Sullenberger Aviation Museum

Name

Sullenberger Aviation Museum

Legal name

Sullenberger Aviation Museum

Website

https://sullenbergeraviation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aviation Museum

NAICS

Museums (712110)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Museums (e.g., Maritime, Aviation, Sports, Music, Film) (THAJADAF)

Keywords

• Aviation museum exhibits
• STEM aviation education
• Flight experience tours
• Museum membership programs
• Aviation history preservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Admissions: Ticket sales for general museum admission with tiered pricing by age group and category. Adults $25, Seniors $21, Children $19, with special discounted rates for EBT/SNAP/WIC participants at $3.
2. Memberships (Frequent Flyer Program): Annual membership program with multiple tiers ($100-$250) offering unlimited admission, gift shop discounts, guest tickets, and early registration for camps. Taxed as entertainment activity under NC law.
3. Premium Experiences: Fee-based immersive experiences including Miracle on the Hudson Experience ($35 including admission, 10% discount for members) and Inside the DC-3 tours ($10 plus admission).
4. Event Rentals: Birthday party packages at $450 flat rate for up to 30 guests including private party room and aviation-themed activities. Corporate and private event venue rentals through sullenbergerevents.com.
5. Gift Shop: Physical and online retail merchandise sales. Members receive 15% discount on all purchases.
6. Flight Path Brick Program: Commemorative personalized bricks installed along museum exterior pathways. Proceeds support educational programs and preservation efforts.
7. Philanthropic Donations: 501(c)(3) nonprofit relying on philanthropic support for operations. Accepts donations via secure platform. EIN: 56-1769105. Funds support Title I field trips, STEM programs, and artifact preservation.
8. Summer Camps: AeroQuest summer camps for grades 2-8 with themed weekly sessions. Extended care available for additional $70.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sullenberger Aviation Museum is a nonprofit aviation museum that operates a physical venue adjacent to Charlotte Douglas International Airport, displaying 40+ historic aircraft and artifacts across multiple exhibit galleries. It sells general admission tickets, premium guided experiences (Miracle on the Hudson, Inside the DC-3), annual memberships, summer camps, field trips, birthday parties, and gift shop merchandise. It also operates educational STEM programs and the Flight Forward aviation workforce development initiative.

Product overview

Sullenberger Aviation Museum is an immersive aviation museum adjacent to Charlotte Douglas International Airport offering a unified portfolio of experiences combining general admission access with fee-based premium programs. Core offerings include general admission tickets and the Frequent Flyer membership program (with Individual, Dual, Family, and Family Plus tiers) providing gallery access to the museum's extensive aircraft collection. Premium add-on experiences include the Miracle on the Hudson Experience ($35), Inside the DC-3 ($10), and Expert Encounters programs. Educational products include AeroQuest Summer Camps, STEM-focused Field Trips with Workshop modules (Little Aviators, Four Forces Lab, Paper Prototypes, Career Exploration, Runway Design Challenge), and the Honeywell Makerspace with monthly EDVentures activities. The museum's collection is organized into three major exhibit areas: Innovation Nation (featuring the A320 from Flight 1549 and Wright Brothers replicas), Aviation Society (featuring F-14 Tomcat and aviation professionals), and Aviation City (featuring historic aircraft in the WPA hangar). Supporting programs include Birthday Parties ($450), Group Sales, the Flight Path Brick commemorative program, and the Flight Forward workforce development program at West Charlotte High School.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Admission Walk-in and advance museum entry tickets providing access to all galleries, aircraft displays including the Flight 1549 airframe, and the Honeywell Makerspace. Tiered by age group: Adults $25, Seniors/Educators $21, Children (5-17) $19, under 5 free, with $3 Welcome rate for EBT/SNAP/WIC recipients (up to 6 people).
• Frequent Flyer Membership Annual subscription membership program with tiered levels ($30 Welcome, $100 Individual, $150 Dual, $200 Family, $250 Family Plus) offering 12 months of free admission for named members, 15% gift shop discount, $10 guest admission tickets up to 10 guests, discounts on select events, and early registration for camps and workshops.
• Miracle on the Hudson Experience Two-hour immersive guided experience exploring US Airways Flight 1549 through the actual A320 aircraft, crew stories, decision-making analysis, and artifact access. Priced at $35 per person including museum admission; ages 13+; 10% member discount; capacity of up to 15 per session.
• Inside the DC-3 Hour-long immersive program placing guests as 1950s airline passengers aboard the Piedmont Airlines DC-3, featuring period artifacts and Piedmont Airlines history. Priced at $10 plus admission. Ages 13+. Approximately 1 hour.
• AeroQuest Summer Camps STEM-focused full-week summer camps (Monday-Friday, 9am-3pm) for grades 2-8 with themed weekly sessions including First Flight, Future Flyers, and Breaking Barriers. Includes daily lunch, museum access, makerspace workshops, and a souvenir shirt. Extended care available for additional $70.
• Field Trips Educational field trip programs for K-12 students including Discovering Aviation ($20/student) covering aviation history, Charlotte's aviation legacy, science of flight, simulators and interactive exhibits with optional scavenger hunt add-on ($5/student), and STEM Workshop field trips ($35/student) which add a private makerspace workshop including Little Aviators, Four Forces Lab, Paper Prototypes, Career Exploration, and Runway Design Challenge for grades 3-12.
• Flight Forward Program Aviation workforce development program at West Charlotte High School offering juniors and seniors quarterly industry field trips, hands-on learning, career exploration, networking, and internship placement. Operated in partnership with the Flight Forward Partners consortium of aviation and aerospace employers.
• Birthday Parties Aviation-themed private party room experience for up to 30 guests with games, activities, and optional catering. Flat rate of $450 plus tax; additional guests $18+ tax each. Includes private party room, aviation-themed decor, and free parking.
• Group Sales Discounted group admission for parties of 15+ with express entry, educational STE(A)M programming, free bus parking, and complimentary escort and bus driver admission. Group rates available with advance booking requirements.
• Flight Path Brick Program Commemorative personalized brick installation program supporting educational programs and preservation efforts. Bricks are installed along museum exterior pathways, available for honoring loved ones or celebrating milestones.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves Title I schools through scholarship-funded field trips
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• HoneywellflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHoneywell powers the Makerspace exhibition space, which provides hands-on STEM activities for all ages. The space features monthly-changing EDVentures activities exploring aviation science concepts. Brand logo displayed with 'Powered by Honeywell' designation.
• Smithsonian InstitutionflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmithsonian Affiliate status provides national credibility, potential for artifact loans, and connection to world's largest museum complex. Museum displays Smithsonian Affiliate logo.
• Flight Forward PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAviation workforce development consortium connecting industry employers with educational institutions and job seekers. Partners include aviation and aerospace companies providing internships, field trips, speakers, and mentorship. Meets quarterly to foster collaboration between industry and education.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EAA Aviation Museum: Oshkosh, Wisconsin aviation museum operated by EAA focused on sport and recreational aviation history. Comparable independent nonprofit aviation museum with collection-based exhibits and educational programming.
• Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum: Oregon-based aviation museum housing the Spruce Goose and other notable aircraft, with hands-on STEM education and IMAX theater. Comparable independent nonprofit aviation museum with extensive collection and education focus.
• Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum: New York-based nonprofit aviation museum anchored by a famous aircraft carrier (USS Intrepid) and a significant aircraft collection including a Concorde and Space Shuttle. Closely comparable operating model: ticketed admissions, premium experiences, educational programming, and event rentals.
• Cradle of Aviation Museum: Long Island aviation museum with a comparable mix of historic aircraft, immersive exhibits, educational programming, and special events. Closely comparable mid-sized regional aviation museum operating model.
• National Naval Aviation Museum: Naval aviation museum in Pensacola with 150+ aircraft and educational programming. Comparable mission to preserve and interpret aviation history with hands-on exhibits and STEM education.
• Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum: Denver-based independent aviation museum housed in a historic hangar with a collection of military and civilian aircraft. Comparable regional aviation museum model with educational programming and event rentals.
• Museum of Flight: Independent nonprofit aviation museum in Seattle with a comparable mix of historic aircraft collection, educational programming, premium experiences, and membership program — and a similar regional-catchment operating model.
• Frontiers of Flight Museum: Dallas-area aviation museum with a similar scale, mission, and educational programming mix. Closely comparable as a regional, independent aviation museum serving a major metro area.
• Pima Air & Space Museum: One of the largest nonprofit aviation museums in the US, located in Tucson, with 300+ aircraft and STEM educational programming. Comparable as a regional aviation museum with extensive aircraft collection and education focus.

Broad incumbents

• National Air and Space Museum: The Smithsonian's flagship aviation and space museum in Washington, DC. Directly comparable as an aviation-focused museum with Smithsonian affiliation, but operates at significantly larger national scale and broader scope than Sullenberger.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sullenberger-aviation
• Xx.com/SullenbergerAM
• Facebookfacebook.com/SullenbergerAviationMuseum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sullenberger Aviation Museum