Rescuing lost Lake Michigan aircraft highlighted in EAA Speaker Series on October 21

Restored Wildcat airplane from World War II on display in EAA museum

EAA AVIATION CENTER, OSHKOSH, Wisconsin — (September 23, 2021) — Locating and rescuing World War II-era aircraft from the bottom of Lake Michigan will be the focus of the EAA Aviation Adventure Speaker Series on Thursday, October 21, as EAA welcomes Taras Lyssenko from A and T Recovery.

The presentation in the museum’s Eagle Hangar begins at 7 p.m. on October 21. It is free for EAA members and just $5 for nonmembers.

Dozens of World War II fighter airplanes were lost in accidents and intentional water ditchings during aircraft carrier qualification training near Chicago, most notably at the Naval Air Station Glenview just north of the city. In many cases, those aircraft remained at the bottom of the lake for more than a half century before individuals and organizations began locating and rescuing the airplanes for restoration. The airplanes included some of the most iconic airplanes of the World War II era, such as the Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat that was recovered in the early 1990s and restored. That airplane is on temporary display in the Eagle Hangar, on loan from Lewis Air Legends of San Antonio, Texas.

The Wildcat on display at EAA is painted in the markings of Butch O’Hare, a Chicago-born World War II ace who was the first naval aviator to receive the Medal of Honor. In 1949, the City of Chicago named the small Orchard Field Airport in honor of O’Hare.

This October 21 presentation replaces the originally scheduled event featuring authors of the EAA book B-17: The Final Mission, which will be rescheduled to a future date.

About EAA Aviation Museum

The EAA Aviation Museum is located just off Interstate 41 at the Highway 44 exit in Oshkosh. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. EAA members receive free museum admission year-round. For more information, call the EAA Aviation Museum at (920) 426-4818 or visit www.EAA.org/museum.

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