The Lone Star Wing of the Confederate Air Force was established in 1981 to restore a PBY-6A and build a hangar to house it.

As a result, on 25 January 1985 he established the Historic Aircraft Memorial Foundation and began raising money for a museum.

[6][7] By that time, the organization had changed its name to the Historic Aviation Memorial Museum and construction had begun on phase two.

[5][12] The museum signed a lease for the 11,000 sq ft (1,000 m2) first floor of the old terminal building on the north side of the airport in June 2006.

[22] In 2016, the museum held the Rose City Rotor Fest featuring the American Heroes Air Show.