In early 2023, a small group of Miami historians and aviation enthusiasts came together to seek official recognition of the historic significance of Pan Am Hangar 5, the oldest building at Miami International Airport. Airport expansion plans had put the future of Hangar 5 in doubt, raising the specter of the wrecking ball.

Pan Am Hangar 5’s significance to aviation history is considerable.  It is the sole remaining building from Pan Am’s original Miami airport, built at NW 36th Street between 1928-1929.  That airport, the first official U.S. Port of Entry on the mainland and the subsequent birthplace of today’s MIA, was Pan Am’s (and America’s) first major international gateway, the launching pad for the pioneering air routes and airlines that were to connect the Americas and, eventually, the entire globe.   

When H5F president Deborah Stander attempted to research the history of Hangar 5 and the NW 36th Street Airport, she was unable to find a comprehensive resource. An accurate history of aviation in Greater Miami was simply nowhere to be found–not online, nor in the few available books on the subject. Even the best of them contained inaccuracies or left many questions unanswered.

As a result, the Hangar 5 Foundation, Inc. (“H5F” for short) was formally established in July of 2024 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Its mission is to address the lack of available public resources that comprehensively showcase Florida aviation history. Its goal is to foster increased public pride in and awareness of how rich and fascinating that history is.

H5F was named after Pan Am Hangar 5 at MIA in honor of all the significant Florida aviation landmarks and history that have not been showcased or given the recognition they deserve.