In 1996, Metcalf became Director of the National Museum of the United States Air Force, commonly called “the Air Force Museum.” The museum is located on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and is the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum. educate the public about
aviation history, plan special events, and work in the museum's administrative offices. He is responsible for a building complex with of public exhibit space (17 acres of indoor space). The museum collection has more than 400 aircraft and other large aerospace vehicles plus thousands of aviation artifacts on display. along with
X-type test vehicles. The museum also has an aviation art gallery, a six-story
IMAX theatre that seat 500 viewers, and a full-motion simulator that gives the sensation of flying a
jet fighter. Outside on the museum grounds, there is an air park with numerous large aircraft along with a
World War II control tower. In addition, Metcalf oversees an inventory of more than 6,000 aerospace vehicles and historically valuable artifacts that are on loan to 450 civilian museums, cities, and veteran organizations throughout the
United States. The latest addition to the museum is a $3.2 million Missile and Space Gallery which was opened in 2004. Currently the museum is planning to build a addition to house a Space Gallery. In 2005, Metcalf was promoted to the
Senior Executive Service, the highest federal civilian rank below Presidential appointees. ==Community leader==