In 1996, Arnie Migliaccio suggested the creation of a group of volunteers, working as part of the National Park Service's Volunteers-In-Parks program, to restore aircraft on Floyd Bennett Field.

The project began two years later in Hangar B on the east side of the airport and the volunteers eventually became known as "angels".

[1][2][3] A number of the project's aircraft were previously on display at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.

[4][5][6] In May 2002, the Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation's KC-97 arrived at the project's hangar.

[7] The project provided space to the foundation as they restored the aircraft.