Favorite aviation museum

Taking volunteers to administer twenty lashes with the wet noodle flail, for having left the Naval Aviation Museum off of my list.   

Apply by PM. 

6 big AB's enroute to perform the keelhauling...

The is a nice one at March AFB in California.  A couple of good ones in Japan (Tokorozawa and Misawa).

One of the coolest things I have ever seen is outside a private air field (El Mirage) near Hysperia Califonia is an aircraft junk yard.  They have whole sections of 747's, fighters, russian aircaft, helos, DC-3, et al just laying around.  The let me walk around and just oggle everthing.

No one's mentioned Edwards AFB and NASA Dryden (located on EAFB) as a hot spot yet? 

Aircraft on display at the museum, or static sites around base include the B-52 (008 or "Balls 8") that dropped the X-15 and the lifting bodies, a Lunar Lander Research Vehicle, the M1-F1 lifting body (built in a garage), another lifting body (I think M2-F2), an A-12 and SR-71, all of the century fighters, and much more.  Well worth a tour if you're in the area. 

I have to echo Nin's comments about the old Yankee Air Museum.  I spent many hours in that hangar working at airshows and fly-ins, and was devastated when I heard about the fire.  Even the hangar itself was a landmark, having been built by Henry Ford as part of the B-24 Liberator factory there (my grandfather worked in that very hangar during WWII).  Fortunately, most of their collection was on display outside, and they did save the three flying aircraft; I understand they literally pushed the B-17 and C-47 out by hand.  What was lost was a few restoration jobs, a lot of parts and the dies to make them, and the collection of memorabilia, the gift shop, and the entire business office.  They're currently still trying to raise funds to rebuild on-site.  They have a rather extensive list of photo galleries on their their website.

I haven't been to the AF museum in almost 20 years, but it was impressive then.  I'm sure that hasn't changed since they built the third hangar.  One of these days, I'll find an excuse to get down there again.

The Kalamazoo Air Zoo is still CAP friendly.  They were offering either free or discounted admission to CAP members a year or so ago.  Don't know if they still are.  I've never been there, but I hear many people rave about it's awesomeness.

By far, my favorite has been Pima.  I don't know why that is, but I've been very impressed with both of my visits out there.  Could be the draw of AMARC at D-M (bus tours twice daily, run by PASM-I highly recommend it), the allure of the desert with the Catalina mountains as a backdrop, or almost 300 planes in the collection.  On both of my trips through AMARC on the bus tour, I was able to identify F-4s and  A-7s that were former MIANG, and even a few B-52s formerly assigned to Wurtsmith AFB.  For the conehead buffs, the same foundation that runs Pima also runs the Titan II Missile Museum, a preserved Titan II missile launch facility, about an hour south of Tucson in Green Valley. 

My only trip to Pima was in 1973, when it was about 20% of what it is now, and it was impressive then. I think that's the same year I took my second trip to Wright-Pat, which was equally impressive.

Mostly Space related, but unlike the Smithsonian, though they are a Smithsonian "partner", the Kansas Cosmosphere in Hutchinson, KS. Absofreakinglutely kicks arse.

The most Russian hardware in the western world.

Home to both Apollo 13 and Liberty Bell 7. Both marvelously restored, and Liberty Bell 7 is such a unique restoration. They didn't replace anything. they just repaired what was there and major pieces missing are replaced by lexan so you can see what was and was not still there after all these years.

I really should call it a clean up, not a restoration, but it is like nothing other.

If you're into GA displays. Liberal Air Museum, Liberal KS. A Wal*Mart SuperCenter sized building jammed full of mostly GA. Hanging and on the floor. Jam packed. You can taxi right up to the back side and park your aircraft among some of their outdoor display too.


..and of course, I'll add to that list, Wings Over the Rockies, and they really did a great job with the building, keeping it looking period. It's well worth the day visit.

I managed to get the Air Force museum in last year, Hutchinson is on par with that, not as big, but lots of stuff you will not see anywhere else.

This year's Michigan Air Tour is 1 - 3 Oct 10.  Six legs, the longest looks to be just over two hours in the 172.  With tours of the Traverse City Coast Guard Air Station, the Sault Ste Marie Bush Pilot Museum (along with a water bomber demo), and then down to Gross Ile for a light house tour.  Sounds like a good way to experience some AE.

PS - I remember when MIWG Hqtrs was at Gross Ile in the mid 70's.  We even did a cadet SAR down there once.

I saw Liberty Bell 7 at the Indianapolis Children's Museum when it was on tour after being brough back up.  Very cool!  I didn't realize Apollo 13 was in a museum.  I assumed it was taken apart during the investigation o the accident.

There wasn't anything to take apart to investigate .. that came back. ;-)


The problem wasn't in the command module.


None the less, it was picked at and gutted a bit and France had it for many years until an effort to bring it back was successful. There was some bit of "here, you can have this one." "We don't want it." ..

A couple in CA worth noting: Planes of Fame in Chino: they have seven hangars of beautiful WWII aircraft--many of them flyable.  In fact, they fly one or more of them on the first Sat of every month.

The Castle Air Museum at the former Castle Air Force Base in Atwater, Ca.  All outdoors and probably 50 aircraft.  Most of them are former AF aircraft, but there is a British Vulcan and now a group of Naval aircraft.  My CAP Sq meets on what was the base, so I see them quite often and we sponsor the KC-135.

The museum in Balboa Park in San Diego(can't remember the name).  Well worth going to see.


T

The museum in Balboa Park in San Diego(can't remember the name).  Well worth going to see.

T

San Diego Aerospace Museum.  A-12 out front.  Bliss.

I forgot to mention that Castle has an SR-71 sitting out front.  The RB-36 is really impressive.

Pima is by far my favorite.....
A local mention if you'r ever in PA is the Mid Atlantic Air Museum in Reading, PA at Gen Carl Spaatz Field.  Small but most all of thier display aircraft are flyable.  Their claim to fame is their current rebuild project to restore to flyable status a
P-61 Blackwidow; also every June they host a WWII weekend....full of re-enactors, villages and its only WWII era aircraft (they even have e CAP costal patrol set up during the weekend)

They also do T-6, stinson and B-24 rides during the summer months....2nd weekend I believe.

mk