Port Townsend Aero Museum

Port Townsend Aero Museum sits on the field at Jefferson County International Airport, presenting aviation history in an actively flying context rather than as static display. Founded in 2001 by Jerry and Peggy Thoutte with a small group of flyable aircraft, the museum has grown into a serious preservation effort, consolidating additional historic machines after the closure of the North Cascades Vintage Aircraft Museum in 2018. The move into a purpose-built facility in 2008, followed by a significant expansion underway in the early 2020s, reflects the scale of ongoing restoration and maintenance work. For those interested in military aviation, the value lies in observing how mid-20th-century training and liaison types are kept airworthy, highlighting issues of fabric, wood, and early alloy airframe conservation. The 2019 emergency landing of the museum’s PT-17 Stearman illustrates both the operational risks of flying heritage aircraft and the commitment to keeping them in the air. Set near former coast artillery posts around Port Townsend, the museum complements the region’s layered defense history by focusing on the pilots, trainers, and technologies that supported wider military operations.