Aviation History and Photos Blog | PlaneTags™

Working with a ship as historically significant as USS Midway carries a responsibility that goes beyond creation. Commissioned in 1945 and serving for nearly fifty years, Midway was not only a cornerstone of U.S. naval aviation, but a place shaped by daily work, movement, and life at sea.

This project, developed in partnership with the USS Midway Museum, is rooted in preservation first. The materials being used are not simply artifacts. They are elements that played essential roles in how the ship moved, operated, and sustained the people aboard her. Each piece tells a different part of Midway’s story, and together they offer a fuller picture of service aboard one of the most important aircraft carriers of the 20th century.

When the Airbus A320 entered service, it marked a turning point in commercial aviation. United Airlines’ A320 N404UA spent nearly three decades as part of that legacy, flying thousands of routes before its retirement and preservation through PlaneTags.

Few ships in U.S. naval history have carried the weight, responsibility, and longevity of USS Midway.

More than an aircraft carrier, Midway is a symbol of American innovation, adaptability, and service. For nearly half a century, she sailed through some of the most defining moments of modern history, carrying generations of sailors and aviators who called her home.

At MotoArt, we believe stories like Midway’s deserve to be preserved with care. We are honored to be working on a special preservation project connected to USS Midway, and we look forward to sharing more as this story unfolds.

The F-84 Thunderjet represents a pivotal moment in aviation history, when the lessons of World War II met the realities of jet-powered warfare. Designed in the immediate postwar years, the Thunderjet became one of the first truly successful American jet fighter-bombers and went on to play a defining role during the Korean War. Today, thanks to decades of preservation and stewardship, this historic aircraft continues its story through PlaneTags. 

In the world of aviation, few aircraft have lived a life as large, or as long, as the Hawaii Mars. Towering over most of its contemporaries with a wingspan of 200 feet, this mighty flying boat was born in the final days of World War II, then quietly transformed into one of the most iconic aerial firefighting aircraft the world has ever seen. From military transport to firefighting titan, the Hawaii Mars represents one of aviation’s most extraordinary second acts.

In 2025, MotoArt obtained an original wing of this aircraft and created special PlaneTags, made exclusively for the Martin family members and Mars workers. On December 11, 2025, Hawaii Mars PlaneTags will be available to the general public for the first time. 

Few aircraft define an era quite like the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. Sleek, powerful, and unmistakably iconic, the Tomcat was the Navy’s premier fleet defense fighter for more than three decades. From Cold War missions to pop culture stardom, the F-14 remains one of the most recognizable and beloved aircraft ever built. Today, MotoArt is proud to introduce the F-14 Tomcat Coaster Set, created from authentic F-14 aircraft material.

Every airplane has a story, and some travel farther than others before their flying days are over. PR-AJB was one of those well-traveled aircraft. This Airbus A320 started its life flying British families on long-awaited holidays, then later crossed the Atlantic to join the growing fleet of Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras. Over nearly nineteen years it picked up new registrations, new paint, new routes and a new home, carrying thousands of passengers along the way.

Its journey reflects how widely the A320 family has spread around the world and how easily these aircraft adapt to whatever their next chapter requires. PR-AJB also arrived at Azul during an important period of expansion as the airline worked to connect more cities across Brazil. In this blog we will explore where the aircraft came from, what it did during its short time with Azul, and how it eventually came to rest in Florida. We will also share how MotoArt recovered material from the retired airframe and created PlaneTags so its story can continue in a new way.

Before the Flying Boxcar became a military workhorse, Fairchild’s engineers built an ambitious twin-boom transport that paved the way for it. The Fairchild C-82 Packet was a postwar cargo aircraft that promised big things but struggled to live up to them. Although it served for only a few short years, it played an important role in shaping the aircraft that would follow. Today, the legacy of one particular Packet, serial number 44-22991, lives on through MotoArt PlaneTags, preserved from the legendary Soplata Collection.