[8] The aircraft located and recovered over the recent years have been funded by private donations thru the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, Inc. which oversees the contracting for all activities of the effort.

[9] Historically significant U.S. Navy aircraft recovered include the Douglas SBD Dauntless Dive Bomber Bureau Number 2106 which survived the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Midway,[10][11] the only Vought SB2U Vindicator Scout-Bomber known to exist,[12][13] the Grumman F6F Hellcat Fighter Bureau Number 25910,[14] and an extremely rare early "Bird Cage" Vought F4U-1 Corsair.

[39] One of the long sought after historic aircraft that there is a desire to be added to the collection of the National Naval Aviation Museum is the Douglas TBD Devastator.

[citation needed] The airplane was a Curtiss SB2C Helldiver that had ditched in the reservoir because of engine failure while conducting dive bombing practice toward the end of World War II.

In August 2010 the firm, with the support of San Diego Park Rangers, removed the aircraft and delivered it to the National Naval Aviation Museum where it awaits restoration and public display.

[42][43] On the afternoon of October 31, 1988, D. Blan Stewart, flying a Piper Archer single engine aircraft, disappeared over Lake Martin, Alabama.

[46][47] In 2012, the Pritzker Military Museum and Library produced, for WTTW Chicago, an episode of "Citizen Soldier," where a major portion of the program examines Lyssenko's life work in recovering lost Navy World War II aircraft from Lake Michigan.