Appropriations Requests for : Michigan Flight Museum

1. Cosponsoring legislators:

• Darrin Camilleri

Recipient Information

2. Intended legislatively directed spending item recipient:

Michigan Flight Museum

3. Physical address of legislatively directed spending item recipient and the intended location of the project or activity:

47884 D Street, Belleville, MI 48111

4. The recipient's employer identification number:

382387453

Funding Details

5. Requested amount of the legislatively directed spending item:

$450,000.00

6. What is the purpose and how does the legislatively directed spending item provide a public benefit that is an appropriate use of taxpayer money?

Large Hangar Ramp Support • The Michigan Flight Museum offers a history of American aeronautics, aerospace, and associated industries, educating visitors with the goal of inspiring every guest, especially those of each new generation that visit including a large amount through state-wide school field trips. • The Museum is based at the historic Willow Run Airport in Van Buren Township, Michigan and is part of the Wayne County Metropolitan Airport Authority. • To help teach the lessons of the past, staff encourage interaction with exhibits, while instilling pride in our national accomplishments, with Arts and cultural programs at the core of museum activities. • Among the biggest events are The Thunder Over Michigan Airshow, Wings Over Muskegon Airshow, along with Wings Over Marquette Airshow in 2025 at the former KI Sawyer Airforce Base in Gwinn, Michigan. These shows are unifying family entertainment events and economic engines for local business districts. • In 2021, the museum raised approximately $2.1 million in private funds and financed an additional $4 million through the Bank of Ann Arbor for the construction of a new hangar to store its large active vintage aircraft collection. This move was forced because of mounting costs to the Wayne County Airport Authority associated with maintaining the obsolete WW2 facilities formerly leased by the museum for its aircraft. Once operational, it was determined that 18,150 square feet of additional airport grade cement is needed to add a more appropriate access ramp at the mouth of the hanger to allow better maneuverability of their vintage aircraft use. The museum employees11 full-time, and 3 part-time employees; along with 250 volunteers per week consisting of retirees, former military, retired auto executive engineers, and the like, all who perform a myriad of tasks for the museum. The total volunteer pool is 700, including 240 veterans, and 40 disable veterans. • The main sources of revenue are broken down as follows: approximately 40% derived from rides on its vintage aircraft; 40% from shows; and the balance from membership dues, donations, retail sales, grants, and other miscellaneous sources. • The need is to help the museum improve this resource by adding this ramp and reduce wear-and-tear of the museum’s rare vintage machines, helping to preserve US aeronautic history.

7. Has the legislatively directed spending item previously received or been awarded any of the following types of funding in the past 5 years?

No previous funding received

8. Estimated time frame for completion of the legislatively directed spending item project:

Within 12 months of receipt of funding

Additional Information For Nonprofit Corporations

9. Is the recipient a nonprofit corporation?

Yes

4. Officers and active members on the board of directors:

Ray Hunter - Chair James Harless, Vice-Chair Randy Hotton - Treasurer Dave Steiner - Secretary Kevin Walsh - President

Certification By Sponsoring Legislator

• "I certify that my immediate family members, legislative staff members, and I have no direct or indirect pecuniary interest in the requested legislatively directed spending item."
• "I certify that the intended recipient of this legislatively directed spending item is not a for-profit entity."
• "I certify that the information in this form is true to the best of my knowledge."

Senator Darrin Camilleri