>> Deborah: IF YOU'VE BEEN TO KITTY HAWK FOR THE WRIGHT
BROTHERS NATIONAL MEMORIAL, YOU SHOULD ALSO CHECK OUT THE
WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AIR MUSEUM IN HENDERSONVILLE.
YES, IT'S TRUE.
THE MOUNTAIN FOLKS HAVE SOME HISTORY WITH FLYING, TOO.
RICK SULLIVAN SAYS THIS ATTRACTION IS NOT ALL THAT FAR
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK, BUT IT REALLY DOES FLY UNDER THE RADAR.
>> Reporter: THE WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AIR MUSEUM IS TUCKED
AWAY BEHIND A RESIDENTIAL AREA NEXT TO THE
HENDERSONVILLE AIRPORT.
IT'S EASY TO FIND VIA GPS.
BUT UNLESS YOU'RE A LOCAL, YOU MIGHT NOT EVER KNOW IT'S THERE.
HECK, SOMETIMES THE LOCALS DON'T EVEN KNOW.
>> THERE'S PROBABLY FIVE OR SIX PER MONTH.
IT'S A, "I DIDN'T KNOW THIS PLACE EXISTED."
AND I WOULD SAY, "WELL, HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED HERE?"
"WELL, 20 OR 25 YEARS-PLUS, AND I STILL DIDN'T KNOW
IT WAS HERE."
>> Reporter: THE MUSEUM INCLUDES NEARLY TWO DOZEN VINTAGE
AIRCRAFT AND THE MEMORABILIA TO GO ALONG WITH THEIR STORYLINES.
SOME OF THE AIRPLANES HERE ARE DONATED.
SOME ARE OWNED PRIVATELY, LIKE THIS ONE THAT BELONGS
TO DENNIS DUNLAP.
>> THIS IS A BOEING STEARMAN, BUILT BY BOEING AIRCRAFT.
THIS IS A WORLD WAR II TRAINER.
MOST OF THEM WERE BUILT IN 1941 THROUGH '43.
BOEING SET UP PRODUCTION FOR 13,000 OF THEM, AND THEY WERE
THE BEST -- THE MOST WIDELY USED BASIC TRAINER FOR THE PILOTS
FOR WORLD WAR II.
>> Reporter: THIS IS THE SIXTH STEARMAN DUNLAP HAS OWNED.
HE CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THEM.
AND WHENEVER HE FIRES UP THE ENGINE, HE GETS ENVIOUS
LOOKS FROM OTHERS.
>> YEAH, IT'S AN ATTENTION-GETTER.
I MEAN, YOU PULL INTO -- I'VE BEEN INTO RALEIGH.
I'VE BEEN INTO ATLANTA.
I'VE BEEN INTO CHICAGO.
UH, YEAH.
PEOPLE COME OUT AND LOOK AT IT.
IT'S A LITTLE UNIQUE.
>> Reporter: ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS LIKE THE JUNE AIR FAIR
AND LABOR DAY WEEKEND IN THE FALL, THE STEARMAN IS USUALLY
AIRBORNE, GIVING RIDES FOR MODEST FEES TO MUSEUM VISITORS.
THAT'S THE ATTENTION-GRABBER.
BUT THE MUSEUM ITSELF IS OFTEN THE SURPRISE DISCOVERY.
SELF-GUIDED TOURS ARE EASY, WITH PLENTY OF SIGNAGE TO DESCRIBE
WHAT YOU SEE.
BUT I OPTED FOR THE GUIDED TOUR AT THE SAME PRICE.
DON BUCK IS ONE OF SEVERAL DOCENTS WHO ARE ALWAYS EXCITED
TO SHARE THEIR LOVE AND KNOWLEDGE FOR AVIATION
AT NO CHARGE.
>> THIS AIRCRAFT IS A REPLICA OF A WORLD WAR II SPITFIRE.
IT FLEW AGAINST THE NAZI AERIAL INVASION IN THE '40s.
ONCE THE PILOT'S IN PLACE, THEY SLIDE THE CANOPY CLOSED TO MAKE
AN AIRTIGHT SEAL.
THE YELLOW CURTISS JENNY THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, IT WAS A
WORLD WAR I TRAINER.
GLENN CURTISS BUILT 6,000 OF THOSE FOR THE ARMY.
THIS IS THE MORAINE CYLINDER TYPE N.
IT WAS THE FIRST AIRCRAFT TO HAVE THE GUN MOUNTED NEXT
TO THE PILOT.
ALL THE OTHERS WERE MOUNTED ON THE TOP OF THE WING TO AVOID
SHOOTING OFF THE PROPELLER.
>> Reporter: THE WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE AMONG MUSEUM
VOLUNTEERS AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO SHARE IT MAKES THE WESTERN
NORTH CAROLINA AIR MUSEUM A GREAT FAMILY ATTRACTION.
THESE FOLKS JUST SPEND TIME HERE FOR THEIR OWN ENJOYMENT.
MOST OF THEM DISCOVERED AIRPLANES AT AN EARLY AGE.
FOR COFOUNDER KEN STUBBS, IT WAS EVEN BEFORE HE DROVE A CAR.
>> WELL, I STARTED FLYING.
I WORKED AT THE AIRPORT FROM THE TIME I WAS ABOUT 14 YEARS OLD.
THEN I SOLOED ON MY 16 BIRTHDAY AND LATER THAT WEEK WENT AND GOT
MY DRIVER'S LICENSE AND THEN A YEAR LATER GOT MY SCHOOL BUS
DRIVER'S LICENSE.
BUT I'VE HUNG THE AIRPORT AND AIRPORTS.
MADE MY LIVING FLYING MOST OF MY LIFE.
>> Reporter: THE AIR MUSEUM IS EASY TO SEE IN AN HOUR-LONG
VISIT, OR IF YOU HAPPEN TO WANT TO BECOME MORE GROUNDED IN YOUR
KNOWLEDGE OF AVIATION HISTORY, THIS IS ONE PLACE YOU MIGHT
ENJOY FOR AN ENTIRE AFTERNOON.
IN HENDERSONVILLE, I'M RICK SULLIVAN FOR "NORTH
CAROLINA WEEKEND."