I'm back...
September saw the first of what turned out to be a rash of traveling, both for work and for me. I had to head up to Richmond for a few days for work, and while I was there I noticed the Virginia Aviation Museum. I was on a tight schedule and couldn't swing a visit, but next time I'm in the area I do want to have a look. I'm going somewhere with the aviation museum thing here--I used to try and stop in on the various museums I passed in my travels, but at some point I stopped doing so. I don't know why, although part of the reason might come from the fact that I have seen far too many of these small efforts die or worse--someone there gets an idea, and it gets executed poorly, which detracts from the visit. For instance, one Southeastern museum has (or at least had back in 2000 when I was there last) an F-101B VooDoo that they've tried to repaint--poorly. Instead of the proper color, they used what appears to be a generic hardware store gray paint--and applied equally generic hardware store self adhesive letters to replace the "U. S. Air Force" titles on the fuselage. Things like that make me cringe. I know the exercise was done with the best of intentions, but it costs just as much to do it wrong as it does to do it right. Actually, doing it wrong costs more, because at some point you'll have to go back and correct your previous actions. I'm just sayin'...
The first week in October found me in Tucson for training at FlightSafety International. Now, anyone with an interest in aviation knows all about Tucson, home of several sightseeing targets. I was supposed to come to Tucson in May, but was glad it worked out so I was there in October--the weather was, in a word, perfect. I also managed to schedule my trip so I arrived with a day to spare. Why? One word. Pima. The Pima Air and Space Museum is one of the only places in the world where one can see such aircraft as the Budd Conestoga, Boeing XC-14, Curtiss O-52 Owl, and more. Most of the museum is open-air, as the rainfall totals in Tucson are low and the soil is slightly alkaline, which keeps corrosion down. The only thing that they have that is detrimental is sunshine, and plenty of it.
I went that Sunday and within an hour had killed the battery on my digicam (note to self--you said you needed a spare, take the hint!). Still, I wandered the museum grounds and saw everything I could. They've done a remarkable job at preserving many airplanes that are one-of-a-kind now. Where else are you going to find a restored B-29 indoors, with a full gallery of other airplanes--including a Nakajima Ki-43--and memorabilia? There are tons of history there, and I took lots of pictures both that Sunday and later in the week (I had to go back and get some of the pics I didn't get on Sunday--call me crazy, but...), and once I can get them all sorted and titled I'll post some of them here...
Later that week, class was dismissed early. So, I had choices--if I hurried, the last tour of AMARG (the boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base) would be just leaving when I arrived back at Pima. Knowing that I'd have to break most land speed records to do so, I decided instead to head down to Green Valley and check out the Titan Missile Museum. I knew that the museum existed, but I wasn't sure how they ran the tours--since 99% of the museum is underground, I was certain that you weren't allowed just to wander. I was correct. They take you into a room and show a short video, then a guide takes you down to the control room. There you're told how the whole deal worked, how it was constructed, and you then went through a simulated launch. Eerie. Really. Anyone who grew up under the threat of "The Red Menace" knows what MAD meant, and here you saw it up close. One thing the guide does emphasize is that had these missiles been fired, it meant that Moscow had fired theirs first. And, in the end, all of our destruction would be assured. They also emphasize that these missiles did exactly what they were supposed to--make our enemy think twice before he launched his...
You get to then walk to the actual silo and see a Titan missile. After that, you head topside and are allowed to wander the grounds. Here's some trivia for you: movie-goers with an interest in the Star Trek franchise have seen this museum and this missile. It plays a role in Star Trek: First Contact, it is the boost vehicle for Efrem Cochrane's warp drive test flight...
I never did have time to do the AMARG tour, but on the way back from the Titan museum, I did make the re-visit to Pima. After I left Pima, I still had daylight left, so I took a cruise around the perimeter of D-MAFB, and did manage to see some of their cocooned airplanes. On one lot, it was wall-to-wall C-130's, on another it was C-135 variants as far as the eye could see. Amazing. You don't realize how many of these airplanes have been built until you see them all in one place like this. I will be back--with my wife--and we will do the AMARG tour next time.
With my re-born interest in aviation museums running strong, a few weeks later we took a trip back to the Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte. We had been there when everything was in their old location, so we would get to not only see their new digs, but we would also get to see Cactus 1549, the USAirways Airbus that ditched in the Hudson. We were fortunate in that a passenger on the flight was there, and he recounted his memory of that day. I must say, the first several times he did that must have been both difficult and therapeutic. He gave a very interesting talk, and he answered questions afterward. You can read "Miracle on the Hudson" all you want, but until you see the airplane and hear the stories, you don't get the full impact...
Things pretty much had settled down by last week, but a late trip to Dallas led me to the Frontiers of Flight museum at Love Field. I had noticed the museum a few times when we were there last year, but we never had time to stop in (plus, my boss and colleagues don't have the same interest in history as I--they all tell me that they "see enough airplanes every day, why look at them when you're not required to?" The poor devils. They'll never understand.). I found it to be a very well run museum. One side contains most of the historic stuff--including a large amount of Chance Vought equipment and one of the only two surviving LearAvia Lear Fans--and the other end is a tribute to Herb Kelleher and Southwest Airlines. I was especially interested in this one for three items: the Apollo 7 Command Module is housed and displayed there, next to the prototype Vought V-173 "Flying Pancake", and tucked in the corner behind them is a Regulus II missile. I was overjoyed at the Braniff exhibit, too...
Since my visit, I have become a member of the Arizona Aviation Foundation, and am contemplating membership at our "home" museum in Charlotte--and a few others, too. If it helps them in any way preserve these historic craft, I'm all for it. If you live near one of these places, visit. Help out, if you can. Donate, too, if you are able. Let your kids and grandkids see these same artifacts...
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The past few months have been a little bit weird, and a bit trying at times. In the end, though, I have a lot to be thankful for...
We had a bit of a family crisis in early September--my mother fell and nobody knew about it for several days. A long story short, she's doing well now, but that added a week of travel that I hadn't scheduled. Fortunately, the week after she had her accident, my brother and sister-in-law went to be with her and start getting things back in order. It had become apparent that it was also time to get her somewhere where she would be close to health care professionals in case she had another accident, so they got the ball rolling on that. I went down there the week after I returned from Tucson to get the rest done. She's in her new place and doing fine, but there were more than a few stressful moments along the way.
And, to add to the stress of the holidays, I was in an auto accident Wednesday before Thanksgiving. It was a mild doozy, too, with seven vehicles involved. It could have been much worse than it turned out, though--only three people were transported to the hospital, and we were told all of them would be okay. That being said, I think my little truck is at the end of the road. It still runs fine, and the damage is mostly twisted sheet metal, but I fear that my 13-year old Tacoma with 375,000 miles under its wheels will costs more to repair than what the book value is. I was looking for a new commuter vehicle anyway (and I already talked about it a little), but this makes that more of a necessity than an option. I will miss my reliable, utilitarian little truck. This has been the best vehicle I have owned, without a doubt. I hope to get as much satisfaction from my next one...
Thanks for reading. Be good to one another, and I bid you Peace.
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