Carry at the Air Force National Museum in Dayton, OH.

[Tactically Fat]

I "know a guy" who has actually flown some of the airframes in their collection.

Like 2/3rds of the F-111 aircraft they have he's logged hours in. Maybe even all 3 - not sure. I think that's pretty cool.

 

[Creedmoor]

My Daughter and Son in Law live in Xenia and that’s a decent town. Son in law is a program manager at Wright Pat and being retired I am in and out of the base a lot when I’m over there

My ex grew up in Xenia, they left when it disappeared in the tornado.
They went to Huber Heights and Springfield.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I "know a guy" who has actually flown some of the airframes in their collection.

Like 2/3rds of the F-111 aircraft they have he's logged hours in. Maybe even all 3 - not sure. I think that's pretty cool.

And the 111 is really unique. They dont have ejector seats. It ejects the entire cockpit pod out of the plane and they ride that down like a space capsule after re-entry. Crazy design.

 

[Tactically Fat]

And the 111 is really unique. They dont have ejector seats. It ejects the entire cockpit pod out of the plane and they ride that down like a space capsule after re-entry. Crazy design.

yep. Very odd indeed.

He was a yuuuuuge fan of the brand new (At the time) terrain following radar.

Guy was an active flyer of 'em from like '73-95. He was in the USAF '71-'97. He did a...lot of things.

 

[Creedmoor]

The 8th Air Force museum in Savannah Georgia is also a great place to visit. Went there a couple times when I was at FLETC in Brunswick for Lead Recert. And being a former 8th AF guy and my Uncle in the 8th AF in WW2 was a special trip.

We always stopped off there and Bragg, Lejeune, Parris on the way home to see the museums. And new stuff at the local surplus stores on a yearly PeeWees big Adventure to see my Dad in Florida.

Ever ride in a Crew Cab with two teen boys with a few two lb bags of beef jerky cut offs that were bought at Green Top in Va and then head down the coast??

I haven't been to Pat for 20? years, I should go and see it again.

 

[ChrisK]

You know you’re getting old when you are walking through the Air Force museum and see an actual aircraft that you worked on as a young airman…

 

[Cameramonkey]

yep. Very odd indeed.

He was a yuuuuuge fan of the brand new (At the time) terrain following radar.

Guy was an active flyer of 'em from like '73-95. He was in the USAF '71-'97. He did a...lot of things.

the electronics geek in me wants to get eyeballs on the avionics interconnects. Did they engineer everything to disconnect, or just rely on brute force shearing to rip the pod loose, cables be damned?

 

[Tactically Fat]

the electronics geek in me wants to get eyeballs on the avionics interconnects. Did they engineer everything to disconnect, or just rely on brute force shearing to rip the pod loose, cables be damned?

I ain't gots no idea.

 

[ECS686]

You know you’re getting old when you are walking through the Air Force museum and see an actual aircraft that you worked on as a young airman…

Unless it was a B52 those things will be flying in the 2100’s LOL

 

[Cameramonkey]

Unless it was a B52 those things will be flying in the 2100’s LOL

There was a story a while back about an airman that took over the airframe his dad used to fly when he was a kid.

 

[Creedmoor]

You know you’re getting old when you are walking through the Air Force museum and see an actual aircraft that you worked on as a young airman…

25? years ago I took my Father to a machinery sale in Pa to pick up a Kalamazoo band saw I had bought. It was being held in a very nice American Legion building, in the lobby was a P51 Merlin on a engine stand. My Father starting spitting off his vast knowledge of these engines, I was shocked to see a side of him I had never seen before. He was career Navy, but as a Navy Diver.

 

[Creedmoor]

There was a story a while back about an airman that took over the airframe his dad used to fly when he was a kid.

The LAV's my kid served in at 29 Palms were all built in 83 or 84.

 

[ECS686]

My ex grew up in Xenia, they left when it disappeared in the tornado.
They went to Huber Heights and Springfield.

Yeah I heard from some of the area locals that was a bad one. They get some heck of some storms there

 

[ECS686]

There was a story a while back about an airman that took over the airframe his dad used to fly when he was a kid.

My first duty assignment was Blytheville/Eaker AFB Arkansas a B52 and KC 135 SAC base. In the late 1980’s they brought back nose art and one of our B 52G’s was the Memphis Bell III with Red dress on one side and Blue dress on the other. I’m not sure if my Uncle was at the base with the original but he was a B 17 crew chief in WW2 in England. So I felt sort of connected to it. Sadly when they closed Blytheville the Memphis Bell III was cut up like most all the B 52 G were (we went from a flying inventory of around 350 B 52’s when I started and 12 bases down to less than 100 planes now and 2 designated Permanent B 52 bases Minot ND and Barksdale. Makes me sick)

Folks from our base restored the original Memphis Bell that was in Memphis in the 80’s as well before Memphis turned it over to the USAF Museum.

The Memphis Bell IV lives on as a B 52H model at Barksdale AFB Louisiana

 

[Creedmoor]

Yeah I heard from some of the area locals that was a bad one. They get some heck of some storms there

Not a lot left of the town after that one, it was a few days before her parents and 5 bro / sisters found each other. To this day if a tornado / hurricane is coming close she is a wreck, and will be looking for serious shelter when the sirens start going off.
One of the guys I worked with at Otis, Rex would say there family farm was just gone as in just foundations were left. And they moved to Eden after that.

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

My ex grew up in Xenia, they left when it disappeared in the tornado.
They went to Huber Heights and Springfield.

I remember the tornado that wiped out Xenia. I was just a kid in Kettering and remember the angry green low clouds when the tornado first hit locally. It then built up strength and hit Xenia. Dad ended up working in Xenia for three days, helping with the initial recovery.

 

[Creedmoor]

I remember the tornado that wiped out Xenia. I was just a kid in Kettering and remember the angry green low clouds when the tornado first hit locally. It then built up strength and hit Xenia. Dad ended up working in Xenia for three days, helping with the initial recovery.

She has a folder full of pictures and the newspaper articles.
My ex would talk about the high school auditorium was gone except the concrete bleachers and the bulletin board in front of the courthouse that was overflowing with names and where the rest of the family was staying.
When its brought still today, up her face still today changes color and she gets real serious.

 

[jwamplerusa]

I haven't been to Pat for 20? years, I should go and see it again.

Yes, you should. It had been years since I had been, and I was truly impressed with the improvements made. The presidential aircraft are now in the main hanger complex along with much that was once stored outside.

For me the highlight was the Memphis belle. The museum arranged to acquire it and restore it, I believe to flight capable status. It is on jacks in flight configuration with Bombay doors open. If you look closely you can see repairs on the Bombay door.

If you know the story of the Memphis Belle and the men who first reached 25 missions in it the fact is now resides in one piece at Wright Pat is rather astounding.

Standing at the rear of Boeing 707, Air Force tail number SAM 26000, is a moment that will raise Goosebumps if you lived through or remember the pictures of JFK's casket being loaded on the aircraft. I was but an infant, but frequently heard the story and saw the pictures and film.

 

[Creedmoor]

I'll put it on the plan this summer, Thanks to you all Pat fans.
I was 6 when he was assassinated, at school we were told to RUN home and your parents would be there waiting for us. They were both in front of the tv with very different looks on their faces.
The only time I was ever told to run home from school in all of those years.
With growing up around DC, we tend to pay attention with whats going on with with the Air And Space Museums in DC and VA.

 

[russc2542]

I was there in Nov. Yes they have bag checks and metal detectors but it's just theatre. They don't do anything when the detector lights up like it does for everyone walking through it (phone, keys, utility knife, leatherman, belt, shoes) and only a cursory glance in the top of the largest pocket of a bag.

That being said, AWESOME museum. I used to live there in the 90s and we went frequently. Went again about 2010 and again last year, each time was after they'd expanded and it's a totally different place each time. current setup actually has space to see all the planes and spacecraft.