USAF Museum at Wright Patterson
While we were on Wright Patterson Air Force Base we decided to take some time at the museum dedicated to the US Air Force. Below is the entrance which is open to the public and it is a replica of the 1909 Wright Flyer which was the first aircraft built for any military, anywhere in the world.
Also open to the public is the Wright Memorial and National Park. Beautiful setting overlooking the field that the Wright brothers first perfected their machine here in Dayton and where they patented and sold one for military use.
Within 30 years there were more than 30,000 military aircraft fighting in WWII some approaching and exceeding the speed of sound and some dropping nuclear weapons ... wow!
Once you get into the museum it is a chronological setting of aviation achievement from the Wright days.
My interest of course was in things that I did for the Air Force in my 40 years. First and foremost I was a combat search and rescue/ special ops pilot and this display says it all with the proper verbiage and the case with the Pararescue person saving another life.
And the one below which really highlights the combat search and rescue/ special ops role in the MH-53 which my really good friend Bob Tillema flew until his retirement.
On our assignment at Randolph AFB in Texas, our division boss was the first person to fly this thing below (B-2) in combat and was its first combat organizational commander. It was great to hear him talk about flying this exact plane and his mission for 30 hours + wow ... neat aircraft and neat boss.
OK let's pause and step back in time a bit. Also in the museum is this display. During the Berlin Air Lift several pilots flew many hundreds of humanitarian missions over the beleaguered city to deliver supplies. One pilot had a mascot which had already logged many missions over Berlin and General Hap Arnold decided that the pooch needed the required safety gear and hence this outfit. By the way the dog never needed the parachute but the pilot was shot down and parachuted to safety.
If you are even remotely interested in American history this is one place you can spend hours, days, or weeks exploring, and all free to the public.
