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Minot, ND TALKING TRAIL
"History Comes to Life on the Talking Trail..."
Welcome to the Dakota Territory Air Museum! Established in 1986 by Don Larson, Alfred Pietsch, and his son, Warren Pietsch, it has grown into the incredible air museum it is today...
Before Noble Peterson became a pilot, he was a rancher and horseback rider from Southwestern North Dakota. His friends used to joke that he...
This Talking Point is more about Oswin Moose Elker than it is about this P40 Warhawk. During Oswin's servicew with the Flying Tigers, his P-40 Warhawk was shot down twice...
Minnesota native Ken Dahlberg shared this P51D Mustang, named "Little Horse," with Lieutenant Charles Koening, after his own plane, "Shay-lay-lee," was shot down. During Dahlberg's military career...
The black and white stripes you see on this Spitfire MK9 are called "invasion stripes" and were painted on the eve of D-Day. The top secret stripes were applied to over 6,000 airplanes...
Don Lopez was in a pinch. He was head to head with a Japanese Zero, or enemy fighter, and was unable to shoot hiim down. In order to make his escape, Don collided with the Zero...
Murray Lawlor met his future wife, Margaret, in England during World War II. She didn't come from royalty, but she was like royalty to Murray, who named his airplane, a C53 Sky Trooper, the "Dutchess of Dakota" in her honor...
Buckle up! Check out one of the earliest Jets in the US AIr Force! And one of the first jets to be located out of Minot Air Force Base!
The F106 Delta Dart holds the world record for single engine airplane speed at 1,525 miles an hour. It was built as an interceptor and designed to carry missiles...
The McDonald Douglas F15 Eagle is one of many planes--including P40 Warhawks, Spitfires, Black Widows, and P51's--flown by the Spittin' Kitten 5th fighter interceptor group which formed in 1942 in Selfridge, Michigan as part...
From the cockpit of the Waco GXE, a pilot gazes across the patchwork plains of North Dakota and wonders what the skies looked like in the early 1900's when pilots delivered mail by aircraft. Scanning the controls the pilot...
Able to perform aerobatics and fly at a speed of 160 miles per hour, the North American T-6 Texan prepared pilots for solo flights in higher-horsepower fighters...
The 1931 Waco QCF2 marked the end of an era; though it was quite popular in the early 1930's, Waco converted to building cabins shortly after this plane was manufactured. This green bi-plane was restored right here in Minot...
The 1938 Mona Coupe 110 Special was built for racing, so, you guessed it, they're all about speed. Only 7 were ever built though they were one of the most successful racers in aerobatic airplanes in the 30's and 40's...
It looks clean now, but when the 1932 Mono Coupe 110 is flown, it gets covered in grease. It requires oil before each flight and the push rods must be greased every 20 hours. The Mono Coupe 110 was a popular racing plane, capable of flying 170 mph...
Riding the Breezy is like riding a motorcycle, except you can climb to 10,000 feet in it. The aircraft does not have any kind of enclosure, which makes it especially exhilarating...
Al Pietsch flew this Star Duster 2 in air shows all over the world, flying over open water in a homemade airplane with no electrical system as far as Bermuda, which was six hours away...
Do you like seeing the ridges and valleys of mountains from above when you're flying in an airplane? Well, so did Reuel Call, who founded the CallAir Airplane Factory with his brother, Spencer, and uncle, Ivan..
The Wright Brothers' Flyer found at the Dakota Air Territory Museum shares the rich history of Wright Brothers and the spark that ignited aviation in America!
This Replica 1910 Curtiss Pusher was built in 1961 and flown in the movie "The Great Race," about an automobile race from New York to Paris. After filming, the movie company sold it to Minnesota resident Chuck Doyle, who flew it...
Before Art Mortvedt set out on a 600 mile expedition to fly over the North Pole in the Cessna 185 you see before you, he knew he would have to remove some of the excess weight from the aircraft to preserve fuel. He began by unfastening the engine...
It took two winters for Larry Linrud and his brother to restore this Arrow Sport to its prime, flying condition, but when they started the project, they never expected the plane to leave the ground again...
Other plaines may be more glamorous, but the Grumman Wildcat has prestige. More Medal of Honor winners piloted Wildcats than any other fighter planes in WWII. In fact, Butch O'Hare, whom the Chicago airport is named after, flew a...
Come explore the Dakota Territory Air Museum and Experience the Story with 23 Talking Points along the Talking Trail mobile app!
Founded in 1986, the Dakota Territory Air Museum has proudly evolved into a significant historical depository honoring the men, women and machines that have impacted the rich history of aviation. Through displays and events that inspire, educate and entertain, the museum has become a viable and important historical resource for our region and the state of North Dakota.
The plans laid out by the museum’s founders were that the museum would not only be a place to display military and vintage aircraft, but would become a place dedicated to passing on the rich and varied stories of our region’s aviation history. In the short time since the museum’s beginnings, the founders and members have built a solid foundation, establishing a working museum with aircraft, restoration projects and have secured a leading role in the region’s promotion of all aspects of aviation.
