In 1963, George Haddaway, a noted aviation historian and the publisher of Flight Magazine, donated his enormous collection of artifacts and archival materials to The University of Texas. This “History of Aviation Collection” was later moved from Austin to The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) in the late 1970’s.
In 1988, UTD and Mr. Haddaway forged an agreement with a group of Dallas leaders to make possible the display of most of the physical artifacts at an off-campus site. With the leadership of Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, William E. “Bill” Cooper, and Jan Collmer, the Frontiers of Flight Museum was formed in 1988 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The City of Dallas agreed to provide space on the mezzanine level of the main terminal building at Love Field beginning in 1990.
The public’s enthusiasm for the Museum prompted city and Museum leadership to embark on an ambitious plan to build the Museum that stands today. The 100,000 square foot facility, located at the southeastern corner of the Dallas Love Field Airport on Lemmon Avenue, opened in June 2004. It consists of two climate-controlled hangar-like buildings, joined by a connecting structure on both levels.
