On Sat, 20 Dec 2008 12:22:03 -0000, "ac249"
wrote:

I have more from the F18A outside and all those wonderful historic USN
aircraft on the inside. I have never been to Pensacola before but can only
say that for me, it is the best museum I have visited. I daresay many North
American enthusiasts who cannot get to Europe would feel equally excited by
the Shuttleworth Trust at Old Warden, the IWM at Duxford, the RAF Museums at
Hendon and Cosford and many more over on this side of the pond, but for me
it was a pilgrimage to see so many aeroplanes that I have been seeing on
film and in pictures over 50 odd years but have never actually walked up to
and touched. The very fact that you could touch and walk up to the
aeroplanes and look in cockpits that are reachable from the ground. In
addition it was so well set out. I would urge anybody who can get there to
go. It's a fair drive, 450 miles or so, from Orlando for those Europeans
holidaying there, but I went to the USAF Armament museum at Hurlbert as well
which has many aircraft outside as well as T33, P47 and F105 inside along
with all the weapons on show. They were free also. See the MOAB at the doors
to the museum attached. At last I could walk around a B47. I might add that
I really enjoyed my 5 days in Pensacola Beach as well. Let's face it, two
mornings spent wandering around the museum plus dropping in for lunch at
it's excellent Cubi Point Bar (holding all the memorabilia of navy and
marine WESTPAC cruises from the original Cubi Point), with my long suffering
wife - who enjoyed some nice quiet mornings on a, nearly deserted, beautiful
beach outside the hotel. If you do go, can I recommend the Holiday Inn
Express on Pensacola Beach. Great place and great staff. Not what you
imagine from most Holiday Inn Express hotels. We intend going back as soon
as we can afford it, which may be a while with the currency situation at
present.


these walk around museums seem to be something the yanks do.
maybe because there is so much aviation it doesnt seem special.
in other countries where the examples are rarer you seem to find them
roped off and cossetted and as a result the aircraft become
abstractions that you cant really get a feel for.

if you ever get to Salt Lake City hunt out the Hill Airforce Museum
which sits in a corner of an active airforce base.
there you will find walk around examples of really interesting almost
current aircraft.

In australia the war museum in canberra is worth a mention for the
examples of captured german WW2 aircraft. these are in unrestored
original condition. they are much harder to photograph because they
are in darkened UV absent environments to better preserve the original
paint. it is an eye opener how crude some of the aircraft actually
are.

Stealth Pilot