The Museum of the Eighth Airforce is outside Savannah, GA, just off of I-95. If you're ever in the area, it's worth a detour. It's very, very well done. Smithsonian Air And Space Museum well done:
You'll learn a lot of history there, like at the Air And Space Museum. But as with the Smithsonian, pride of place goes to the aircraft themselves.
That's the B-24 Liberator "Fightin' Sam", sadly just the nose section. But it lets you see how the bird was put together, and imagine what it must have been to fly her.
#2 Son liked the B-17 side gunner simulation, where you "shoot" a lazer rigged MA Deuce at a screen showing FW-190 pass bys. It's harder that it sounds, no doubt because I wasn't using my deflection.
Highly, highly recommended. Oh, and the gift shop is darned good, too, ranging from low cost but cool (custom made dog tags; #2 Son is sporting a new set) to Mil-Spec leather flight jackets (#2 Son has learned he needs to save up for this).
Oh yeah, you can walk right up and pet a MiG.
9 comments:
I must have driven by that place a dozen times over the years but never stopped in. Must change that.
Have you visited the Air Force museum at Wright-Patterson, in Dayton? That was very cool. Mrs. Graybeard sat in an F-16 cockpit, I got to get very close and personal to an SR-71 and F-117. The weird thing was seeing stuff I worked on in the museum. "Hey! That's my terminal! I designed that...."
Do go get yourself a ride in one when they come around...
That is completely, totally awesome. If wishes were gold, I'd own a B-17G of my very own.
I'm pretty jealous Borepatch. Both of my grandfathers served in the 8th; one as a ball turret gunner, the other as radio repair tech.
Thanks for posting the pictures.
If there's any random trivia you want to know about those turrets, just ask. Granddad liked to talk. :-)
http://www.momlogic.com/2009/09/gun_accidents_kill_500_kids_each_year.php
Thanks for the reminder... what a great museum, we visited there a few years ago...
Nice collection including things the Wright-Patt Air Force Museum about an hour from us doesn't have...
Dann in Ohio
Emphasize to your son how important symbolically the dog tags are. You don't get a medal for getting out of boot camp, nor should you, but the dog tags you are given there are the concrete proof of having made it, of learning to work as a part of a team, to strive and conquer the tough challenges at the beginning of your military service. I treasure mine, and still have them, safe in storage, while I wear a replica set.
Envy - MUCH.
Recently, there was a group visiting Love Field (airport in Dallas) doing vintage plane rides for the air museum there. One of the planes was an old WWII bomber. I missed going because of work.
I kicked myself afterwards. Especially when I looked up during the day to see the old girl winging her way over the town where I work during one of the tour-flights. Should have called in sick that day.
We were at the 'last airshow' at Bergstrom Airfield before it was turned into a TSA circus, I mean commercial airport.
I was able to crawl all over some of those planes - and with a running narrative from my husband, who knew the history of most of them, I gained a new respect both the planes and for my beloved. Alas, my husband had that intense love for planes that I had for horses and dogs... He is much too big to ever have been a pilot at 6'5" with shoulders in three counties...
If you haven't gotten a chance to see the Confederate Air Force, you must do so at your earliest convenience! Alas, the name has changed to Commemorative Air Force, because 'confederate' is offensive to 'some'.
Sigh... But the planes still fly.
Wonderful, just wonderful!
Here's a link to the 'history' of the name change (interesting...)
http://www.lewrockwell.com/dunaway/dunaway27.html
Cap'n Jan
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