On February 20, Planes of Fame officials, along with airport and Santa Maria city officials, joined scores of supporters for the groundbreaking of the Planes of Fame Museum to be built near the Radisson Hotel off Skyway Drive.

          Parked nearby was the P-51 Mustang aircraft owned by actor Tom Cruise and featured in the film ‘Top Gun-Maverick’.  When the museum opens, it will house dozens of aviation displays including aircraft from World War II and earlier.  The museum hopes to open sometime in 2026.

Steve Southwick reporting