New plane arrives at Aviation Heritage Park

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Aviation Heritage Park has welcomed a new plane to their collection and has begun the process of reconstruction and rehabilitation.

The F-105, or ‘Thud,’ was used during the Vietnam War as a fighter/bomber plane. The plane that is now housed at the Aviation Heritage Park has a deep connection to the Bowling Green area. Retired General and Bowling Green native Dan Cherry flew the plane during training exercises when he was stationed to McConnell Air Force Base just outside of Wichita, Kansas. Executive director of the Aviation Heritage Park, Bob Bubnis, was particular excited as someone who grew up in the Wichita area the same time Cherry was flying the F-105.

The plane comes from the Cavanaugh Flight Museum in Addison, Texas, which recently shut down. The Aviation Heritage Park was chosen out of 19 others to receive this plane.

“It is such an exciting day for the AHP Aviation Heritage Park, and for Bowling Green and Warren County as we add our ninth aircraft to the collection here at the airpark. And we couldn’t have asked for better aircraft,” Bubnis said.

There is still much to do to the plane to get it ready. It arrived in multiple pieces, with the tail and the wings detached from the rest of the body. Reconstruction of the plane will begin on the Oct. 14 and will be displayed outside. The museum invites anyone who wishes to watch the reconstruction to come out and enjoy.

Starting in the Spring of 2025, the rehabilitation process will begin as the final part of restoration process. The planes paint will be sanded down and repainted to look the way it would have during the Vietnam War. The cockpit windows will also be cleaned. The Aviation Heritage Park will be looking for volunteers from the community to help with this process.

To see how you can help out, can click here.