Oh, The Planes I Have Seen

I have been to several air museums. All on the West Coast, I am afraid. I have been to McChord (years ago), I have been to the Olympic Air Museum, Tillamook Air Museum, McAllister, the Museum of Flight, Castle Air Museum, McClellan (now the Aerospace Museum of Northern California...due to who funds it), Travis Air Museum, and Pima Air Museum. I have seen numerous aircraft. When I was young, Yakima had yearly air shows. Back then A-4s, F-4s, F-111s, F-14s, A-6s, and A-7s were huge participants. I even attended the Everett Air Show one year and saw a Victor...you know, that godawful ugly british bomber turned Recon/tanker?


One time, while still in California, Beale AFB had an open house type thing at the Yuba County air port. They had a mock-up of the new Gobal Hawk. It was huge! They also had an X-47B(Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) and a Navy UAV helicopter. It was a very interesting look into the future of air power.

When I was done with my bachelor's degree, I began volunteering t McClellan Air Museum. That came with a few benefits. One was, the first day I was there, someone hnded me a card with numbers on it...they were the combinations to the locks to the aircraft. Oh, what a wonderful way to while way a foggy San Joaquin Valley winter...here is an example of what I could spend my days in. This is the office of a C-53. (look at the top of my other Blog and you will see it) This one actually took part in the D-Day landings, having towed gliders on that day.

And this is the front office of a C-119!

Also, being associated with the Museum put me in a place where, one rainy day, I stopped in on one of the California Fire Fighting wing...forgive my haphazard use of words...mechanics hangars, where they were replacing (or at least, fixing) the horizontal stabilizer of an S-2 Tracker...this one had been modified with multi-bladed props with Turbo-Prop engines.

I also saw this Saab Drakken...privately owned...

I have other pictures, but, these are just a few of the good ones. I hope you enjoy. One day, I will see other, better museums...maybe I will even get a pilot's license...