I lived in northern Virginia for several years and frequently visited the Smithsonian Air and Space museum. This used to be my favorite museum until a couple of years ago. While TDY in Lincoln, NE. someone told me to check out the SAC museum. Boy am I glad I went there. This is with out a doubt one of the best aviation museums that I’ve seen. They have an SR-71, B-36 and B-52 under the same roof. The place is huge. I believe they have around 35 aircraft in the building and 6 or 7 rockets outside. Now granted there’s not much else going on in Nebraska, but if your passing through make sure you stop in. This place is a must see for any aviation nut. Great opportunity to take lots of up close photos.
I’d love to hear about some other museums that people have been to. I feel a road trip coming on!!! I can hear the wife and kids groaning now.
Hi Darren - My absolute favorite place on earth is the U.S. Air Force Museum In Dayton, Ohio. I don’t know where you are, but I promise the trip is well worth it. I’m lucky enough to be about a four hour drive away. I go there at least once a year to see what they’ve added. Check out their website:
I have some pics on my website with more being added as I have time to do so. Not only the USAF Museum, but I will be posting my photographs from several Eurpoean aviation museums and airshows. Check out:
A favorite of mine is the Museum of Flight in Seattle at Boeing Field. Maybe I’m biased since it’s my hometown and the first aviation museum I’ve ever visited!
Another museum a little closer to where I live is the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon (about 35 miles SW of Portland). It’s the home of the infamous Spruce Goose and they are getting an SR-71 soon.
Hey Pat,
Thanks for the tip on W-P AFB, looks like another must see on my list. It’s about 900 miles from where I live in Massachusetts, not to bad. I checked out your web site. Lots of great pics. I think I saw that pair of F-104’s a couple years back at an airshow. What a graceful bird to see in action. I hope to see them again.
It sounds as if everyone has their own favorite museum they like to visit. Thanks to all who take the time to share, I hope to see them all eventually.
No one mentioned the Museum of Naval Avation in Pensacola, Florida. It is located near Pensacola NAS which is the home of the Blue Angels. I highly recommend this place. They have every plane and helicopter the Navy has ever used except for three and they are working to find them. Compared to the Air and Space Museum in Washington, I prefer this one. And like Air and Space, it is free. You also have the benefit on being near the most beautiful beaches in all of Florida. Check it out too.
Last May I ventured to England and made a special point of going to Duxford, the WW2 USAAF air base (8 miles south of Cambridge, 45 miles or so north of London). The Imperial War Museum has made an air museum there that has an interesting mix of propeller-driven and jet planes. The hangars are a bit more spread out than the USAF Museum in Ohio. On the day I was there they were offering short rides in a Spitfire.
They have a separate “American Air Museum” in which they have crammed all types of American planes (e.g., B-52, F-4, P-41, etc.). The building itself is a concrete shell, designed by the esteemed Sir Norman Foster. As an architect, I probably spent as much time studying the building as the planes!
Jugman, I liked Duxford too. I was stationed at RAF Alconbury, about 15 miles away and got to go there often. The A-10 and U-2 on display there came from Alconbury. As an added attraction, you may get to see some of these old planes flying around the area. They also put on some good airshows a couple times a year. I did not get to see the American Air Museum as it was still under constuction the last time I was there. Since you were in England, I trust you also went to the RAF Museum in London? Great place. I really liked the fact that Hannants put a hobby shop at the Colindale tube station just a couple minutes away from the Museum!
If you do decide to give the Museum of Flight in Seattle a try, I would suggest waiting until summer of 2004. By that time they should have to first of two major expansions completed and most of the WWI and WWII planes displayed. If all goes well with the financing the second expansion will be across the street from the main building and will be able to house all of the LARGE jets–such and the B-52 and the original 747.
Pretty ordinary displays, but interesting stuff. Try the Indian Air Force Museum guys. Went there some time ago and found a Hawker Tempest, a Griffon-engined Spit (post-war, I think), and a beautiful example of Dr. Kurt Tank’s post-war work - the grossly underpowered but graceful HF-24 Marut, India’s first home-built jet fighter.
And surprise, surprise, there is a ‘Baka’ flying bomb, all the way from Japan!
The Pima Air Museum near Tucson, AZ, has some really great and rare planes. Everything from a replica Wright Flyer to an SR-71, to the first F-107A built (and 1 of only 2 left in existance!). The museum’s right next to the USAF “Graveyard/Mothball Fleet”, and they are able to “borrow” alot of planes from there.
How about the National Warplane Museum http://www.warplane.org/ in Elmira, New York? I visited there in the summer of 2001. Not a large collection, kind of heavy on jets, some of it not yet restored, but pretty nice all the same. They had some financial difficulties shortly after I visited, and they were closed for a while. But that seems to be sorted out, and they’re open again. Worth a visit if you’re passing through.
Nice countryside there–I was staying in Rochester, so I got to drive down through a pleasant area called the “Lakes” region.
If in Phoenix check out the Champlain Fighter Aircraft Museum. I’ve been there three times and I’d go back again. All aircraft are in flyable conditioin, althought last I heard they only flew the P-51D… sometimes. Here’s their web site…
In Seattle…oh Hi! new guy here!..as I was saying we have the Museum of Flight! They just installed a Spitfire mk-9, We have a B-17B, Corair, F4 phantom, Ford tri motor and a bunch of other GOOD STUFF! They have just purchased 99 more aircraft from WWI and WWII area! and they are building another place to show off all this COOL stuff!
UPDATE: Ok…it looks like my o’l pal qtan has beat me to it! and I was going to send him a link to this site…anyone else from the Pacific North west here?[:p]
Going on a bit of a tangent here, but has anyone been in the small scale model display at the Milwaukee Airport? It’s setup as a seperate room with TONS of model aircraft on display. I was on a connecting flight there once and I stumbled on it!! Wow, what a find! Made business travel seem not so bad!!
The Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton, UK. is well worth a visit. They have a great 1970s carrier deck mockup with a simulated arrival by helicopter and Phantom take-off, as well as lots of rare navalised aircraft on display.
[edit] forgot there is also a great enthusiasts’ museum at Newark Racecourse. Lots of classic British airframes of the 1950s and 1960s, and some good cockpit/component displays
I have to say that I really liked Air Museum at Wright-Pat. I spent almost 8 whole hours there one day and did not get through the whole place. I was in heaven. I plan on making a trip there this spring or summer.