Flight Expo's New Aviation Facility

---

Our current Operational Facility is outdated. We have been very blessed to receive many donations to help upgrade the building over the years. Unfortunately, we have also out grown the building and the location limits the aircraft we are able to work on.

Dear Friend, 

My name is S2F Tracker, but my crew used to call me the “Stoof.” 

I was built in the 1950s to protect the seas by hunting for hidden submarines. I worked hard to keep my crew and their ships safe! I lived on huge aircraft carriers, like the USS Essex and the USS Enterprise. 

My wings folded up neatly so I could fit in the hangar with all the other planes. While jets roared off the deck, I had a different job. I would fly out over the ocean, scanning the deep waters below.

 If I spotted a submarine, my crew would get ready to stop it before it could cause any harm. 

For many years, I flew over the Pacific, the Atlantic, and even the freezing Arctic! My crew depended on me, and I never let them down. 

One of my most exciting missions was on June 9, 1960, when I was part of a big NATO operation called "Operation Swordfish." I flew over icy waters, always on the lookout for danger. 

Fast forward to 1961, and over 70,000 people came to see me and the USS Essex in Hamburg, Germany. I stood tall on the deck, my wings folded, a symbol of power and security in a world full of change. Just 178 miles away, the Berlin Wall was being built, a sign of growing tensions. Even as the world became more uncertain, I stood ready, watching over the seas and skies. 

As time went on, new planes took my place, but I wasn’t finished yet! Some of my sister aircraft helped train new pilots, keeping the Navy’s history alive. 

Now, I no longer fly. I stand on display in Princeton, Minnesota, part of the Flight Expo collection. I still wear my proud Navy markings, but years of wind, rain, and snow have left me worn and fragile. My body, once built to withstand ocean storms and long flights, is now at risk of fading away. 

I need your help.

I need a safe home—a hangar to protect me from the weather so I can continue to tell my story.

I may not fly anymore, but I still have so much to share with those who visit. I remind people of the brave sailors I once protected and the important missions I flew.

Will you help build me a shelter?

With your support, I can be preserved for future generations.

Please consider donating today!

Visit flightexpo.org or mail a check to: 

PO Box 155, Zimmerman, MN 55398

Together, we can save the Stoof!

Sincerely, 

The Stoof and the Flight Expo Team

"Plane Handlers Direct Aircraft Movements On the Flight Deck"

Sharon Sandberg & Duane Kruse

Thomas A Briden