The Air Acres Museum was established in North Georgia in the early 1980’s by Randall Porter, Jack Jordan and Duane Roberts. The concept was to restore and fly vintage military aircraft, making the  airplanes available for view by the public at airshows and eventually at a dedicated Museum site. David Brady became associated with the group shortly thereafter and together, they built the Air Acres Museum facilities in Cartersville GA in 1986.

An article from the February 1991 issue of Southern Aviator by Mike Collins probably best illustrates the aspects of the Air Acres Museum. Mike is now the Vice President of Diversified Products for AOPA.
============================================================ mu-se-um n : an institution devoted to the procurement, care, study and display of objects of lasting interest or value; also : a place where objects are exhibited.

   When the objects of lasting interest or value - as defined by Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary - are aircraft, and they are exhibited in the sky, the term “air museum” takes on a new, different, exciting and often noisy meaning.  After all, the trend in museum design has been to display objects in as natural an environment as possible.  For an airplane, what setting could be more natural than the wild blue yonder?
   No Traditional museum can duplicate the sight, sound, feel and smell of the three or more piston powered, radial engined World War Two II medium bombers simulating a low-level bombing run - complete with authentic military markings, open bomb bay doors and a fighter escort.  Or display its collection with the accessibility of an airshow flightline, where no ropes or barriers keep visitors from touching the polished aluminum, smelling the warm oil seeping from the big radial engines or taking a close look at the giant tires on the main landing gear.
   No traditional museum at all, agree Randall Porter and David Brady, partners in the Air Acres Museum in Cartersville, GA., which typifies this new breed of museum.
   Larger organizations such as the Confederate Air Force and Valiant Air Command have made good use of the “flying museum: concept, but a growing number of smaller museums such as Air Acres bring aviation history to the grassroots level.
   Air Acres’ goal is education, Brady explained. “We feel that our purpose should be to educate people as to what these airplanes look like, feel like, sound like ... so that they can see them as they were in 1944.”  The younger generation has never seen aircraft like the museum’s flagships, a B-25J Mitchell and an A-26 Invader.  “They not only see the airplane, they can see what it does.”
   Porter agreed, “More people would see these airplanes if they’re flying,” he said. “If you’ve got them out on the ramp, people can see them, they can feel them, they can smell them, they can hear them, - the whole experience. “My real thrill is having a man who flew or crewed the aircraft come up to me, and letting him get up in the airplane,” continued Porter, who owns the B-25 and loans it to the museum.  Sharing the intense emotions of these veterans is the most rewarding aspect of taking these airplanes on the road, he added. “The experiences the get to relive when they see that airplane are tremendous.”
   Porter recalled an incident about four years ago, at the 40th anniversary celebration for the Air Force, when he was sitting the cockpit of the Mitchell watching the B1-B in front of him prepare to taxi.  This old guy came up and asked if he could come on board. He said the last time he was on board one of these things was in 1944 in Tuskeegee, Ala.” Porter invited him onto the flight deck. “You could see the tears come out of the old mans eyes. It gives you a very warm and gratifying feeling. That’s only one experience - its happened many, many times. You cant do that in a museum.”
   Brady agreed.  “I was answering questions about the B-25 at a show one time and noticed an older man and lady standing to one side, “ he recalled. “She came over and asked if her husband, a former B-25 pilot, could climb inside.”  Access to the airplanes interior at shows is usually restricted but Brady made an exception. “He came over and got up in the airplane, sat down in the left seat and just cried. - big old tears rolled down his cheeks.  She told me he was reminiscing, remembering when he lost buddies.
   The fact that people can recall memories - Good and Bad - makes it all worthwhile,” he said. “That’s our inspiration. That keeps us going.”
   That kept Air Acres going for 10 years.  Founded by Jack Jordan, Duane Roberts and Randall Porter.
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At its peak the Air Acres Museum had a large number and wide variety of aircraft associated with it. The flagship B-25J, “Georgia Girl” being one of the most recognized Warbirds in Southeast, led a pack that included: Douglas C-47 Skytrain, Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor, North American T-28 Trojan, Fairchild C-119 Boxcar, Lockheed P2-V Neptune, Cessna T-37 Tweet, Douglas A-26 Invader, Cessna U-3B, Piper J-5, Piper J-3, Cessna L-19 Bird Dog, Stinson L-5 Ambulance, Navion L-17, Cessna O-2, Grumman S-2 Tracker, Grumman C-1A COD, Boeing PT-17 Stearman.  They were all flyers and there were also numerous nonmilitary aircraft as well to include a Twin CamAir, Ultralights, Gyro-Copters, etc.

The museum continues to be active in restorations and community activities.  The Museum programs now center on education and outreach, with Museum volunteers  taking programs to area schools, aerospace education programs for teachers, and occasional visits to the hangar by small groups.  To reach the Museum, call 770-517-6090 or 770-569-4613.
You can visit the Air Acres Museum website as well as see many references to it here at Warbird 17.  . Visit the J-5 restorations on this website as well.