Consistent with our Mission, our Museum’s special emphasis is on the early development of both fixed wing and rotary wing flight that was developed near our site, the military presence at the former Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove, and paying tribute to our service men and women who have supported aviation through the years across the globe.
In 1926, aviation pioneer Harold F. Pitcairn bought a large section of farmland north of Philadelphia which is part of Horsham, PA today. From 1926 to 1942, Pitcairn developed, built, tested and flew many different aircraft — most notably the Mailwing and Autogiro. In 1927, when Pitcairn won the U.S. Postal Service contract to carry overnight mail between New York and Atlanta, he designed the Mailwing. Faster, safer, and more efficient than any other aircraft on the market, the Mailwing was immediately bought as standard equipment by many aircraft companies. A series of tragic accidents, coupled with changes in government regulations, induced Pitcairn to sell his airmail and fixed wing divisions to North American Aviation in 1929. North American Aviation renamed the division Eastern Air Transport — which would eventually become Eastern Airlines.
Pitcairn had previously experimented with rotary-wing aircraft designs and transitioned his attention to rotary-wing development. In 1928, Pitcairn made the first successful rotary-wing flight in America in the skies over Willow Grove Field in an Autogiro. An autogiro is a type of rotary wing aircraft that generates lift from a freely turning rotor, but—unlike a helicopter—it uses an engine driven propeller for forward thrust. As the aircraft moves ahead, air flows upward through the rotor, causing it to auto rotate rather than being powered directly by the engine.
On April 8, 1931, Amelia Earhart, flying a Pitcairn PCA-2 Autogiro, reached an altitude of 18,415 feet (5,613 meters) over Bucks and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania. The duration of the flight originating from Pitcairn Airfield, her second of the day, was 1 hour, 49 minutes. Throughout the 1930s, the Pitcairn team would develop and manufacture many different models of autogiros at Willow Grove, perfecting the technology which would later be used in the development of the modern helicopter.
In 1942, for patriotic reasons, Pitcairn reluctantly sold his airfield to the United States Navy to support the war effort. Two hundred fifty Naval personnel from Mustin Field at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard took possession of the field that year. Along with an additional land purchase, the air station grew to a total of 1,100 acres. In January 1943, the field was officially commissioned the United States Naval Air Station Willow Grove.
In 1948, the company officially dissolved, but Pitcairn’s 270 foundational patents for vertical-lift and rotary-wing aircraft forever changed aeronautics.
The Growth of the Museum’s Legacy
While the name Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum has a relatively short history, the beginnings of displaying aircraft at Willow Grove began shortly after World War II.
In May 1946, Lieutenant Commander David Ascher arrived at Naval Air Station (NAS) Willow Grove as the station’s first Aircraft Maintenance Officer.
A few months later, a local high school acquired a P-40E Kittyhawk from the Army Air Force, but later deciding they did not want to keep it, they turned it over to the Navy. Ascher led the movement to modify the aircraft and change the markings to a “Flying Tiger,” thus becoming the first aircraft displayed at Willow Grove.
With a large public response, Ascher decided to pursue the acquisition of additional aircraft over the next few years.
A former shipmate, Navy Commander John Schwirtz, informed him that two Japanese seaplanes had been removed from the captured German battle cruiser Prinz Eugen in Philadelphia. Ascher, accompanied by some of his personnel, traveled to Naval Air Field (NAF) Philadelphia to retrieve the seaplanes and brought them back to Willow Grove. One of them, a German Arado, became the second aircraft displayed in early 1947.
Ascher later learned that several captured Axis aircraft were slated for scrapping at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland. Recognizing their historical and educational value, Ascher, accompanied by the base’s training officer, traveled to Patuxent River in the spring of 1947. There, they selected several rare enemy aircraft used during World War II, Including an ME-262, which is now at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola Florida, and secured approval to transfer them to NAS Willow Grove. The aircraft were first transported by barge to NAF Philadelphia, where their wings were removed. Escorted by local police, the disassembled aircraft made the 25-mile journey along narrow roads to their new home at NAS Willow Grove, where they were reassembled and repainted in their original wartime markings, then placed on public display.
Lieutenant-Commander Ascher remained at NAS Willow Grove until 1952.
Ascher passed away in 2006, but his acquisition of several aircraft and his dedication to preserving them began Willow Grove’s long history of displaying military aircraft for the public to view. The aircraft David Ascher acquired for display at Willow Grove NAS from 1946 onward, but were eventually transferred for restoration, preservation and display at other museums.
While aircraft displays visible on southbound Easton Road along the fenced perimeter of the former Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove date back to the mid-1940s, the Delaware Valley Historical Aircraft Association (DVHAA; parent non-profit organization of the Museum) began to restore, preserve, and display aircraft, artifacts, and other memorabilia in a building on the naval base in 1972. In 2004, the Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum opened its doors to the public, and since that time, thousands of visitors from around the world have viewed our aircraft collection and other unique artifacts.
Continually growing …
The National Naval Aviation Museum (NNAM) in Pensacola, Florida loaned 646 historical aircraft to 186 civilian museums in the US. The Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum is ranked number 7 in the list of the highest volume of aircraft on loan (number 6 with aircraft engines being counted). The top seven museums on the list account for 206 of the 646 NNAM aircraft out on loan.
The Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum’s assemblage of 14 aircraft and 2 engines from NNAM spans several eras in the history of aviation: World War I through World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War Era, the Gulf War, the Balkan War, the Iraq War, and the War in Afghanistan. In addition to the NNAM aircraft, we have 8 aircraft owned by the Museum or on loan from other sources, generating a total of 22 historically significant aircraft.
Our museum is ranked in the top three civil and military aviation museums in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; based on the number of historical aircraft currently on display.
We also display flight helmets, vintage and modern aviation flight gear, engines, air to air missiles, bombs, detailed aircraft models, vintage Martin-Baker ejection seats, flight simulators, and more. We are also privileged to have an extensive collection of military service medals on display.
As of October 2025, our museum consists of a 65 all-volunteer team of dedicated and passionate people. They take an enthusiastic and proactive role in preserving and teaching aviation history, innovation, and achievements. We continually welcome visitors from the local community, all 50 states, and around the world.
In 2017, the Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum was honored with an award from Horsham Township, PA for its support and contribution to the community.
The Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum is proud to hold a significant presence in the aviation museum sphere both locally and beyond. Our future plans for vigorous and consequential growth will continue to elevate that stature.
