The Howard W. Cannon Aviation Museum shows a wide range of artifacts related to the history 
of aviation in Southern Nevada in its exhibits at McCarran International Airport. The main exhibit, located above baggage claim in the main terminal, includes artifacts from the first flight to Las Vegas in 1920 to the World Endurance Flight of 1958-59. One particular artifact stands out for many visitors is a red 1956 Ford Thunderbird, beautifully restored as a lead car/crash wagon.
A red 1956 Thunderbird may seem like an 
unlikely choice for such a role at a major airfield, but from 1957 until 1968 one did exist at McCarran Airport. Owned and operated by George and Peg Crockett's Alamo Airways, the vehicle was a fixture around the airport. George Crockett founded McCarran as Alamo Airport in 1941.
After Clark County purchased the field, renaming it McCarran Airport, the Crocketts operated Alamo Airways, supplying the needs of commercial, private and general aviation aircraft and pilots at the airport until 1968. The Thunderbird was a noted feature of the airport, and was actually first on the scene of a couple of emergencies, being lighter and faster than the main fire/rescue vehicles.
This vehicle is an exact duplicate of the original crash wagon, having been restored by the Imperial Palace from photographs supplied by Mrs. George Crockett. Once the restoration was completed, Mrs. Crockett presented the vehicle to the people of Clark County for display at the airport as part of the Howard W. Cannon Aviation Museum exhibits.
This vehicle is a unique part of McCarran's and Southern Nevada's aviation history, and is now available for our many users to see and enjoy. We invite you to visit the exhibits at the museum when you are at the airport. The exhibits are open 24 hours a day, every day. The museum is a joint project of the Department of Parks & Recreation and the Department of Aviation.
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The First Las Vegas Airport