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(light piano music)

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- We were invited to come
recover and conserve the piece.

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The mural depicts the approach patterns

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for various famous cities.
The idea being that,

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if you are flying into
these approach patterns,

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these are the views you would see.

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The mural has seen some
damage over the last 60 years

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from people touching it,
due to the 3D effect,

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we thought that there would
be more of that in the future.

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The piece is about 40 feet
long, 13 panels of plywood,

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that were then covered
with a surface medium,

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an oil painted over it.

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In addition to the oils,
there was foam and paper,

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and cardboard used to
build up a sculpture,

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which created the 3D effect.

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The initial portion of
this piece was done by

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Bill Hammond, out of Omaha, Nebraska.

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So about 2/3 of the art
was done in 1958 to 1963.

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At some point, it was decided
that this room was going

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to be expanded and that
wall needed to change.

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So in 1996, a fellow named Kroner,

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emulating but not copying
Bill Hammond's style,

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put about 1/3 more onto it to create

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the the full 41 foot effect.

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I came out and looked at
the mural in November.

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We determined at that time we wanted it,

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so I brought the volunteers
back in December,

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roughly eight of them,
we did a reconnaissance.

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We examined the furniture that
was in front of the piece,

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we examined how it was put together.

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We also took measurements,
and then we went back,

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found a couple of crates at the museum,

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and did the carpentry, the
measurements, the drawing,

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the diagrams, in order
to bring the piece home.

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We'll take it back to the museum.

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We're gonna do a little
bit of inventorying

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and re-packing to make sure it's solid

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in case we need to ship it.

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So by the time we finish the
project, and do the research

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on the piece, it'll about 215 hours.

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The piece is being reviewed
by the U.S. Air Force Museum

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Program Artifact Committee,
and they will determine if

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the Air Force wants to keep the piece.

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If the Air Force wants the
piece, we'll ship it to em.

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If they don't, they may pick
it up on their inventory

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and then sign it over
to us out at our museum.

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Or they may determine
that it's not suitable for

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the direction their going with the museum.

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In which case it would
default to our museum,

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and then we'll pick it
up on our own books.

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Well this piece is special
to me because photographs,

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and drawings and things are nice,

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but the emotive content that went into

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creating each level of art here.

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The brush strokes all
have an emotive content

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that sings to the honor, the
integrity, the commitment,

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the loyalty of the
United States Air Force,

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and all the airmen in it.