Hiller Aviation Museum

Hiller Aviation Museum

The front of the Hiller Aviation Museum with a Rutan Long-EZ on the roof
Location within California
Established	June 1998 (1998-06)
Location	San Carlos, California
Coordinates	37°30′45″N122°15′11″W / 37.5124°N 122.2531°W / 37.5124; -122.2531
Type	Aviation museum
Collection size	50+ aircraft
Founder	Stanley Hiller Jr.
President	Jon Welte
Website	www.hiller.org

The Hiller Aviation Museum is an aviation museum located at the San Carlos Airport in San Carlos, California, focused on Northern California aviation history, Hiller Aircraft and helicopter history.

History

Background

As early as the late 1960s, Stanley Hiller began collecting aircraft at a warehouse in Redwood City, California. ^{[1] [2]} By 1986, it displayed 15 aircraft and set a goal of a acquiring a total of 28 of Hiller's designs. ^[3] Eight years later it had surpassed this and the Hiller Museum of Northern California Aviation Heritage included over 40 aircraft. ^[4]

Move to San Carlos

However, public access was limited. ^[2] So, funded by a trust established by Hiller, the museum announced a proposal to acquire a 13,000 sq ft (1,200 m²) building at the San Carlos Airport and expand it to 44,000 sq ft (4,100 m²) facility. ^{[4] [5]} A lease for the property was approved in March 1996 and ground was broken in October. ^{[6] [1]} The 53,000 sq ft (4,900 m²)Hiller Aviation Museum opened on 5 June 1998. ^{[6] [7]}

The Boeing 2707 mockup, which had been on display at the museum since it opened, moved back to Seattle in 2013 where it is undergoing restoration at the Museum of Flight. ^{[8] [9]}

Facilities

The Michael King Smith Research Library at the museum has a collection of approximately 5,400 books. ^[10]

Exhibits

Exhibits at the museum include flight simulators, a retired British Airways 747 to explore, and an indoor drone plex. There are also displays about early aviation, California pioneers, air racing, women in aviation, the mechanics of flight, urban air mobility and weather. ^[11]

One of the museum's most popular attractions is the forward fuselage and flight deck of a retired British Airways Boeing 747-100, painted in Flying Tigers colors, open for public access via staircase. ^[12]

Collection

Hiller XH-44

Aircraft

• Aero Commander 500U ^[13]
• Aero L-39 Albatros ^[14]
• Airbus Vahana ^[13]
• Arnold AR-5 ^[13]
• Beachey Little Looper – replica ^[13]
• Bede BD-5T ^[13]
• Bell 47D ^[13]
• Boeing 737-200 – cockpit ^[13]
• Boeing 747 – forward fuselage ^[15]
• Boeing Condor ^[16]
• Bright Star Swift ^[13]
• Buhl A-1 Autogiro ^[13]
• Cessna 177 Cardinal ^[13]
• Colomban Cri-cri ^[13]
• Curtiss Model D – replica ^[17]
• Del Mar DH-20 ^[13]
• EAA Penguin ^[13]
• Fairchild Hiller FH-1100 ^[13]
• Fokker Dr.I – replica ^[18]
• General Atomics MQ-1 Predator ^[19]
• Grumman HU-16(RD) Albatross ^[20]
• Hiller 360 ^[13]
• Hiller Flying Platform ^[21]
• Hiller VXT-8 – replica ^[13]
• Hiller J-10 ^[13]
• Hiller OH-23B Raven ^[13]
• Hiller UH-12A
• Hiller XH-44 – replica ^[22]
• Hiller XROE-1 Rotorcycle ^[23]
• Hiller YH-32 Hornet ^[13]
• Hiller YH-32 Hornet ^[13]
• Hollmann HA-2M Sportster ^[13]
• Irvine Aerocycloid – replica ^[24]
• Kitty Hawk Flyer ^[13]
• Lockheed YO-3 Quiet Star ^[25]
• Maupin-Lanteri Black Diamond ^[26]
• Marriott Avitor – replica ^[27]
• Montgomery Evergreen
• Montgomery Gull – replica ^[28]
• Montgomery Santa Clara – replica ^[29]
• NASA AD-1 ^[30]
• Opener BlackFly ^[13]
• ParaPlane PM-1 ^[13]
• Pietenpol Air Camper ^[13]
• Pitts S-1C ^[13]
• Quicksilver MX ^[13]
• RotorWay Scorpion ^[13]
• Rutan Defiant ^[31]
• Rutan Long-EZ ^[13]
• SoloTrek XFV ^[13]
• SpaceShipOne – replica ^[32]
• Stearman-Hammond Y-1 ^[13]
• Thaden T-1 Argonaut – fuselage ^{[13] [33]}
• Travel Air D4D ^[13]
• United Helicopters UH-4 ^[13]
• Velie Monocoupe Model 70 ^[13]
• Vin Fiz Flyer – replica ^[13]
• Wisk Cora Gen5 ^[13]
• Wright Flyer – replica ^[13]

Ground vehicles

• Baker electric automobile ^[13]
• Messerschmitt KR200 ^[13]

Simulators

• Curtiss Wright P-2 ^[13]
• Del Mar DHT-2 ^[13]
• Link Trainer ^[13]
• McDonnell Douglas A-4M Skyhawk cockpit simulator ^[13]

Events

The museum hosts the Biggest Little Air Show, an annual airshow consisting of radio-control model aircraft ending with a piloted aerobatic demonstration. ^[34] It also holds an annual Airport Runway Run. ^[35]

This museum sponsored Vertical Challenge, an annual all-helicopter airshow from 2000-2010, and a final one in 2012.^{[ citation needed ]} In 2011 and 2016 an aviation festival event called Heli-Fest was held instead.^{[ citation needed ]}

Programs

This museum offers two Scouts BSA Merit Badge programs, the Aviation Merit Badge and the Weather Merit Badge. ^[36]

See also

• San Francisco Bay Area portal

• List of aerospace museums

References

Notes

1. Larsen, Elaine (21 April 1999). "Flights of Fancy". Pacifica Tribune. p. 1B. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
2. "History and Mission". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
3. Goode, Tim (12 November 1986). "Preserving an Era in Aviation". Times Tribune. pp. 1D, 4D. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
4. Mitchell, Eve (26 April 1994). "Hiller Museum Tries to Land in San Carlos". San Francisco Examiner. pp. P-1, P-7. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
5. Murphy, Michael (3 November 1996). "Turnaround Whiz Moves On". The Spokesman-Review. pp. A20, A22. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
6. Clifford, James O. (17 March 1996). "Air Museum Dream Becoming Reality". Chico Enterprise-Record. Associated Press. p. 1B. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
7. "Aviation Museum Takes Flight". The Californian. Associated Press. 5 June 1998. p. 3C. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
8. Spaeth, Andreas (23 October 2023). "Boeing 2707 SST: More Than Just a Mock-Up". Key.aero. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
9. Gille, John (11 April 2013). "Boeing SST Mockup Coming Home After 40 Years; Will It Become the Centerpiece of a New Sonics Arena?". The News Tribune. Archived from the original on 2 April 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
10. "Library". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
11. "Exhibits". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
12. "Museum Spotlight: Hiller Aviation Museum". www.flyingmag.com. 2022-12-29. Retrieved 2025-07-08.
13. "Aircraft on Display". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
14. "Aero L-39C Albatros". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
15. "Boeing 747-100 Nose Section and Cockpit". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
16. "Boeing Condor". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
17. "Curtiss "Pusher"". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
18. "Fokker Dr.1 Triplane". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
19. "General Atomics MQ-1B Predator". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
20. "Grumman HU-16-RD "Albatross"". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
21. "Hiller Flying Platform". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
22. "Hiller XH-44". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
23. "Hiller XROE-1 Rotorcycle". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
24. "Aerocycloid". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
25. "Lockheed YO-3A". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
26. "Black Diamond". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
27. "Avitor". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
28. "Gull Glider". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
29. "Santa Clara Glider". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
30. "NASA AD-1". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
31. "Rutan Defiant 40". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
32. "Space Ship One". Hiller Aviation Museum. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
33. Dianda, Mario (31 October 1988). "Trying to Fulfill Her Late Husband's Dream". Times Tribune. pp. A-1, A-5. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
34. Tam, Hayman (23 January 2023). "The Biggest Little Air Show". General Aviation News. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
35. "Hiller Aviation Museum to host annual airport runway run at San Carlos airport". NBC Bay Area. 11 April 2025. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
36. "Hiller Merit Badge Program". Boy Scouts of America, Pacific Skyline Council. Retrieved 23 March 2024.

Bibliography

• Fact Sheet
• Preserving a Legacy

External links

• Official website