Mike,
You don't have to sit in the bleachers. You can stand with me, to
the west of the bleachers, along with all of the other guys with long
lenses. There is an area to the east of the roped off area where
photographers can stand outside the safety zone. That was created when
I complained that the new bleachers took away the area along the taxiway
where serious photographers liked to stand. The area to the east is
good except for a few times when a safety monitor might not kneel and
get down when the sneak pass comes along.
We hope to see you here. If you do return be sure and get in touch
with us via e-mail first. We know where some really good restaurants
are located and they are not the most expensive in town.
You mention the busy traffic. I don't even go past the turnoff to
Pensacola Beach on Highway 98. It's too much like driving in a city.
We stay to the west of Pensacola except for our forays across the bay to
visit Santa Rosa Island.
Sounds like you are in a real historical patch. Our little village by
the sea was under British rule from 1763 to 1781. That's why we fly the
Union Jack as one of our five flags.
At the Headquarters on the Naval Air Station is a stone monument in
honor of the 4,000 plus British and Canadian pilots trained here in
World War II.
Regards, Tom in Pensacola

ac249 wrote:
Hi Les,
Thanks for the correction I got the feeling that Eglin and Hurlbert were all
one absolutely massive military area. I know better now. I stopped at the
main gate at Hurlbert to ask the way and wanted to photograph their spec ops
aircraft just inside the gate but, like a fool, it was early morning and
they were very busy so I just turned away as I didn't want to hassle them. I
should have stopped on the way back into Pensacola but was too knackered
after wandering about for a 2 or 3 hours in the sun at Eglin photographing
all the exhibits. You're a lucky man living around there. Then again, I can
jump in the motor and be in Hendon, Duxford or Old Warden within an hour so
I shouldn't moan at all.
I'll be back within a couple of years and this time I'll come back before
the Blues finish their Weekly practice sessions. I am so P'd off that I
missed being able to sit in the bleachers and watch them.
Cheers
Mike

"Les Matheson" wrote in message
...
As a local resident, I thank you for the glowing review of our area. The
Chamber of
Commerce thanks you , too.

One correction, however, The Air Force Armament Museum is outside the
main gate of
Eglin AFB, not Hurlburt Field (which has its own nice collection).

Les

"ac249" wrote in message
. uk...
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.

"Lee" wrote in message
6.99...
"ac249" rudely blurted out
. uk:


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200809_NAM_Pensacola_F14D_161159_last_combat_sorti e_ac_14.jpg

Attachment decoded:
200809_NAM_Pensacola_F14D_161159_last_combat_sorti e_ac_14.jpg `
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Thanks for posting. A great walk-around.


*********************
Here's *my* funny sig from an ABPA thread on 08/16/08:
Alan Erskine says... "I've got an IQ of 151"
"I'm in the 99th percentile for my age group - that's the top 1
percent"
(nice math there, Einstein!) "I doubt very strongly that you know
anyone in my range of IQ" (Neither do you, Einstein)
Lee discussing newsserver retention:
"...I can go back about 6 months to locate files..."
Alan Erskine interrupts with:
"Why should we wait for six months to download an image
that was posted yesterday?"