PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend Aero Museum will get off the ground with an official opening at Jefferson County International Airport on Saturday.

Founders Jerry Thuotte and his wife, Peggy, have been watching the celebration of aviation history lift off over the past eight years, from concept to construction.

“Isn’t this cool?” said an enthused Thuotte, showing the 18,000-square-foot building late last week while volunteers youths and adults prepared to hang a sparkling, restored 1936 four-seat Cabin Waco from the museum’s ceiling.

He said a retired Philadelphia pilot permanently loaned the aircraft to the museum, one of 14 planes that will be on exhibit at the opening.

Planes exhibited are less than half of the museum’s collection of 33.

The planes will be rotated in and out,  and most will continue to be flown.

“When you ground an antique airplane, you take away its soul,” said Thuotte, who retired as commercial airline pilot after more than 30 years. He was an air traffic controller before that.

“We’re preserving these antique airplanes for the youth to come.”