Editor,

While the past year brought some disappointments, 2018-2019 has been a year of continued accomplishments for the PBY-Naval Air Museum. Our big disappointment is that we were not able to make a deal to purchase either of the two prospective building sites for a new museum. Additionally, for the first time ever, the visitor count declined year-to-year, but still remained over 4,000 in 2018. In all other respects, the museum continued to excel in its mission to present Naval Aviation history to a wide audience in the Pacific Northwest.

This year’s mid-year fundraising appeal offers a unique opportunity to advance the PBY-Naval Air Museum’s mission. A matching pledge of $25,000 has been made to our capital account if an equal amount can be raised for the operating budget. Another $5,000 will be matched for operations, if a total of $30,000 can be raised for operations.

On one hand, reaching these goals will greatly strengthen the museum’s financial position for acquiring a new building site by building our capital fund.

On the other, additional operating funds are critical to sponsoring Pacific Flying Boat’s PBY-5A from Victoria, B.C. at this year’s Seattle Seafair Air Show where it appears in the same program with the Navy’s Blue Angels. The Air Show puts this iconic piece of history in front of hundreds of thousands of spectators as well as a huge regional TV audience.

You can make a difference for the museum’s present and future. We ask that you step up to help keep the momentum going by making a tax-deductible gift to sustain the PBY-Naval Air Museum and build the foundation for continued future growth. Remember, each dollar you give will be doubled by a matching donation. Your support will make everything possible.

Wil Shellengerger, PBY-Naval Air Museum president

Oak Harbor