IAHFLYER From United States of America, joined Dec 2006, 311 posts, RR: 0 Reply 1, posted (6 years 5 months 1 week 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 5981 times:
The new Smithsonian(Udvar F. Hazy center) @ Dulles is pretty specatacular, Concorde and more!!!
Little airports with the big jets are the best!! Floyd
Lincoln From United States of America, joined Nov 2004, 3887 posts, RR: 8 Reply 2, posted (6 years 5 months 1 week 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 5970 times:
The Musuem of Flight at Boeing Field is well worth the visit if you're near Seattle -- a previous Air Force 1, a Concorde, and several other treasures.
Lincoln
CO Is My Airline of Choice || Baggage Claim is an airline's last chance to disappoint a customer || Next flts in profile
Do you have a preference regarding the type of aviation ? Might make suggesting a bit easier ...
- Civil ?
- Military post-WWII ?
- Civil/military pre-WWII ?
Quoting Bjornstrom (Reply 3): USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio. Its huge and there's a lot of cool planes to see including the B2, F-22 and the Airforce One collection.
Copy that.
Anybody heading for this, make sure to visit also the R&D-hangars (access only by tour the last time I checked). Some unique a/c in there ... XB-70 Valkyrie is my favourite of them.
For the really old airplanes, I recommend Shuttleworth Collection in Old Warden, Beds. (near Biggleswade), UK. www.shuttleworth.org.
Not far away (near Cambridge) is Imperial War Museum Duxford with its American Air Museum. http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/
Can be perfectly combined with the RAF Museum in Hendon, London. www.rafmuseum.org.uk
National Museum of Naval Aviation on NAS Pensacola, Forida USA can also be recommended.
For Southern California, combine the Museum at March ARB, Riverside, CA www.marchfield.org and Palm Springs Air Museum.
Tucson, Arizona: Pima Air & Space Museum. To be combined with a tour onto AMARC (the "Boneyard " on Davis Monthan AFB) and the Titan Missle Museum. www.pimaair.org
The Smithosian in downtown Washington was okay, but did not really fulfill my expectations back in 2003 ...
-HT
Carpe diem ! Life is too short to waste your time ! Keep in mind, that today is the first day of the rest of your life !
Isitsafenow From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 4984 posts, RR: 26 Reply 6, posted (6 years 5 months 1 week 20 hours ago) and read 5927 times:
First.......Wright-Pat at Dayton because as the song of the eighties said........"can't touch this", which means its the best.
Second... Pima at Tucson
Third ..Musuem of Flight at Boeing Field, Seattle.
safe
If two people agree on EVERYTHING, then one isn't necessary.
TrijetsRMissed From United States of America, joined Oct 2006, 2102 posts, RR: 6 Reply 7, posted (6 years 5 months 1 week 19 hours ago) and read 5921 times:
My favorites are the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum in D.C. and the Museum of Flight in Seattle.
I was just at the Pima Air and Space Museum at Tucson, which is great too. You can walk right up to the plane and touch it. There is also the JFK Air Force One which is open for viewing on the inside. I believe it is a DC-6. It's mostly military planes but there was a DC-9, Caravelle, a few 707s, and my favorite a TWA Super Connie 1049.
HT From Germany, joined May 2005, 6475 posts, RR: 26 Reply 9, posted (6 years 5 months 1 week 18 hours ago) and read 5913 times:
Quoting KLM672 (Reply 8): Is there any others in or around London, UK?
You mean apart from the following ?
Quoting HT (Reply 4): For the really old airplanes, I recommend Shuttleworth Collection in Old Warden, Beds. (near Biggleswade), UK. www.shuttleworth.org.
Not far away (near Cambridge) is Imperial War Museum Duxford with its American Air Museum. http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/
Can be perfectly combined with the RAF Museum in Hendon, London. www.rafmuseum.org.uk
There is http://www.brooklandsmuseum.com/ in Surrey, but I haven't managed to visit it yet. It is the place that has been made immortal in the 1965 classic movie "Those magnificent men in their flying machines" ...
-HT
Carpe diem ! Life is too short to waste your time ! Keep in mind, that today is the first day of the rest of your life !
FighterPilot From Canada, joined Jun 2005, 1324 posts, RR: 24 Reply 10, posted (6 years 5 months 1 week 18 hours ago) and read 5910 times:
I'm going to have to say Dayton as well. To see the worlds most expensive museum exhibit (The B-2) was pretty cool, along with practically EVERY conceivable plane the USAF has ever used.
Ronglimeng From Canada, joined Oct 2006, 624 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (6 years 5 months 1 week 15 hours ago) and read 5899 times:
I like the USAF Museum in Dayton Ohio. I've been there a couple of times by myself so I could cover everything at my own pace. It's never been too crowded during my visits and it is free. There's a lot to see.
I also liked the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. What I really liked there were the guided tours they seem to put on through the day that were done by retired naval aviators. I got into a group guided by a retired naval transport pilot. I really enjoyed his commentary.
The RAF Museum in Hendon is good too. In addition to all the exhibits I remember seeing a screening of the "Dambusters" there.
I guess if I could only choose one it would be USAF Museum - Dayton.
Elephantboy From Thailand, joined Sep 2003, 147 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (6 years 5 months 1 week 7 hours ago) and read 5887 times:
Quoting HT (Reply 4): Do you have a preference regarding the type of aviation ? Might make suggesting a bit easier ...
- Civil ?
- Military post-WWII ?
- Civil/military pre-WWII ?
How about Civil/military Pre- and post-WWII?
Quoting HT (Reply 4): The Smithosian in downtown Washington was okay, but did not really fulfill my expectations back in 2003 ...
I heard that it is one of the best aviavtion museum. What do you think it lacks?
HT From Germany, joined May 2005, 6475 posts, RR: 26 Reply 14, posted (6 years 5 months 1 week 6 hours ago) and read 5884 times:
Quoting Elephantboy (Reply 13): How about Civil/military Pre- and post-WWII?
For this I strongly would recommend the combination of museums in & around London, UK as posted in reply #9.
You will get at least the complete British side, most of the American side and major exhibits from Germany/Sowjetunion/Japan.
Allow 1 day for Hendon and Duxford each, half a day for Shuttleworth Collection. Never been to Brooklands yet.
A car would be a good option to reach Shuttleworth (Old Warden) and Brooklands. The other (Hendon, Duxford) two can be reached by public transport easily.
When travelling to the U.S., there are a number of museums for this, but they are rather scattered across the country ...
Dayton, OH Pensacola, FL
The guys at Chino, CA are very good at restoring WWII-a/c, but the museum itself was rather disappointing for me.
For the old things: Has anybody ever been to Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in upsate New York ? If so, how is the quality of displays ? www.olderhinebeck.org
Quoting Elephantboy (Reply 13): Quoting HT (Reply 4):The Smithosian in downtown Washington was okay, but did not really fulfill my expectations back in 2003 ...
I heard that it is one of the best aviavtion museum. What do you think it lacks?
Will answer this later; its lunch time
-HT
Carpe diem ! Life is too short to waste your time ! Keep in mind, that today is the first day of the rest of your life !
HT From Germany, joined May 2005, 6475 posts, RR: 26 Reply 15, posted (6 years 5 months 1 week 5 hours ago) and read 5880 times:
Okay, lunch is over ...
Quoting Elephantboy (Reply 13): Quoting HT (Reply 4):The Smithosian in downtown Washington was okay, but did not really fulfill my expectations back in 2003 ...
I heard that it is one of the best aviavtion museum. What do you think it lacks?
To my conception, the downtown facility (= not the one near IAD) was more focussed on Education than on showing a real collection...
Okay, the space is limited and if there would be more a/c crammed into the building, this would leave too little space for the hordes of kids on school-excursions, but for the aviation enthusiast the limited number of exhibits can be "ticked off" pretty quick.
The fact that the facility is more aimed at "education" is also reflected by the big fast food-area attached to east of the building ...
Haven't been to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy complex near IAD yet ...
Still in London: Miniscule aviation exhibits used to be also at Science Museum in South Kensigton and the Imperial War Museum on Lambeth Road (between Labeth North and Elephant&Castle tube stations).
Quoting HT (Reply 14): For the old things: Has anybody ever been to Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in upsate New York ? If so, how is the quality of displays ? www.olderhinebeck.org
Quoting Elephantboy (Reply 13): How about Civil/military Pre- and post-WWII?
IWM Duxford has a collection of (only) British civil aircraft like: Concorde, VC10, Trident, BAC 1-11 and some props.
From Duxford EGSU you can also make pleasure flights (10 minutes or so) in a 1930's-vintage deHavilland Dragon Rapide DH-89. While the flight is pretty short, it is worth every penny !
If you can arrange it, go to Duxford in July and attend the Flying Legends Air Show. If you have an interest in WWII-aviation you will not get disappointed. Beware: The entrance fee for that show is quite high ! http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/server/show/nav.00d004
EDIT: Pictures from Old Warden (Shuttleworth Collection). Not all the a/c pictured are actually located there, but this gives you a good impression on what the theme at Old Warden's displays is. If you go in summer, try to attend one of the "Sunset Flying Displays" where they try to fly the really old a/c like the Bristol Boxkite (okay, this a replica built for the movie "Those magnificanet men in their flying machines", but most others are original): http://www.airliners.net/search/phot...ESC&thumbnails=&engine_version=6.0
-HT
[Edited 2007-01-14 12:58:46]
Carpe diem ! Life is too short to waste your time ! Keep in mind, that today is the first day of the rest of your life !
Deskflier From Sweden, joined Jan 2007, 537 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (6 years 5 months 1 week 3 hours ago) and read 5872 times:
Duxford is good, but weather sensitive since much of the exhibitions are outdoors.
The Swedish Air Force Museum at Malmslätt outside Linköping is very good. Concentrates on RSwAF history though. Has some interesting exhibitions, including a Reggiane Re2000 with the entire starboard skin removed. Does any of the other museums have a skinless WW2 fighter on exhibition?
How can anyone not fly, when we live at a time when we can fly?
HT From Germany, joined May 2005, 6475 posts, RR: 26 Reply 17, posted (6 years 5 months 1 week 1 hour ago) and read 5864 times:
Quoting Deskflier (Reply 16): Duxford is good, but weather sensitive since much of the exhibitions are outdoors.
You are aware of the new hangar called Air Space that houses a number of a/c that formerly were displayed outdoors ?
Apart from that, Yes bring along an umbrella on a rainy day, as walks between hangars/repair shops are extensive (if the conch-train is not running).
Quoting Deskflier (Reply 16): Does any of the other museums have a skinless WW2 fighter on exhibition?
At Duxford, Shuttleworth and Chino you can enter the repair / reconstruction shops and with some luck can see anything from derelict scrap, over an a/c under re-build to nearly finished a/c.
But I have no answer on hands if there is another museum that showcases a skinless WW2 fighter.
Quoting Elephantboy (Reply 13): How about Civil/military Pre- and post-WWII?
Just came ot mind mind: Auto- und Technik Museum Sinsheim and its affiliate in Speyer (about 30 min drive away). Both places are to the south of Heidelberg, Germany (about 80 km south of FRA), to give a rough estimate. http://www.technik-museum.de/uk/
And while being in that area, it might be worth to check out a museum at Hermeskeil, although it is quite some drive from Sinsheim.
To get an impression go to http://www.flugausstellung.de although it appears to be in German language only ...
It is located along the motorway between Saarbruecken and Trier, about 120 km WSW of FRA as the crow flies.
Setting up a base at around Heidelberg and nearby Mannheim should be a good location to visit Sinheim & Speyer and also Hermeskeil would be within the range of a daytrip by car.
There are lot of touristic spots (not meant to sound negative) to visit in that area ...
Summer (June thru August) would be the most pleasant time of year to select, while mid-September to October would see wine-tasting festivities in that part of Germany.
[end of touristic promotion] -HT
Carpe diem ! Life is too short to waste your time ! Keep in mind, that today is the first day of the rest of your life !
Sponsor Message: 
From Thailand, joined Sep 2003, 147 posts, 
From United States of America, joined Dec 2006, 311 posts, 
From Australia, joined Jun 2005, 327 posts, 
From Germany, joined May 2005, 6475 posts, 
From Belgium, joined Jun 2005, 975 posts, 
From Canada, joined Jun 2005, 1324 posts, 
From Sweden, joined Jan 2007, 537 posts, 
Printer friendly format 
