National Aviation Museum 2-17-2009

This morning we went to the National Aviation Museum that is about a mile from where we are staying on the Pensacola Naval Air Station. It is a wonderful museum, rivaling the Smithsonian. Our tour guide, Bob Jones, was a retired Navy pilot and gave a well-informed and interesting overview of about 20 planes (out of 94 in the museum) that were representative of different stages in Naval aviation history.

The most interesting were the early fighter planes like the Sopwith Camel and the bombers that were used at the Battle of Midway. As we toured, I thought of my father and how he would have loved this museum.

The Blue Angels are in the desert practicing right now so we will be unable to see them practice. This is a great disappointment since we had hoped to watch them while we were here.

The museum's planes are all original except one, the earliest plane

purchase by the Navy, and that one was built from original plans that were stored at the Smithsonian Institute.

We ate lunch at the Cubi Cafe that was outfitted with furniture from the Officers Club in the Philippines that was shut down. Lunch was very good, homemade breads, sandwiches and soups.

It was very good and the place was packed.

This period in our history, from the late 19th century through the Second World War was our age of heroes. I fear we will never see anything like this again in our country.