Foley acquires T34B aircraft for museum display

Foley acquires T34B aircraft for museum display

Work to showcase Foley’s role in Navy aviation training moved forward with the acquisition of a second aircraft to be displayed in a planned museum. The city acquired a Beechcraft T-34B Mentor trainer. The T-34B was the primary training aircraft for the U.S. Navy from 1957 until the mid-1970s. During its service, the aircraft was a frequent site flying over Foley and South Baldwin County as pilots trained in the area.
Foley plans to use the T-34B as part of a display in a museum to be built to commemorate the area’s heritage and connection with Navy aviation.
The National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola owns the T-34B acquired by Foley. The NNAM agreed to a long-term loan with the city of Foley to allow the airplane to be used as a museum display. The aircraft will remain in a city storage facility where it will be kept until a display site is ready.
Mike Chavers, Foley street superintendent, said the project was a joint effort by several city departments, residents, the NNAM and Pensacola Naval Air Station.
Aubry Morris with Little Bitty’s Towing and David and Bob Irwin with Magnolia Equipment Rental provided equipment and time to move the plane and Kenneth Tillman, Michael Allen and Bruce Cummins from NAS also assisted. City workers taking part in the effort included Greg Frank, Will Ray, Bob Morrison, Mark Harbison, Dustin Wyatt, Andrew Salgado, Henry Prim and Daniel Bristow. Bonnie Towne coordinated the transfer.
The city now has an exhibit at the Foley Railroad Museum featuring Barin Field and Foley’s role in training Navy aviators. The new aircraft and other items now being collected will be part of an expanded exhibition. Barin Field in Foley was a Navy aviation training base during World War II and the Korean Conflict. The Navy continues to use the field, located east of the Foley Beach Express, as an outlying landing field.
Barin Field opened in 1942. During its peak operation, more than 2,000 permanent personnel were stationed at the base and more than 5,000 aviation cadets were trained at the base in its first two years of operations. In 2024, the National Park Service designated Foley as an American World War II Heritage City. The designation recognizes the role that a community played during World War II and efforts since then to recognize the men and women who served in the conflict. The city also purchased a 1942 N3N biplane that will also be part of Foley’s commemoration of the area’s role in Navy aviation training.
Pictured: On June 12, crews from Foley loaded the T-34B in two trucks for transport from Pensacola to Foley. The fuselage of the disassembled airplane was loaded in one truck. The wings and tail sections were loaded on a trailer attached to a second truck.