museum of flight and aerial firefighting

What a shame to read these reviews. We visited in 1998, and it was amazing, it was a grey day and the staff let us in for nothing ( as it was a grey day as they said ) everyone was so helpful we wondered around for hours, the aircraft seemed to go on for ever rows and rows of them, with many old vet's working on them as a hobby to keep them ship shape , talked to some of them,planes from all over the world ,Russian included, The guy's said it was sponsored by a rich man ( times must have changed.Will never forget it, we stayed in Greybull over night and there was a carnival going on late into the night ,also a night to remember, such nice people, so friendly was June time John & Ann Burton Kent U.K

A free attraction in the Greybull area. My grandmother told use we could only see the planes through the fence. NOT TRUE the museum is open and you can walk around the planes. Very cool. There were five planes and apparently more to come. Volunteer was knowledgeable and fun to talk too. A great stop on the way to or from Cody.

There were about five or so planes on site when we visited, and none were roped off so that they couldn't be touched; it was all very interactive, though you can't go inside the planes. There was a small museum in the trailer that was the welcome center. The setting (the mountains in the distance, the open fields stretching up to them) was beautiful. There are other old planes of various typs not on the property but visible from a fence-line if one wants to take the walk out to see them (I wouldn't recommend it, though; the walk is long and a bit muddy, and once you get out the the fence, the view is really no better).This was a good spot to stop and take a break from driving. Neat.

Got to see the planes without going in through the fence and took pictures. Right next to the rest area.

Came upon this 'museum' by chance on Saturday 12th July when we pulled into the adjacent rest area.Sign on fence just stated that museum would be opening sometime in the future!

This place attracts VETS and lots of people from all over the world to their museum. It is somewhat like the one in Tucson, AZ and shares similar aircraft for viewing. Is laid out poorly and needs some rearranging to make it more tourist friendly. Definitely worth checking out if you are an airplane buff.

wonderful selection of old planes, being restored, worth visiting , they need and deserve encouragement.

This visit actually took place in 2006, but was brought back to mind by a video shot by a couple of Swiss photographers. The actual museum building was locked up tight, and seemed abandoned - the exciting part of the visit was the array of vintage aircraft scattered around - we (myself and brother-in-law) were there the day after the auction of the Hawkins & Powers firebombers - this company had fallen on hard times, and had declared bankruptcy - an auction had taken place and many of the old aircraft were snapped up by museums all over North America. I didn't think we would be allowed out on the hard stand to see and photograph the aircraft, but after a while we found an official of the auction company, who told us what had happened, and when asked if we could look around, his answer was "sure, but stay clear of the active runway". What an afternoon - all the old firebombers were available to look at and photograph - KC-97s, Privateers, Boxcars, the list went on and on - I am not sure what there is to see today, but a recent Google showed quite a number of aircraft still there - for any aviation buff it is a magical place, but very sad - many of the aircraft stored out in the desert are in deplorable state, and, I suspect, soon to be heading for the scrap man.

Don't let Duane Powers catch you snooping around un-authorized territory here..lol He will make sure you are a bonafied customer. This place has a fascinating history that defies being captured in a box this size. Suffice it to say that there are many many types of older aircraft here. World War II vintage planes. Canadian boxcars, Neptunes, PB4Y's, KC97's, C130's .. well you get the idea.The planes have been used in aerial firefighting on government contracts with the U.S. Forest Service and Office of Aircraft Services in Boise Idaho for years and years. Stop and see it for yourself. A plethora of information is available for the asking.t

Just to the north exit of Greybull, WY on your way to Cody, WY is an old airport. Three planes in various states of weathering are located inside what seems to be a fenced in area. As described in another review, two RCAF C-119's and a Beech 18 are in the "fenced" in area as well as three more planes are parked in front of the museum and dilapidated hangar plus a very friendly little bunny who came out to see who was wandering around in his territory. To the north of the area is a collection of difficult to see military and commercial aircraft some older than others, but all "out here rusting in the rain" as the song so aptly said. I do not know your perspective of things old and weathering from no shelter and such, but to me it was an hour spent, that still lingers as clearly as the geologic and prehistoric sites there in the area that I also stopped to ponder. I spent time photographing and taking in the rustic beauty of the bygone era these planes represented. Who flew in these, where had these planes been used, what did the pilots and crew encounter as they flew their mission, or traveled commercially to visit or conduct business? If aging aircraft sitting in and around a ghost airport interest you, take the time to stop her and linger." If aging aircraft particularly the military sort are your thing, go to the Pima Arizona aircraft boneyard in Tucson AZ....Hundreds of up close and personal exhibits to wander through.

My wife and I flew into Billings, MT, rented a car, and spent the second week of September this year in Yellowstone NP and Grand Teton. Returning to Billings, we opted to route via Cody and being a lifelong enthusiast of prop driven, radial engined aircraft, I took a chance and drove Cody to Greybull to see what was left of the old Hawkins and Powers aircraft collection at Greybull. The Wyoming state tourist guides all listed this "museum" of Flight and Aerial Firefighting" as something to see. Let me tell you that even if you ARE a hardcore antique aircraft enthusiast, you are better off reading reviews like mine than making a four hour detour to see a couple of weathered, former RCAF C-119's and a derelict Beech 18 just inside the airport fenceline. True, you can drive up to the security gates at the fence perimeter and see a field full of old military cargo and ASW aircraft, BUT they are better than a half mile from the closest viewing point at the fence, and while interesting, you can't get any closer, not that getting closer would do anything more than stir the nostalgia in the most avid enthusiast. None of the aircraft visible at this airport, excepting a couple of small privately owned aircraft, have flown in years, and most appear to have been partially dismantled. The "museum" building, is actually a falling down, much derelicted, one room shack near the fenceline when you turn off the main highway into the airport grounds. It's been closed for years. There is one business with a large hangar at this airport, which appears to be thriving, but they do contract work for the US Dept. of Defense, and the owners say even they are prohibited from visiting the aircraft graveyard at the other end of the airport. Nice folks, if you can get somebody to the door, but they don't have the authority to sneak you in the back door to take a look around. So, in short, if you're thinking of driving all the way to Greybull to see these historic aircraft, you're better off going to Greybull to see the town and surrounding sights, which we did not have the time to do. By the way, regardless of where you are driving from, check your Wyoming state maps. Between Cody and Greybull, there is NOTHING scenic. From discussions with other friends and family that have driven through Wyoming, this is typical. Hours and hours of driving with little of interest to see between the better known towns and tourist attractions. Wyoming is a great state to visit, but I would not recommend taking long drives through the countryside without a full tank of gas, and a cooler stocked with your picnic lunch and something to drink. I can't even imagine a drive like we took in the winter time.

Did not care for the hours, it was closed when it was supposed to be open and the entrance was difficult to find, the grounds were not kept up very well.