President's Update: June 2022

Dear Supporters,

I am thrilled to share with you that we have left the starting block. We have a finalized Memorandum of Understanding, and we are able to start making commitments with the various vendors and service providers that we have been working with over the past several months on preliminary plans for the development and relocation of the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum. It will not be a sprint, but a marathon ending with a planned soft opening sometime in the first quarter of calendar year 2024 or sooner.

Our current and additional expenses are primarily to cover the general and administrative costs associated with any business or non-profit. These include personnel, phone and IT services, office space, accounting and bookkeeping, office supplies, etc. We have also added the services of a professional fundraiser, architectural and design professionals, and legal services. All this is necessary to lay the foundation and continue planning for the new FLAM organization and museum facility. We remain engaged with several organizations for the demolition of outdated space in the hangar 296, construction of office and restoration workspace, transportation of the museum collection, and development of exhibits and displays. The graph above provides you a general sense of the complexity and various moving parts of this major project.

Our major fundraising focuses on raising additional donations for the buildout and furnishing of the museum. Our immediate needs are to continue to raise revenue to cover ongoing overhead, planning, and development costs. This is where your support can make the biggest impact. I am asking each of you to visit the Donate Now page and contribute what you can. Please consider making a Monthly Recurring Gift for as little as $25 dollars or a One-Time Gift. You can also become a Member, which will entitle you to receiving a copy of our Logbook magazine and added member benefits once the museum opens.

In the meantime, during the month of June, our Foundation was able to host our annual student art and essay contests, with a ceremony honoring the winners and their teachers on June 25th. We want to say congratulations to all of this year’s contest participants, as we continue the work of preserving and sharing the legacy of Marine Aviation for future generations.

Like any marathon, positioning yourself at the beginning and establishing a steady pace is critical if you want to finish the race. Please help us complete the race and cross the finish line. Your support makes a difference. Thank you.

Semper Fi,

Mike J. Aguilar
BGen USMC Retired
President/ CEO
Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum