Government | All Kinds of Militaria Collectibles

Airforce Jfk

September 29th, 2010 admin No comments

Airforce Jfk

Dayton, Ohio: Wright-Patterson AFB Air Museum and the Wright Brothers at Huffmann Field

Dayton, Ohio is the home of the United States Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Housed in three hangers, the museum traces airforce aviation from the Wright Brothers to present time. With over three hundred planes and rockets and thousands of memorabilia, four hours of visitation just scratches the surface. We went inside the cargo hold of a C-124 transport and got lost in the immense size of the plane. We did not go to the IMAX Theater, which shows three different movies related to flight. We also did not go on the virtual flight simulator, similar to other rides at amusement parks. We did, however, take the shuttle to two other hangers about one mile away. One hanger houses the Air Force One planes of FDR, Eisenhower, Truman, and Kennedy. We went inside them. It was interesting how the interiors developed in twenty years. The Kennedy plan also features the area of LBJ's swearing in ceremony and the space where JFK's casket rested on the flight back to DC. The other hanger housed experimental aircraft. The most impressive one was the North American Valkieryie; a long needle nosed swept wing beauty, which could reach the speed of Mach 3.1.

Back to the main museum. To get tickets to the shuttle you go through the museum store and turn left. A man is stationed there who will check your photo ID, have you fill out a form and give you a ticket with the departure time. Because the other hangers are on WPAFB, security is pretty tight. Many of the visitors were retired airforce personnel, who were busy taking pictures of the aircraft. Smaller planes were tucked under the wings of the larger ones, like mother birds guarding their young. Others were suspended from the ceiling. Everywhere you looked were airplanes. The only ones missing were from the US Navy. They have to have a museum somewhere too.

On the base too is Huffmann Field, where the Wright Brothers perfected their airplane. In Dec 1903 they flew the first powered air machine, but were unable to turn. They spent the next two years perfecting their invention at Huffmann Field and in October 1905 they produced the first fully operational aircraft. The field has many kiosks and a rebuilt derrick for their catapult and a hanger.

We drove to the University of Dayton on the advice of my sister. She said that there was a beautiful collection of painting of the Madonna by a ninety-three Year Old Polish woman. We were a few days late. It had been taken down and sent back to Poland. They did have some prints for sale and a booklet, in which were the poems upon which the paints were based. On the seventh floor of the UD library is one of the largest educational and research centers on Mary, the Mother of Jesus.

About the Author

John Pelley is a Geriatric Gypsy. He is retired from the rat race of working. He is a full-time RVer, who ran away from home. He began our travels on the East Coast and, like the migrating birds, seek the warmth of the seasons He has discovered volunteering with the National Park System. He has a CD he has recorded of Native American flute music., A Day with Kokopelli. For pictures, links, and more information visit http://www.jmpelley.org.