New Aircraft for Aviation Museum

In early December 2019, the museum was contacted by the owner of one of the last few “flyable” JetStars. They had decided to retire LAC s/n 5086 and hoped to donate it to the museum so that it could be displayed adjacent to its “birth place.” Because of security regulations at Dobbins Air Reserve Base and limited time, the aircraft was flown to McCollum Field in Kennesaw, just north of Marietta on December 30, 2019. It will be partially disassembled by museum volunteers and moved by truck the short distance to the museum in Marietta in the coming months.

The first flight for this JetStar was on July 15, 1966. It was the 86th production JetStar built, originally for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. In 1989 it was purchased by its final owner who kept it in excellent condition for the 20 years prior to its donation to the museum.

The Lockheed JetStar is considered to be the grandfather of today’s corporate jets as it was the first of this class when it first flew in the late 1950s. Following the decision to move the program to Lockheed-Georgia around 1958, 202 JetStars were built in Marietta, with many going to large corporations, celebrities, and governments around the world. Some models of the JetStar served as United States Air Force VIP transports, including service for all U.S. presidents from John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan. During the President’s flight, the JetStars would fly with the distinctive call sign of “Air Force One.”

A very special Thank You to the donor for your generosity and consideration of the historic value of this aircraft. Another very special Thank You to John, Frank, and Eric (the flight crew) for delivering this beautiful icon of aviation back home where it belongs. We look forward to many years these new friends of the museum.