Hundreds of people attended a ceremony at Eldon Lyon Park in Bethany on Monday, October 14, to celebrate the dedication of the Blue Goose Static Display. The event included remarks from Grayson Ardies, executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics; Nikki Lloyd, mayor of Bethany; Trait Thompson, executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society; and Dave Amis, former District 5 Commissioner for the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission and owner of an aviation sales and consulting firm.
The Blue Goose (L-3805) is a prototype Aero Commander developed by the Aero Design and Engineering Company in Culver City, California, in the late 1940s. In 1951, the Blue Goose took off on a nonstop flight with one engine from Tulakes Airport in Oklahoma City (now known as Wiley Post Airport) to Washington, D.C. The goal was to demonstrate how safe the Aero Commander was. The Aero Commander became popular and was used for executive transport and military applications. President Dwight D. Eisenhower even used an Aero Commander for shorter trips.
The Oklahoma Historical Society has owned the Blue Goose (L-3805) since 2006, but there has never been a place to display it until now. The most recent phase of restoration started in May 2023 at Wiley Post Airport, and it wrapped up in the summer of 2024. Dave Amis and Kenny Payton spearheaded much of the restoration project. The plane is now on display at Eldon Lyon Park, just a few miles south of where it was restored.
The dedication event was organized by the City of Bethany with support from the Oklahoma Historical Society and the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics.