Update: as of Friday, June 13 at noon, we reached 100 percent of our goal of maxing out the $10,000 match from our board of directors. Our total now stands at $20,090—meaning the ‘Rise Above’ exhibit will be free to the public this summer!
Thanks to a successful effort to raise $20,000 during this year’s NH Gives campaign, this summer the Aviation Museum will be able to bring in a traveling exhibit about the Greatest Generation heroes at no cost to the the public!
This August, the Aviation Museum of N.H. plans to bring in an historic P-51 Mustang fighter plane as part of “Rise Above,” an inspirational traveling exhibit from the Commemorative Air Force that salutes the achievements of the Tuskegee Airmen as well as the WASP (Women’s Airforce Service Pilots) of World War II.
It’s the only appearance this year in the Northeast U.S. of this popular exhibit, which is designed to inspire young people with the legendary stories of how the Tuskegee Airmen and the Women’s Air Service Pilots overcame adversity in their time.
To make this exhibit available to families free of charge, we needed your help. A matching campaign during the 2025 NH Gives campaign (held June 10-11) was a chance for your support to make a difference—and you came through in a big way!
The Aviation Museum’s board of directors, aided by an anonymous donor, made available $10,000 in matching funds for NH Gives. This meant any donation to the Aviation Museum during NH Gives was DOUBLED, up to a total of $10,000. By maxing out this match, we raised $20,000—enough to cover all costs of this summer’s visit of the Commemorative Air Force ‘Rise Above’ visit and make it free to all to attend.
It’s a great way for families to learn about and remember the sacrifices of earlier generations of aviators—and might spark a young person’s interest in aviation and aerospace! Stay tuned for more info about the Commemorative Air Force ‘Rise Above’ touring exhibit. The exhibit is scheduled to be at the Aviation Museum of N.H. from Friday, Aug. 15 through Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025 as part of this year’s PlaneFest! celebration. More info coming soon!
Check out the images below of the ‘Rise Above’ exhibit in other parts of the nation. Thanks to your help, we plan to make this inspirational exhibit available free to the public during our ‘PlaneFest!’ celebration Friday, Aug. 15 through Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025 at the Aviation Museum of N.H.
And how about these shots of the P-51C Mustang in flight? Although our exhibit will be primarily a static display of this historic aircraft—one of very few still flying—we hope to get info out so fans can be present when the airplane arrives and departs from Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.
Below are screenshots from a film about the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots that part of the Rise Above traveling exhibit:
And below are a few images from the ‘Red Tails’ film about the Tuskegee Airmen that’s also part of the ‘Rise Above’ exhibit:
Please give generously during this year’s NH Gives campaign on June 10-11, 2025 to support the visit of the inspirational ‘Rise Above’ exhibit from Friday, Aug. 15 through Sunday, Aug. 17. Every donation makes a difference—and will help us inspire visitors to overcome adversity in their own lives!