An open hangar door at the Heritage Flight Museum reveals a T6D Texan, Hog Wild Gunner. [Credit: Meg Godlewski]
Key Takeaways:
The Heritage Flight Museum, located at Skagit Regional Airport, was founded in 1996 by Apollo 8 astronaut William "Bill" Anders and his wife Valerie as a unique, family-run aviation museum.
Dedicated to veterans and preserving aviation history, the museum showcases a significant collection of airworthy military aircraft and artifacts spanning various conflicts.
Originally started in Bellingham, the museum expanded and moved to its current Skagit location in 2014, breaking ground on a new, larger facility in 2021.
Despite the recent passing of its founder, Bill Anders, the museum continues its mission under the management of his sons, offering "Fly Days" and focusing on aerospace-related STEM programs and community involvement.
These days it is getting harder to find a family-owned FBO at airports. It’s even more difficult to locate a family-run aviation museum unless you head to Skagit Regional Airport (KBVS) in Burlington, Washington, home of the Heritage Flight Museum.
The museum was founded in 1996 by astronaut and retired Air Force Major General William “Bill” Anders and his wife, Valerie.
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Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.
![An open hangar door at the Heritage Flight Museum reveals a T6D Texan, Hog Wild Gunner. [Credit: Meg Godlewski]](https://www.flyingmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/FLY0226_2.1-Heritage.jpeg)
