Special arrangements have been made for members of the Aero Club and their guests to visit the region’s newest aviation museum—the Lyon Air Museum at Orange County Airport—on Saturday, August 7, ACSC President Nissen Davis has announced.

 The event will begin with luncheon near the airport at the Ayres Hotel, located at 325 Bristol St. in Costa Mesa, starting at 12:15 p.m.  The deli-style buffet lunch will be served in the hotel’s Hastings Room. Guest speaker will be ACSC member Bob Gilliland, one of America’s most famous test pilots, who will discuss his experiences as the first pilot to fly the then top-secret, Mach 3 Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird in the 1960s.

Details appear on the Events Calendar page.That page also includes directions and payment information. Following the luncheon program, the group will proceed via their own transportation to the new museum nearby, located on the west side of the Orange County (John Wayne) Airport at 19300 Ike Jones Rd., Santa Ana.  Guided tours of the museum will be available between 2 p.m. and the 4 p.m. closing time.

 Opened in late 2009, the museum was founded by retired USAF Maj. Gen. William Lyon, a prominent homebuilder and business executive. The collection is devoted to U.S. aircraft of the World War II era, along with American and German autos and motorcycles of the period.   All aircraft and cars are in flying and driving condition.  The museum’s website can be seen at www.lyonairmuseum.org.

 Davis also announced that a dinner meeting is scheduled for Thursday evening, Sept. 23 at the Flight Path Learning Center at LAX.  Speaker will be Dr. Peter Westwick of USC, who will describe how Aero Club members can assist with an important new project being organized by the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West to collect documents, photos and oral histories related to the history of aerospace in the state.

 Final meeting for this year will be a dinner event Tuesday evening, Nov. 16 at the Flight Path Learning Center.  It will include the Club’s annual general meeting and election of directors along with presentation of the annual scholarship awards.   Further details will be posted on the Events Calendar.