CASTLE AIR MUSEUM WORK DAY
CASTLE AFB, ATWATER CA
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2026
The Pharoahs of Merced County have been volunteering at the Castle Air Museum at Castle AFB in Atwater for years. They clean, organize (down to rivets and screws), they work on the vehicles and equipment (often vintage), that support the aircraft. And they work on planes. Within a couple of weeks following this work day, the Merced chapter will show up with DA sanders in hand and strip all the paint off a Cold War-era Soviet Mig-17 fighter, stripped of its wings as part of its restoration. You've heard of frame-off restorations, well this is a wing-off restoration. A handful of club members showed up to lend a hand on this volunteer work day, and we hung around for the fun.
ABOVE: This Cold War-era relic is a Soviet Mig-17 fighter, in production from 1951 through 1969. Roughly 15,000 were built in that time, in four different countries, they flew combat missions all over the world, and here it sits in Atwater, California. Wings, tail section, engine and interior have been removed as part of a total restoration. The Pharoahs of Merced County are set to sand it down in a couple of weeks. You thought block sanding your Impala was hard...
The TF-102A was a 2-seat, side-by-side trainer for F-102 Delta Dart interceptor pilot-trainees. Here sheet metal work is being done on the aluminum skin.
It's not all working on airplanes. Some of the Pharoahs take the time to do some needed maintenance on a member's 1970 Monte Carlo. Easy peasy. Working on cars is part of the rite of passage for a car guy. It's one way to get to know people better.
This thing is called a Tug and it was designed specifically to tow B-52 Stratofortresses on the tarmac. Big diesel engine, 4-wheel drive, massive tires, super-low gearing (top speed 9 mph), it's a monster. But it wouldn't start. You know how difficult old diesels can be. Well, turns out one of our Pharoahs works magic with diesels and got the thing running. It probably saved the museum thousands.
Check this stuff out! The mechanical detail and the quality of manufacture is off the charts! And they were built in the 1940s! This stuff is amazing!! And they're standing around by the dozens in a hangar, too many to display at the museum.
How do you like your wings?
Yes, that's an F-117 Stealth Fighter stripped of its top secret radar-absorbing paint and ready for restoration. The museum also has an SR71 Blackbird on display.
This makes your Malaise-era smog dog look like a piece of cake! Can you imagine working on stuff like that? But our military trains teenagers how to work on them and they do it proudly and with great proficiency. The best in the world.
The Castle Air Museum is located on the grounds of the old Castle AFB in Atwater CA. Right now there are 80 vintage military aircraft on display out on 32 acres of tarmac. They are displayed smartly so that you can rent headphones and walk from plane to plane and get the whole story. Some of the bigger planes can be entered and explored. Planes range from the 1930s to present. You saw the Stealth Fighter. They also have an honest-to-goodness SR-71 Blackbird on display! Tons of fighters, bombers and transports from World War II, Korea, the Cold War, Viet Nam and up to modern times. Hours are 9am-4pm 7 days a week. General admission is $25 with all the usual discounts. Click here for more info on the Castle Air Museum.