T-34 Mentor trainer aircraft memorial flight at MAPS Air Museum on 9/11
As the nation commemorates the 21st anniversary of the 9/11 terror attack on the World Trade Centers in New York, a squadron of privately-owned T-34 Mentor aircraft retired from military service will honor the memory of those killed and injured by the terror attack as well as those who fight against terrorism, according to a news release. The T-34 Association will perform an aerial display above the Military Aviation Preservation Society Air Museum, a not for profit organization, at 8:46 a.m. Sept. 11.
The T-34 Association is a civilian organization formed in July 1975 for owners of military surplus T-34As as a support organization for the aircraft. Today there are more than 600 members in the association although most do not own aircraft.
The T-34 planes began production at the Beech Aircraft Factory in 1954 as a primary military aircraft trainer. Beech turned out almost 2,000 of the T-34A and B piston-powered propeller-driven models. These were superseded by the turbine-powered C model and the A and B models went for sale as surplus. The US Navy, Marines, and NASA still operate the T-34C turbine version for various missions, such as primary training, range clearing, and chase planes.
The fly-over coincides with the MAPS pancake breakfast.
MAPS Air Museum is an internationally known museum of aviation with more than 40 aircraft on display or in various stages of restoration, ranging from a wood and fabric glider of the Wright Brothers era to a Navy F-14 Tomcat, the type that had a prominent role in Top Gun: Maverick.
The museum serves as a center of aviation history for Northeast Ohio. The museum features educational displays of its collection of acquired artifacts, interactive exhibits, and historical archives in its own library.
