Aviation Heritage Park

A memorial to all distinguished aviators who have called South Central Kentucky home, Aviation Heritage Park currently features four restored military aircraft with very compelling ties to local aviators as well as their own interesting stories.

The premiere aircraft is a F-4D Phantom II 550, a plane with historic significance. Brigadier General Dan Cherry, a Bowling Green native, was at the controls on April 16, 1972 when he shot down a North Vietnamese Mig-21 during the Vietnam War. The second plane to join the display was a Grumman F9F-5 Panther. It is a representation of the plane Johnny Magda, Kentuckian, WKU alumnus, Commander of the Blue Angels and Korean War hero, flew.

Also on display is a Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star, dedicated on October 22, 2011. The plane honors Gen. Russ Dougherty, a Glasgow native who flew more than 70 types of aircraft and commanded the Strategic Air Command during the Cold War. The T-33 also bears the name of U.S. Air Force Capt. Robert E. Mitchell who was killed in the same type of plane during a training exercise in 1962.

The most recent addition landed in October 2013 and is a USAF F-111 honoring Bowling Green native Col. Arnie Franklin, who led the 1986 USAF raid on Libya. This particular plane was a part of that raid and was also the exact plane to drop the last bomb on the last night of the Desert Storm War.

Other planes are in the works, so check back often for updates. Tune in to FM Station 89.3 at the Park to hear more about the aircraft and their pilots!


Hours: Open daily from dawn to dusk.