Page 16 - Volume 13 Number 9

layovers while flying as a corporate, charter, fractional, airline and traveling-instructor pilot, I’ve had many lists active concurrently. For the initial installment of this series, let’s tackle a list that can be equal parts educational and entertaining, while offering infinite flexibility.
Museums & Collections
If there is one commonality among pilots, it is their ability to totally geek-out on whatever it is that they are into. That could be the all too obvious aviation stuff, or other topics as obscure or varied as American Indian wars, rare musical instruments, automotive history, fine art or Pez dispensers. Whatever flips your switch, there is likely a museum for it somewhere. If your tastes run more mainstream, there are likely scores, even hundreds, of depositories representing that topic. Thus, choose your topic, do a quick web-search and begin a list of facilities which include or are dedicated to it.
My experience operating for years in a cockpit-crew environment is that most pilots enjoy aviation collections, military history museums or both. The assortment of these in the United States is staggering in both sheer numbers and variety. Of course, in many cases, a single collection which specializes in or includes military aircraft overlaps both these areas of interest. But, don’t say to yourself, “Well, of course, there’s the Smithsonian
Air & Space Museum in D.C. or The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, but those are huge museums that could take days to go through. I never have that much time on a layover!” Maybe that is true, but you can take such massive collections a bite at a time. A few hours here, a full day there. In time, you’ll see it all and, in many cases (such as these two examples), such museums are totally free, taking away the financial pressure to see it all in one visit.
Beyond these huge, nationally known museums, there is a nearly endless array of small/local museums dedicated to aviation and/or military topics. Airports small and large across the country often have such museums right on (or adjacent to) the field. Such establishments often feature one specific aircraft manufacturer who started at that airport, or that airport’s military history in years past (before it became an all-civilian or joint-use airport). Such smaller museums most often operate on shoestring budgets using exclusively volunteer staffing. Yet, many remain free, asking only for donations at the door. Frequently, such small museums operate as nonprofit organizations, making any admission fee and/ or donation tax deductible. Many current or former military bases operate a small public museum and/or display an aircraft/armament collection representing that base’s history. Some such collections are quite impressive and include some real rarities.
The abundance of aviation and/or military history museums is truly staggering. Below is a list of just a few to get you started:
The Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum: Washington, D.C. The “gold standard” of aviation museums. The main building is in museum-row of Washington D.C.’s downtown Mall, a very short ride from Washington National Airport (DCA). The massive annex, known as the Udvar-Hazy Center, is located adjacent to Washington Dulles Airport (IAD). Regular shuttle ser-
vices are available for transport between all these locations. Within this national collection, you’ll lay eyes on the aircraft which shaped aviation as we know it today. From the original Wright Flyer (first powered, controlled, heavier-than- air flight), to the Spirit of St. Louis (Lindbergh’s Atlantic spanning steed), to the Bell X-1 (first level, sustained, supersonic flight) to the Boeing 247 (first “modern” fully enclosed airliner), to the North American X-15 (fastest winged, piloted aircraft in history), to the Space Shuttle Discovery (even bigger than you ever imagined).
14 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
SEPTEMBER 2019