5 Sept 2011: Ed and Mary beneath a World War II bomber.
After spending a leisurely Sunday at the resort, we were up bright and early Monday morning to check out of our condo and drive back into Tucson to visit the Pima Air and Space Museum.
I loved this sculpture at the entrance.
The first thing we did was take a tram ride around the outdoor exhibits. It lasted about an hour and 15 minutes. Our guide, an elderly veteran, was quite knowledgeable.
Ed on the tram with an A-7 Corsair Navy plane in the background.
Ed was in his element. He knew almost as much about the planes as the guide, and soon they were in deep discussion.
We saw a lot of interesting planes on the tram ride. This was Air Force One for both President John F. Kennedy and President Lyndon B. Johnson. I think this must have been the plane on which Johnson was sworn in right after Kennedy's assassination.
One of the first things Ed found after we arrived was this F-4E jet. It was built in the 1950s and flown during Vietnam and then for decades after that during the Cold War. This particular one was one of the Thunderbirds, performing in the #7 slot.
Here's Ed with the F-4E jet. This type of plane means a lot to him because it's the kind he worked on when he was a mechanic in the Air Force from 1980 to 1984. It brought back a lot of memories.
Ed with a World War II B-17 bomber.
Ed gets into the belly of the B-17 bomber to check it out.
There were several huge hangars filled with planes and memorabilia from various eras. This is Ed in the hangar featuring space exhibits.
I thought this miniature of the space shuttle launch site was cool.
The Santa Catalina Mountains provided scenery for our 3.5-hour drive home.
We had a great time, and Ed really loved being around all those old planes. Then by 5:30 we were on our way back home, looking forward to sleeping in our own bed but happy with the memories we created.
No comments:
Post a Comment