B-17 'Yankee Lady' [Credit: Robert C. Gerard-Night]
Key Takeaways:
The Michigan Flight Museum is selling its iconic Boeing B-17G "Yankee Lady," which has been a centerpiece of the museum since the 1980s.
The decision was made due to the museum's "unhealthy relationship" of relying too heavily on the aircraft's ride revenue, which was often interrupted by expensive maintenance and made it difficult to ensure its long-term flight-worthiness.
Proceeds from the sale will be invested to provide a more stable financial future for the museum, which will continue its flight program with other vintage aircraft.
The sale reflects the increasing challenges and high costs associated with maintaining rare, airworthy B-17s, a decision the museum believes ensures the aircraft's preservation and flyability by a new owner with adequate resources.
Yankee Lady, the Boeing B-17G often referred to as the star of the Michigan Flight Museum, is going to a new home.
Since the 1980s, the grand lady of the air has been a centerpiece of the museum that was formerly known at the Yankee Air Museum located in Belleville, Michigan, at Willow Run Airport (KYIP).
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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.
