Welcome back to this week’s series on the National Museum of the United States Air Force. I had a lovely visit there last Saturday and one blog story didn’t do justice to all the interesting things that I wanted to share. I have a few stories planned for this week and today’s topic is something truly unexpected.
I was delighted to see that there are some resources for the visually impaired that seem quite new. There is a ton of signage in this museum but some of the aircraft now have signs with the narrative told in braille. Each sign has a textured image of the plane and a 3D printed model of the plane.
This museum is so interactive and engaging for those of us who are fortunate to have our eyesight but I imagine it would be terribly dull for visually impaired visitors unless you had a truly great friend or guide to assist. Imagine the quality of life improvements that would be possible if there were more accommodations like this.
Long ago, I was the fair housing officer for my community. This experience gave me a different perspective on this world of ours because I see the value of providing accommodations that give equal access to housing, learning, employment and the other parts of life that contribute to independent living. Providing equal access is such an easy thing to do and it makes a tremendous difference for those who need it.
Museums are absolutely part of that and I was proud of whoever decided to make this a better place to visit. Come back tomorrow. I have a story about a survivor you’ll want to know.
Last minute cancelled plans Saturday left me with nowhere to go even though I was dressed and ready to leave the house by about 7:30 a.m. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day so I asked my fella if he was interested in a different adventure than we had planned. We opted for a trip to the National Museum of the United States Air Force and some bookshopping, because well, bookshopping is what we do best. It was a true adventure day complete with an unexpected stop for a pre-museum snack at Tudor’s Biscuit World and lots of cool museum stuff to appreciate.
Dayton, Ohio is the well documented birthplace of aviation and the Dayton/Cincinnati region made quite the hub for the innovative technology that is necessary for aviation and aerospace development. We are fortunate to have so many cool aviation related spots in the Dayton area and the grandmama of them all is the Air Force Museum.
As many times as I go, I still stand in awe of some of these planes, missiles and artifacts. I still seek out the stories of the people who bring the legends of these great machines to life. I still become overwhelmed by the awesome amount of knowledge and inspiration accessible in one place.
And it’s no wonder. This museum dates to May 1923 and it is a world-renowned center for what the museum calls “air and space power technology and culture preservation.” Friends, there are 20 indoor acres as well as outdoor spaces to explore.
You know something? It’s all FREE. Admission, the parking, the tours – all free. There are ways to spend money – you can buy tickets for some simulators, you can buy food and there are museum souvenirs as well. But you can also pack a picnic to eat outside, skip the gift shop and make this the most extraordinary frugal adventure day you’ve ever encountered.
IF you like history and airplanes, of course. If you hang out here with me, I assume you like those things because I talk about them all the time.
Every time I go, I think I should spend a couple of hours exploring a single area of the museum like just early aviation or just Vietnam. It would be less overwhelming and I could absorb more information. Of course, I never manage to do that because I want to see everything! Plus, they do sometimes rotate items in and out so there’s a good chance there is something new to see when you only go occasionally.
I always look forward to seeing this fifties era experimental aircraft called the Avro Canada VZ-9AV Avrocar. It was part of Canada’s effort to develop a supersonic, vertical takeoff and landing fighter bomber and it looks like a flying saucer! Read more about that here.
Seeing this display of World War II era bomber jackets always makes me wonder what happened to the men who wore them. Did they make it home safe? Did they ever dream their jacket would be exhibited in a world renowned museum?
And then there are new things like the Apollo 15 Command Module Endeavour which is on loan from the National Air and Space Museum in Washington.
Of course, I don’t always approve of their changes. I told you a few years ago about the Memphis Belle being permanently installed here. I took my dad and we had a fabulous day including the exploration of the Memphis Belle exhibit which included biographies and pictures of all the crew and a thought provoking explanation of why this plane is so important.
They seem to have taken away all of those extras and have downgraded to just a small sign that makes the Memphis Belle seem like any other plane. Hopefully they will rotate all that back in at another time because the story is important. Read more about that here.
I have written about this museum some here but there are a few specific stories I want to tell so I will spend this week highlighting some of them. Come back tomorrow to get started.
Dayton’s Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum was founded in 1841, winning them a reputation for being one of the oldest and best rural garden cemeteries in the country. At over 200 acres, it’s too much to see in the afternoon we had to explore last week. With over 3,000 trees, it’s one of the more impressive cemeteries I have seen in person.
The fall foliage was mostly golden and was completely breathtaking.
You enter through a Romanesque gateway that was completed in 1889 alongside a chapel and office. We didn’t stop at the chapel but I wish now that we did to see the original Tiffany stained glass windows. Another trip.
There are some interesting people buried here including Julia Reichert who I wrote about last week. The Wright Brothers are buried here along with their younger sister Katherine who was a suffragette and an important part of her brothers’ business. She deserves a story of her own.
Poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar, humorist Erma Bombeck, inventor of the folding stepladder John H. Baisley, inventor of the Yellow Pages Loren M. Berry and freed slave and writer Jordan Anderson are among the notable people who lie at rest here. For every one of the well known individuals buried here there are thousands of normal people, souls who lived quiet lives for whom the bell tolled but there’s no one left to remember them. I suppose that’s why some of the wealthy have enormous monuments and obelisks to grab your attention as you drive or walk through. They’re hoping to outsmart short memories and the unforgiving march of time.
We parked near the Wright family plot and explored from there. It’s interesting that the fathers of flight, the people responsible for one of the most important inventions in world history, are buried with a rather humble marker.
It wasn’t lost on me that they are buried in the flight path of Wright Patterson Air Force Base as we watched from this hillside as military planes took off and landed. It made me wonder if Wilbur and Orville Wright ever imagined how prolific flight would be, how enormous the planes could grow, or how they could be used as weapons of war and tools for peace.
It was quite an experience to stand here and contemplate these questions.
If you like cemeteries as much as I do, Woodland is worthy of your time. I hope to return another day and perhaps in another season when we might see snow or spring blooms.
Want to see more? Check out Make The Journey Fun on Facebook. I’ll share some more pictures!
If you’re an aviation aficionado or a history devotee and are near Dayton, Ohio, here’s what you need to do today: get yourself to the National Museum of the US Air Force for the World War I event Dawn Patrol.
They have replica World War I era planes and radio controlled aircraft in the air and on display. There are some very old cars, vendors and reenactors who are eager to chat.
My dad and I went yesterday. Honestly, the weather was gusty and cool, making it hard to enjoy but there was still some great stuff to see.
First off, the planes!
The flying got started a little late because most of these planes are too light to handle well in these windy conditions. Here’s another.
The RC Aircraft always impresses me. These planes are built with an incredible degree of detail and often sound realistic from the air.
There was a small collection of period cars too. This 1908 Buick is pretty special. That’s the owner checking out the motor.
I always get a kick out of reenactors who are willing to share stories and demonstrate the things they find interesting.
Here’s one more picture for good measure.
This last plane is a full scale Fokker that my pal Dewey has been flying for the owner who is an aviation enthusiast but not a pilot. It’s a pretty special plane to see in person so be sure to look for it if you go today.
Want to go? Dawn Patrol info can be found here. It ends at five so be sure to hurry up and get there! While you’re there, stop by the museum for a look around!
Colorado Springs is home to one of the most unique restaurants I have ever eaten in. It’s called The Airplane Restaurant because part of the dining space is in an actual airplane.
It’s a 1953 Boeing KC-97 tanker that originally refueled planes across the world. In 2002 it was reconfigured to provide dining space for about 42 people. Over 200 more people can sit in an attached regular dining room which is filled with interesting artifacts and pictures from aviation history.
My veggie burger and fries were excellent but my friend’s stuffed mushrooms and salad were nothing to write home about. So I can’t really vouch for the food.
However, if you’re an aviation fan, the atmosphere is fantastic. we had to wait a few minutes to sit inside the airplane and the hostess encouraged us to look around the restaurant until she announced our departure – to Antarctica!
You can see the fueling equipment and step into the cockpit while you wait for your food. The tables are covered in maps and the servers are dressed as captains. It’s great!
Want to learn more? Click here to visit their website. It’s about five minutes from the National World War II Aviation Museum which we will talk about another day.
The promise of sunflowers took me to Urbana, Ohio this summer but the promise of airplanes enticed me to stay for a few more hours.
You see, Urbana is home to Champaign Aviation Museum. But this isn’t an ordinary museum. That’s because, in addition to planes and historic items on display, there’s a restoration effort underway on a B-17 Flying Fortress. The Champaign Lady is a sight to behold as she is currently in pieces and gives visitors an intimate look at the construction of this impressive plane.
They also have a Civil Air Patrol plane that sank a German sub off America’s East coast during World War II and an exhibit about the Women’s Air Service Pilots or the WASPs.
You know my favorite part was the WASP exhibit! These life size cut outs are pretty incredible. Each lady is holding a portrait of herself when she was a WASP as well as a story about herself. Sadly, all of these ladies are gone now.
I was fortunate to have a personal tour with Terri Whitlach, a retired Air Force pilot. The actual Voodoo that he flew in Vietnam is in the National Air Force Museum in Dayton.
He provided great insight into the museum, the stories behind the planes and the people who volunteer there. He made what would have been a nice museum tour an absolutely spectacular experience and I’m grateful he was there that day.
Hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. admission is by donation. Get more information at their website. If you go, be sure to talk to whoever is volunteering. You will have a much more enriching experience.
