WrightPatterson AF museum

Morgan3820

Morgan3820

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I am planning to stop on my way to Oshkosh. Any advice? Which airport would work best? Hotels?
Thank you!
 
Yes, I19 seems to be the preferred airport. Thanks for the confimation
Looking at area hotels, the Oshkosh effect seems to reach even to Dayton. Prices go up 30% the week of Oshkosh ;)
 
Cirrus? Fly overhead, and well, you know what to do.
 
Is sure is a shame you can't fly into the base. Is there a way you can get special permission? Perhaps by giving your call sign as AF1 as 6PC says he sometime does in his recent video?
 
Make sure you check out the presidential hangar. Best part of the museum in my opinion.
 
Gucci Pilot said:
Make sure you check out the presidential hangar. Best part of the museum in my opinion.
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Yes, specifically the moment you walk through the door of the main museum, go over and request a "tour" of that hangar. When it is open they run you over on a bus and seats are limited.
 
This is by far the best aviation museum I've ever been to. I haven't been to the Udvar-Hazy center yet though which looks excellent as well. 3 years ago my son and I flew to Dayton and we parked the plane at KMGY-Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport. We were able to get a rental car there and it is central to many hotels. While in Dayton you should also check out the Wright Cycle Company in downtown Dayton a and the Wright "B" Flyer museum at KMGY. Click here for a link to my blog write-up from our trip a few years ago. Have fun! I 2nd the recommendation to plan your day around the Presidential / Experimental hangar. Awesome!
 
NMUSAF is like three times the size of Udvar-Hazy. It's worth the trip for sure. While NASM has THE MOST HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT ships (Enola Gay, Winnie Mae, etc....), there is a greater variety at Wright Pat.

Just remember that if you are on post at 5PM and they start playing colors, they expect you to stop your car and stand at attention.
 
flyingron said:
Yes, specifically the moment you walk through the door of the main museum, go over and request a "tour" of that hangar. When it is open they run you over on a bus and seats are limited.
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They built a new hangar and I believe all the planes over in the presidential hangar have been moved to the new hangar attached to the others.
 
oregonboy109 said:
They built a new hangar and I believe all the planes over in the presidential hangar have been moved to the new hangar attached to the others.
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Yes - It opened last week. There are some videos on the museums YouTube channel.
 
Good little sleeper museum to go to is Warner Robbins, GA. Not well known but decent variety of AF aircraft. Just wish they'd reopen the theater.
 
I used Green airport south of Dayton. Good service and they arranged an Enterprise rental. Just call ahead.
I remember staying within eye sight of the AF Museum. It may have been a Comfort Inn?

Plan on spending a whole day to see almost everything without running.
 
oregonboy109 said:
They built a new hangar and I believe all the planes over in the presidential hangar have been moved to the new hangar attached to the others.
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The new hangar has all the Presidential aircraft, numerous X-Planes and a Titan Rocket. It also has the YF-23, one of the coolest looking planes ever.

I-19 is the closest and they just resurfaced the runway. You could also stop at Urbana Grimes for a look at the WACO Museum.

Cheers
 
And right down US 35 from I19 and on I-675 is a cluster of hotels near WPAFB and the Fairfield Commons Mall.

Cheers
 
Went there a few years ago (5 hrs each way in my C182) and it was incredible. The XB-70 made the whole trip worthwhile for me.
 
I went as a kid, been trying to get back this summer.
 
Barb and I have been to all the big ones, and by far the Naval aviation museum at Pensacola is the best. and its free. plus, if you go on a Wednesdays the angles fly practice show for ya. I liked it because you are able to do the touchy feeling thing on most of the displays. all aircraft in the hangars can be flown with a de-prez. and fresh fuel.
 

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Nine of us flew commercial from WA State to visit the NMUSAF back in 2008. Photos here. I spent two full days racing around the museum from exhibit to exhibit taking photos so I could bring them home and see if I had any fun. Two days is the absolute minimum to budget if you want to see at least the highlights.
 
Velocity173 said:
Good little sleeper museum to go to is Warner Robbins, GA. Not well known but decent variety of AF aircraft. Just wish they'd reopen the theater.
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True. I was surprised at the size and number of planes in there. Another one just off the base is The Air Force Armament Museum just outside Eglin AFB, state hwy 85 I think. Big outside display of planes (even the MOAB is on display) and inside more planes and a history of armament. They had replica (I think they were) of the two bombs we dropped on Japan and I was amazed at the size of those things. Navy Museum about 45 minutes away.
 
RalphInCA said:
Is sure is a shame you can't fly into the base. Is there a way you can get special permission? Perhaps by giving your call sign as AF1 as 6PC says he sometime does in his recent video?
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I did it once. It was maybe 1997 or 1998 and they had a fly in where you landed at the base and took a bus to the museum. If they ever did it again I missed the announcement.
 
mscard88 said:
True. I was surprised at the size and number of planes in there. Another one just off the base is The Air Force Armament Museum just outside Eglin AFB, state hwy 85 I think. Big outside display of planes (even the MOAB is on display) and inside more planes and a history of armament. They had replica (I think they were) of the two bombs we dropped on Japan and I was amazed at the size of those things. Navy Museum about 45 minutes away.
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Never did get down to that armament museum. Would have been a short hop from Rucker. Done Pensacola several times though.

Another nice little museum is the USS Alabama museum in Mobile. Flew into the airport and took a courtesy car over years ago. Good little collection of aircraft. Just seeing a YF-17 was worth the trip.
 
I was at the Eglin USAF Armamnet Museum a couple of days ago. Interesting museum. Pensacola is closer to 2 hours from Eglin though. Went there last year while family fried on the Destin beaches.


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N3368K said:
I was at the Eglin USAF Armamnet Museum a couple of days ago. Interesting museum. Pensacola is closer to 2 hours from Eglin though. Went there last year while family fried on the Destin beaches.


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You should have gone to the Army Aviation Museum!!!
 
mscard88 said:
Haha that's been on my list for years now, and I live in Bama. One of these days.
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Well, it's nowhere near Wright, Pensacola or even Robins quality but it has improved in recent years. They're starting to get some new exhibits and remodeling the inside.

If you go, see if you can get into one of the "secret" tours from the manager. All the cool stuff is locked up in the surrounding hangers. You can sit in a few of firsts like the first AH-1 Cobra or an RAH-66 Comanche. AH-56 Cheyenne and P-51 that was used for its escort as well.
 
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Velocity173 said:
AH-56 Cheyenne and P-51 that was used for its escort as well.
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The USAF Armamnet Museum says their P-51 on display was an Army chase plane built up by Cavalier in the 60s.


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N3368K said:
The USAF Armamnet Museum says their P-51 on display was an Army chase plane built up by Cavalier in the 60s.


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Yep, they had three for AH-56 chase duties since no other helo could keep up with it. Think the third one is somewhere out west.
 
Been there several times,going again this year to see the new hanger. Have been to Warner Robbins ,nice museum.
 
Tom-D said:
Barb and I have been to all the big ones, and by far the Naval aviation museum at Pensacola is the best. and its free. plus, if you go on a Wednesdays the angles fly practice show for ya. I liked it because you are able to do the touchy feeling thing on most of the displays. all aircraft in the hangars can be flown with a de-prez. and fresh fuel.
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The NMUSAF aircraft are also flyable with depreserving and fueling. I went to the restoration hangars the other day where the Memphis Belle is being worked on. They recently ran the engines five hours each prior to preserving. They expect to have the Belle done next year.

Cheers
 
Tom-D said:
I liked it because you are able to do the touchy feeling thing on most of the displays. all aircraft in the hangars can be flown with a de-prez. and fresh fuel.
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I'd like to fire up the Boeing F4B-4 and take it around the patch a couple of times. At USAFM, I'd like to try out the Curtis P-6E. :D
 
N3368K said:
I'd like to fire up the Boeing F4B-4 and take it around the patch a couple of times. At USAFM, I'd like to try out the Curtis P-6E. :D
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I'd like to have the Navies P-5-M hell of a flying camper. (motorhome) :)
 

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The fiance' was out of town so I found myself with a free day. I flew over to I19 this morning and took an Uber ride over to the NMUSAF. A very nice early morning flight with cooler temps and smooth air. The museum was amazing! A day was just not enough to see everything. Highlights for me were seeing Bockscar and the presidential display. I really enjoyed being able to walk through the presidential planes. The flight back was a little hot and bumpy but uneventful. I'll have to go back when they put the Memphis Belle on display.
 
Ive been twice, but not in nearly a decade. Budget at least an 8 hour day if you just walk through. 2 days if you want to stop and read and absorb everything properly. They used to have some really cool interactive exhibits as well.
 
MickYoumans said:
I have this on my 'bucket list' for retirement. So how long do you need to see everything?
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In one day I was able to see all of the planes and at least glance at all of the displays. I only read the information displays on a few of the more interesting items. Did not have time for the theater or the video loops that were at some of the displays, although I did sit and watch the interview with Jimmy Doolittle. I just walked through the Vietnam, Korea, and cold war areas. So I would say two days should be enough to really experience everything. If you want to read everything on the displays then it might take even longer. The food at the museum was not that great so you may want to venture offsite for meals. Also, there is not much room to walk through the presidential planes, so a larger person may not fit. I'm pretty thin and it was a tight squeeze.
 
I have been twice but not since 2010. Was supposed to go this summer but didn't get there. My parents stopped by there a couple weeks ago, my father has never been there. Sound like they have added quite a bit since I was there. They now have two b52, two Sr-71(a12 and sr-71) and a valkerie!
If you like airplanes then there is nowhere else that comares. Your brain cannot take in all that is there in one day. Every plane has a story and every story has a plane.
They need to set up an adult summer camp there where you. Can spend a few days there getting the whole experience.
The museum should be one of the wonders of the world.
 
The next big event at the NMUSAF is the Dawn Patrol Rendezvous on 1-2 Oct. Replica WW I Planes, large scale RC planes, ground re-enactors, vintage cars and vendors of stuff. I'll be there, hopefully with whatever state my Fokker D-VIII will be in if Robert Baslee gets the kit done.

Cheers
 
Just got back. Outstanding selection of aircraft. Great to see B-58, F-107, YF-23 in the "flesh." Aircraft Carrier movie was excellent in 3D but would have been even better if they added about 10-15 minutes to it. Definitely requires 2 days to see everything.
 
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