WATCH: Valiant Air Command Volunteers are the Heart and Soul of Warbird Organization

Valiant Air Command Volunteers have passion to preserve military aircraft history

The 498 volunteers of Titusville’s Valiant Air Command’s Warbird Air Museum keep the flame of history alive for future generations. The museum could not exist without volunteers, which from January through May of this year gave 24,347 hours.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – The 498 volunteers of Titusville’s Valiant Air Command’s Warbird Air Museum keep the flame of history alive for future generations.

“Volunteers are the heart and soul of our warbird organization,” said marketing and public relations director Laura Kelly.

“Their dedication to the preservation of these aircraft, and to other museum tasks, is great testament to their passion to not only preserve the history of the aircraft that protected our country, but also to honor the men and women who served our country during our time of greatest need.”

The museum could not exist without volunteers, which from January through May of this year gave 24,347 hours.

“Tour guides give an average of anywhere between 12 to 24 hours per week and our maintenance volunteers give anywhere between 16 and 34 hours per week,” explained Kelly.

Founded in 1977, the museum has a continually growing collection of approximately 50 military aircraft from the early days of aviation to the present day.

The museum’s beloved flagship, the Tico Belle, is a monument to the men and women who served in World War II.

The Douglas C-47 Skytrain survived D-Day and went on to serve a distinguished record of combat in the liberation of Europe and later participated in the Berlin Airlift.

Volunteers, many of them veterans or related to veterans, keep the grand old lady aloft so she can continue to tell her story. During the museum’s annual airshow, the Tico Belle is always the queen of the show.

From uniforms to weapons, the museum has amassed an impressive collection of memorabilia That offers visitors a fascinating glimpse into the history of military aviation.

Each spring, the metal birds flock to Space Coast Regional Airport, home airstrip for the museum. Here, 80-year-old biplanes and modern aircraft convene for a weekend of flight, to the delight of thousands of Space Coast residents.

During the airshow, the museum depends on hundreds of volunteers to make the show possible.

From 17-year-old volunteer Kayla Comeau, who spends her free time leading tours at the museum, to 95-year-old retired Air Force Major Joseph Reus, who was shot down twice during World War II and serves the museum as a volunteer machinist, the corps of volunteers keep the Warbird Air Museum flying high.

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