I'll explane my North American Trip
- Thread starter jastel
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OZDUCK
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Aren't there a few Corsairs flying in NZ?
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Took the Train out To DC Regan Airport, dont remeber the train but the airport looks the same as my last visit, nothing exciting, but there was an Admirals Club at least.
I had an AA Flight to Dayton, arrived mid afternoon, think it was a weekend, taxi to my hotel on the CBD outskirts and went for a walk around...the joint was deserted, a nice riverbank area but nothing else open anywhere apart from a few mediocre restaurants. Not very impressed.
Found some food and bed.
The next morning I caught the bus to -
National Museum of the US Air Force
National Museum of the USAF
This is at the Home of Flight, Dayton, Ohio, USA. The Wright Brothers lived not far away and used the flat land where the Wright Patterson Air Force Base is now located to test early planes. The current Air Base has stored each type of new plane since the beginning but in WW2 with Operation Lusty they bought all the new German and Japanese planes here to copy and reverse engineer. Eventually they opened a museum…Currently the world’s biggest with over 360 planes, rockets, spaceships etc it has 4 huge hangars with 19 acres under roof. You need at least 2 days to see this place properly.
Located about 10 miles from Dayton CBD, at 1100 Spaatz St, Dayton, OH, the number 11 bus goes from the CBD to a freeway ramp about 1 mile away at Old Harshman and Springfield St. Get off here and its about a 1 mile walk to the base. This is made worse by the fact you can see the museum but due it being on the base and fenced you have to walk wasted distance to go in the driveway and cant cut across the paddock in a direct route.
The famous things here are Bockcar B29, a B52 inside, B36 Peacemaker, the only XB70 Valkyrie, the Memphis Belle, Liberator, The Doolittle Goblets, a Mosquito, Cold War Migs, F117, B1 Bomber, U2 Spyplane, X15 and the new F22 Raptor and many Presidential Aircraft as well.
This is hands down the biggest and best museum of the trip. There is so much to see…all from the US point of view of course and it could have more British Planes, but it is a museum of the US Air Force not the World Air Force. As a tourist there is not much else in Dayton and Washington or Seattle with their easily accessible Museums would be a better deal, but if you are a plane nut and have seen them both then come here.
I spent all day 1 in the First Hangar...the second day I had to speed it up a bit to see the rest and skip lunch as well, but it was worth it. Some areas are a bit dark lighting wise and it doesnt seem to be as flash and showy as Udvar Hazy but for sheer amount of stuff this is the best.
Most of the museums I did on public transport, google maps makes this very easy…though sometimes if you clicked a drop off point on the other side of the museum it would give you a far simpler route with less changes etc. Some of them have the HOHO bus going by or buses in the summer but not winter, when I did it, so YMMV and check your self. Naturally it also depends on where your start point is. If walking is a problem then I suggest rent a car…it is what everyone in USA expects…the looks I got when I walked in sopping wet or sweating after walking from the buses…
Each city has different payment methods, most larger ones have a pre paid card that you can buy then load with money and tap and go. Others use apps, this is annoying as it varies between towns. Very few buses take cash anymore, and if they do it is dollar bills only into a machine, no change given and drivers wont physically take money. Some have google pay where you just tap the phone, but this will usually add a currency conversion fee for us tourists so may be more expensive. Of course leaving money on a pre paid card if you don’t go back is similar.
Most bus drivers were helpful but some were having a bad day…normally the return bus goes from the opposite side of the road nearby, some of the larger museums it pulls up right there but some required a walk. Many had NO shelters and you were waiting in the weather. Like here it can be hard to find a person to ask at a train station but usually some local will help you.
Out the plane window I got some good shots.
National Air Force Memorial in Washington
Pentagon - 9/11 memorial is red trees on top R
Arlington, but harder to see all the crosses
Dulles Airport with Udvar Hazy's own Taxiway at Top
Udvar Hazy
Wright Patterson Air Force Base with NMUSAF 4 big hangars in the middle. Where the bridge crosses the freeway on the R is where the bus stops.
Riverfront Dayton City
I had an AA Flight to Dayton, arrived mid afternoon, think it was a weekend, taxi to my hotel on the CBD outskirts and went for a walk around...the joint was deserted, a nice riverbank area but nothing else open anywhere apart from a few mediocre restaurants. Not very impressed.
Found some food and bed.
The next morning I caught the bus to -
National Museum of the US Air Force
National Museum of the USAF
This is at the Home of Flight, Dayton, Ohio, USA. The Wright Brothers lived not far away and used the flat land where the Wright Patterson Air Force Base is now located to test early planes. The current Air Base has stored each type of new plane since the beginning but in WW2 with Operation Lusty they bought all the new German and Japanese planes here to copy and reverse engineer. Eventually they opened a museum…Currently the world’s biggest with over 360 planes, rockets, spaceships etc it has 4 huge hangars with 19 acres under roof. You need at least 2 days to see this place properly.
Located about 10 miles from Dayton CBD, at 1100 Spaatz St, Dayton, OH, the number 11 bus goes from the CBD to a freeway ramp about 1 mile away at Old Harshman and Springfield St. Get off here and its about a 1 mile walk to the base. This is made worse by the fact you can see the museum but due it being on the base and fenced you have to walk wasted distance to go in the driveway and cant cut across the paddock in a direct route.
The famous things here are Bockcar B29, a B52 inside, B36 Peacemaker, the only XB70 Valkyrie, the Memphis Belle, Liberator, The Doolittle Goblets, a Mosquito, Cold War Migs, F117, B1 Bomber, U2 Spyplane, X15 and the new F22 Raptor and many Presidential Aircraft as well.
This is hands down the biggest and best museum of the trip. There is so much to see…all from the US point of view of course and it could have more British Planes, but it is a museum of the US Air Force not the World Air Force. As a tourist there is not much else in Dayton and Washington or Seattle with their easily accessible Museums would be a better deal, but if you are a plane nut and have seen them both then come here.
I spent all day 1 in the First Hangar...the second day I had to speed it up a bit to see the rest and skip lunch as well, but it was worth it. Some areas are a bit dark lighting wise and it doesnt seem to be as flash and showy as Udvar Hazy but for sheer amount of stuff this is the best.
Most of the museums I did on public transport, google maps makes this very easy…though sometimes if you clicked a drop off point on the other side of the museum it would give you a far simpler route with less changes etc. Some of them have the HOHO bus going by or buses in the summer but not winter, when I did it, so YMMV and check your self. Naturally it also depends on where your start point is. If walking is a problem then I suggest rent a car…it is what everyone in USA expects…the looks I got when I walked in sopping wet or sweating after walking from the buses…
Each city has different payment methods, most larger ones have a pre paid card that you can buy then load with money and tap and go. Others use apps, this is annoying as it varies between towns. Very few buses take cash anymore, and if they do it is dollar bills only into a machine, no change given and drivers wont physically take money. Some have google pay where you just tap the phone, but this will usually add a currency conversion fee for us tourists so may be more expensive. Of course leaving money on a pre paid card if you don’t go back is similar.
Most bus drivers were helpful but some were having a bad day…normally the return bus goes from the opposite side of the road nearby, some of the larger museums it pulls up right there but some required a walk. Many had NO shelters and you were waiting in the weather. Like here it can be hard to find a person to ask at a train station but usually some local will help you.
Out the plane window I got some good shots.
National Air Force Memorial in Washington
Pentagon - 9/11 memorial is red trees on top R
Arlington, but harder to see all the crosses
Dulles Airport with Udvar Hazy's own Taxiway at Top
Udvar Hazy
Wright Patterson Air Force Base with NMUSAF 4 big hangars in the middle. Where the bridge crosses the freeway on the R is where the bus stops.
Riverfront Dayton City
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C17 Prototype
Not done any mission but been in Transformers and Iron Man movies
B52 Bomber
F111 or Aardvark as the Yanks call it.
F22 Raptor Best current Fighterplane
Twin Mustang, literally 2 Mustangs joined together
Biggest Plane here
A Nuclear Bomber
It has 3 Push Propellers and 2 jets (you can see them under prop 2) PER WING!!!
Called an AVROCar, meant to be Flying Saucer but didnt work
Lots of Presidential Jets
Back to LAX
One Last Meal
Onto this
And here for the next 15 odd hours
Had an overnight in SYD and then BNE before coming home...we all know what they look like, just caught up with friends..
Hope you Plane Geeks enjoyed it
THE END...finally.
I have found a Corsair picture on the DSLR but despite shrinking it down to 1mb it wont upload...
Most of the phone ones I uploaded are 2-3 mb???
Just when I thought I had it figured out...
Thanks...it helped I had been to most of the cities before so could just do the Air Musuems...also helped I was solo, couldnt imagine dragging the missus or an uninterested friend through all those places for so long.
Now to start sorting the DSLR pictures....
Now to start sorting the DSLR pictures....
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Thanks - interesting TR
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No need to apologise- it’s beautiful.
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Our “home” museum in the USA. We were posted at Wright Patt from 1990-1992. After this fabulous TR, I’m thinking I owe Mr Seat0A a trip like yours and I will use this TR for inspiration.
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Yep, that’s about right! It has a big USAF base and not much else! There may be a football game at Riverside?
otherwise, following your theme, as you suggested you could visit the Wright cycle shop, and the Wright factory which are now part of an official national park site. Not sure how you would get there by public transport.
Carillon historical park was ok from memory too. Sun Watch Indian Village I seem to recall was also informative, but I think it might only open in the summer.
Dayton Mall if you like to shop
. Downtown Dayton is a total bust! We lived in Beaver Creek and then Kettering while we were there. Seat Son was born at Kettering Memorial Hospital, so along with Seat Daughter who was then 4 I had my hands pretty full with domestic responsibilities at that time.Flyfrequently
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Beautiful photos @jastel especially the Washington Monument.
Thank you for taking us along on your trip
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