Skip the Smithsonian, go to Dayton

[nwadc10]

I was lucky enough to have a long enough layover in Dayton, Ohio on my last trip. Even better, my best friend from high school lives there and works on the base that houses the Air Force Museum.

I was disappointed at the Smithsonian Air and Space museum. The museum there is very small with not too much there. I haven't been to the extension of the Smithonian museum located at Dulles airport which I hear is much more interesting.

The Air Force museum in Dayton has several hangars organized chronologically from early aviation to present day. Some items seen there are B-36, B-52, B-2, B-1, XB-70 (giant, concorde looking bomber), and many, many other neat stuff. There have got to be 75-100 planes on display. At the presidential and experimental hangars you can get up close an personal with a number of airplanes including the previously mentioned XB-70, a number of X planes, several historic "Air Force 1" planes (even if that wasn't an official callsign yet) such as Kennedy's 707, Columbine III.

[1691]

Ive heared the Udvar-Hazy Center (the Smithsonian in Dulles) is pretty good. Much more to see there.

[mlegein]

I went to the AF museum in Dayton last year and loved it. My favorite airplane is the SR-71.
Another must see is the SAC museum in Omaha, NE. You can see, and crawl under, and touch and sometimes go inside the planes. They have the SR-71,B-52,B1B, B2, and much more. They also have the weird bomber with 4 jet engines and 8 props facing backwards. Can't remember the name.
And if you are in Seattle, go to the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field.
The Smithsonian in D.C. was disappointing.

[Gary]

As you all may be aware, the 2009 Fancon is being held in Dayton over Labor day weekend 4-6 Sep.
The event is at the Hope hotel (named in honor of Bob) located immediately adjacent to the Air Base and close to the museum.
This would be a great way to catch up on Flt Sim products and manufacturers, tour the museum and maybe meet some our GCVA mates in person.
I will try to attend and if there is interest you can find the info on AVSIM.

Gary
#1729

[Mike Schmitt]

Graduated High many years back in the Dayton area and have been to the museum so many times. i love it and wish now I lived closer to it to show to my family. Next thing you will need to visit is the Dayton Airshow. Billed as the second largest in the world. Farnbough UK and Dayton usually swap years they are on and each billed as the second largest airshow next to Paris. It is more impressive than the museum.