WWII Legacy Inspires Decades-Long Hobby
Joe Gately, owner of the Wilderness Inn and Loon Lake Motel in Washington, is liquidating one of the region’s more unusual collections: approximately 5,000 model airplanes accumulated over more than seven decades. The three-family estate sale runs every Friday and Saturday through September, from 9 a.m. to approximately 4 p.m., at the Wilderness Inn in Loon Lake.
The collection consists of 3,000 fully assembled model aircraft and 2,000 unbuilt models still in their original boxes. Prices range from $5 to $20 per unit, making the sale accessible to casual hobbyists and serious collectors alike. Gately noted that some of the smaller models fetch $50 to $150 on the secondary market, according to online pricing.
The passion for warbirds and aviation runs deep in Gately’s family. His father, a waist gunner aboard a B-24 bomber during World War II, ignited the collecting spark that would define generations. Gately’s father entered military service in 1944 at age 17 and served through 1945, flying 36 combat missions over Europe—11 more than the standard rotation threshold of 25 missions that typically prompted aircrew reassignments.
The elder Gately’s contribution to the war effort earned recognition. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross and the French Medal of Honor for his service. His squadron flew missions in support of General George S. Patton’s army during the liberation of France, operations that placed him in close coordination with ground forces advancing across occupied territory.
Hobby Passed Through Generations
After the war, Gately’s father began collecting model warbirds—a hobby that would captivate his sons. By the 1950s, the family’s model airplane collection had begun to take shape, eventually expanding into the thousands of units now offered for sale.
Gately’s brother also served his country in uniform during the Vietnam War era. Drafted into military service, he performed exceptionally well on Air Force entrance examinations and was selected for officer training, earning a degree in physics through the service’s education program. He went on to pilot Navy fighter jets, including the F-18 Super Hornet and the A-7 Corsair attack aircraft. His brother passed away in October, adding personal weight to the decision to sell the collection.
Now 70 years old, Gately graduated high school in 1973 before eventually settling in southern California. In 2018, he relocated to Loon Lake, where he has operated his hospitality businesses while maintaining the family’s aviation memorabilia collection. He plans to retain a portion of the assembled models for his own appreciation but has decided that the bulk of the inventory deserves new homes among collectors and enthusiasts.
What Comes Next
The estate sale will continue through September on weekends at the Wilderness Inn in Loon Lake, Washington. Collectors interested in vintage model aircraft, whether as display pieces or hobby builds, have roughly three months to browse the inventory. Given the breadth of the collection and the accessible pricing, the sale represents an unusual opportunity in the Pacific Northwest for aviation memorabilia enthusiasts.