Press Releases

Legislation authored by Congressman Jim Banks (IN-03) that would recognize the hangar at Smith Field in Fort Wayne as the National Airmail Museum has been included in the five-year Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill that the House will vote on this week.

“I’m pleased that the House and Senate reached a deal on a final FAA package that includes my language to recognize the hangar at Smith Field,” said Banks. “The hangar at Smith Field is the perfect structure for a National Airmail Museum. The Friends of Smith Field have worked tirelessly to make this museum a reality, and I am proud to support this initiative.”

Background:
The House passed FAA reauthorization legislation in April. The House and Senate hashed out differences between the House and Senate bills in a conference committee, which produced the final package that will be voted on this week.

More information about Smith Field is available here and a floor speech by Congressman Banks on the history of Smith Field is available here.

The text of the Banks legislation is below:

115TH CONGRESS

H.R. 5039

To designate the National Airmail Museum at Smith Air Field in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Mr. BANKS of Indiana introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

A BILL

To designate the National Airmail Museum at Smith Air Field in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Airmail Museum Act’’.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds that—

(1) in 1930, commercial airmail carriers began operations at Smith Field in Fort Wayne, Indiana;

(2) the United States lacks a national museum dedicated to airmail; and

(3) the airmail hangar at Smith Field in Fort Wayne, Indiana—

(A) will educate the public on the role of airmail in aviation history; and

(B) honor the role of the hangar in the history of the nation’s airmail service.

SEC. 3. DESIGNATION.

(a) IN GENERAL.—The airmail museum located at the Smith Field in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is designated as the ‘‘National Airmail Museum’’.

(b) EFFECT OF DESIGNATION.—The national museum designated by this section is not a unit of the National Park System and the designation of the National Airmail Museum shall not require or permit Federal funds to be expended for any purpose related to that national memorial.

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