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Great aviation museum



 
 
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  #1  
Old June 6th 07, 01:35 AM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Viperdoc
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Posts: 155
Default Great aviation museum

I saw a bunch of planes outside as well, apparently awaiting renovation.
Looked like a Beech starship and an F-15, along with some others.

Driving out we saw some WWII armor, as well as what looked to be a T-76. The
Imax building looked new, and the new building looked just as big as the
existing structure.

What a great treasure in the middle of nowhere.

"gatt" wrote in message
...

"Viperdoc" wrote in message
t...

Considering it's pretty much in the middle of nowhere except being next
door to the McMinnville airport, it is surprising as to the extent and
breadth of the collection.

Highly recommended for an excellent experience.


By the way, they'll bring a shuttle van over to the FBO to pick you up if
you fly in, which is a hell of a lot better than trying to cross the
highway there.

-c



  #2  
Old June 6th 07, 02:17 AM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
gatt
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Posts: 478
Default Great aviation museum


"Viperdoc" wrote in message
news
I saw a bunch of planes outside as well, apparently awaiting renovation.
Looked like a Beech starship and an F-15, along with some others.


The F-15 was the first to end up in civilian hands and he got his because
his son was a '15 pilot (the museum is named after him.) The son retired
from the USAF iirc, became a police officer and was killed in a motorcycle
accident.

Driving out we saw some WWII armor, as well as what looked to be a T-76.


Yep. I'm pretty sure it runs. I've never seen the IMAX, and you described
the Goose engine in a previous post. I'm pretty sure that's a new display
too. Very cool! Took my father-in-law there for father's day a couple of
years ago and he got a little misty-eyed (I imagine that happens a lot
there) because the UH-1 out front was the first bird to which he was
assigned.

Other trivia is that the C-47 with the Normany stripes used to be at the
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry...as a UAL DC-3 that you could walk
around in. At some point there was talk of trying to restore it to flying
condition, but then I think they discovered that it had actually
participated in D-Day, and that made it worth too much to risk flying so
they returned it to its original livery and configuration. That place
really is amazing for being out in the middle of nowhere.

What a great treasure in the middle of nowhere.


I did my IFR training around there and one time while I was under the hood
outbound for the procedure turn my instructor says "Wow! That's a big
airplane." I couldn't look. Then she goes "WOW! LOOK!" It was
Nine-O-Nine, coming in over the river beneath us on the ILS. It looked
magnificent in its OD paint and red tail against the farmland below. I
never imagined I'd look down at a B-17 in flight and I only hope that my
grandfather was able to look down from much higher and share in my
excitement.

Pretty much shot my concentration for the day. There was no way I could go
back under the hood, because the B-24 was still out there somewhere.

-c


  #3  
Old June 6th 07, 05:32 AM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
Viperdoc
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 155
Default Great aviation museum

One thing I did notice was the B-25, which was bare metal. There were some
polishing marks under the wing, where it looked like there was some overly
aggressive paint removal. Also, not unexpectedly, there was a fair amount of
filliform corrosion on the undersurface as well.

They also had a windshield wiper on the bombardier's window in the nose, but
not on the B-17- first time I noticed this up close.

Overall, a memorable day.


"gatt" wrote in message
...

"Viperdoc" wrote in message
news
I saw a bunch of planes outside as well, apparently awaiting renovation.
Looked like a Beech starship and an F-15, along with some others.


The F-15 was the first to end up in civilian hands and he got his because
his son was a '15 pilot (the museum is named after him.) The son retired
from the USAF iirc, became a police officer and was killed in a motorcycle
accident.

Driving out we saw some WWII armor, as well as what looked to be a T-76.


Yep. I'm pretty sure it runs. I've never seen the IMAX, and you
described the Goose engine in a previous post. I'm pretty sure that's a
new display too. Very cool! Took my father-in-law there for father's day
a couple of years ago and he got a little misty-eyed (I imagine that
happens a lot there) because the UH-1 out front was the first bird to
which he was assigned.

Other trivia is that the C-47 with the Normany stripes used to be at the
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry...as a UAL DC-3 that you could walk
around in. At some point there was talk of trying to restore it to flying
condition, but then I think they discovered that it had actually
participated in D-Day, and that made it worth too much to risk flying so
they returned it to its original livery and configuration. That place
really is amazing for being out in the middle of nowhere.

What a great treasure in the middle of nowhere.


I did my IFR training around there and one time while I was under the hood
outbound for the procedure turn my instructor says "Wow! That's a big
airplane." I couldn't look. Then she goes "WOW! LOOK!" It was
Nine-O-Nine, coming in over the river beneath us on the ILS. It looked
magnificent in its OD paint and red tail against the farmland below. I
never imagined I'd look down at a B-17 in flight and I only hope that my
grandfather was able to look down from much higher and share in my
excitement.

Pretty much shot my concentration for the day. There was no way I could
go back under the hood, because the B-24 was still out there somewhere.

-c



  #4  
Old June 7th 07, 05:24 PM posted to rec.aviation.piloting
gatt
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 478
Default Great aviation museum


"Viperdoc" wrote in message
. net...

One thing I did notice was the B-25, which was bare metal.


Wow. Last time I was out there they didn't have a B-25. There's a guy
that owns a log truck company in Oregon who has a B-25. He's larger than
the average airman, so he used the top turret out of a Liberator so he could
make his way to the pilot seat. That bird has yellow cowls and is restored
immaculately. Really neat buy, but I gotta wonder how hard all the timber
economy is really doing out here if a trucking owner can afford a B-25!

They also had a windshield wiper on the bombardier's window in the nose,
but not on the B-17- first time I noticed this up close.


When the '17 was flying they had all kinds of equipment such as the chin
turret controls and things that they left out for weight. I wonder if
they've put it all in. The FAA made them install passenger seats in the
waist in order to carry passengers, which looked ridiculous. Trivia about
that bomber is that there's doubt that the serial number is original; the
airplane's logbook had entries blacked out by the military because it was
carried some sort of secret radio equipment after the war. Apparently,
it's in a James Bond movie too but I have no idea which. I have an old
post-war photo of it when it was assigned to the Japanese defense force or
whatever it was. Whatever its real designation was, it was one of the
last B-17s ever made. The manual bomb bay opening crank is located opposite
that of just about every other B-17 built.



-c


 




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