if we visit and
add a link to it.
Special thanks to George Alarm Company and Mike George for their encouragement and support over the years.
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To include your business information here, contact Job Conger. |
Contact Information
- AeroKnow's web site is maintained by director Job Conger
Telephone
- 217-331-3661
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Postal address
- 900 Capital Airport Drive.
- Springfield, IL 62707
- USA
Electronic mail - Webmaster/Founder/Chief Cook and Bottle Washer, Job Conger: writer@eosinc.com
AeroKnow Officers and Board for 2010
President - Job Conger
Secretary - Colin Tabb
Treasurer - H. Jay Bruninga, MD
Board member - George A. Tinkham
Board member - Timothy P. Sheehan
Board member - Christopher Reiss
We want to expand our board for 2013. If you live in Springfield, Illinois and want to serve on the board, contact Job Conger
- When visiting the Abraham Lincoln historic sites in Springfield,
Illinois, modelers should be sure to stop by Hammer's Hobbies, 2448 S. 10th Street.
It's easy to find, but if you need directions, call 217-525-0265 and mention
you learned about them from AeroKnow.
If you want to produce a web page for your business or passion, I recommend you contact
Donna Aschenbrenner, 217-522-5050 or visit http://www:webmarketing.com
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When State Journal-Register reporter John Reynolds visted in early
September 2009 to interview me about Southwest Airport, what should have been 30 minutes
chatting across the living room table became an interesting hour and a half of touring the
AeroKnow collection. He posed here for a picture taken by concurrent visitor Kevin
Panting, model builder extraordinare.