Kyushuj7w
Airman 1st Class
I always looked at what other people are posting when looking for places to stop. This was the 2013 trip out west. .Wow has time flown and posting these things make me feel my age 
I'm sure a lot has changed. Into LA and out of Vegas. There are 5 great museums pretty much in a line starting with the Santa Monica air museum, Yanks, Chino, March and Palm Springs If anyone ever wants to try to get a group meeting going these are great places to visit. It's been a while and I'd like to go back now that the BB Iowa is in LA and this time head down to San Diego. .
I'm sure a lot has changed. Into LA and out of Vegas. There are 5 great museums pretty much in a line starting with the Santa Monica air museum, Yanks, Chino, March and Palm Springs If anyone ever wants to try to get a group meeting going these are great places to visit. It's been a while and I'd like to go back now that the BB Iowa is in LA and this time head down to San Diego. . Palm Springs. Everyone seemed to be getting ready for events and moving aircraft around that day. We got to watch them pull aircraft from the hangers and rearrange a lot of things. So it was interesting to see some of the equipment used to do this. The Palm Springs Air Museum is located at 745 North Gene Autry Trail. Price: back then it was $17.50 adults kids and seniors $15.50
One thing I noticed as I toured all these places. During the week and time of year when I try to travel attendance was very light. A few veterans were still in attendance as docents but thety will be pretty much all gone. A 20 year old airman in 1945 will be 97 in the next year. As people do not think of WWI and that entire era will WWII fade and these collections over the next 20 years go to the wealthy few? Seems this has been the fate of some of the aircraft in these collections. Some museums have expanded since my first trips 20 years ago and there were still a lot of veterans left then. Talking to a few vets still around the fields they were concerned about the future of these places. Kids today, some said, do not even know who we fought or the things our then enemies at the time did to people. I'm glad we went. It turned out to be my last time for many years to come.
One thing I noticed as I toured all these places. During the week and time of year when I try to travel attendance was very light. A few veterans were still in attendance as docents but thety will be pretty much all gone. A 20 year old airman in 1945 will be 97 in the next year. As people do not think of WWI and that entire era will WWII fade and these collections over the next 20 years go to the wealthy few? Seems this has been the fate of some of the aircraft in these collections. Some museums have expanded since my first trips 20 years ago and there were still a lot of veterans left then. Talking to a few vets still around the fields they were concerned about the future of these places. Kids today, some said, do not even know who we fought or the things our then enemies at the time did to people. I'm glad we went. It turned out to be my last time for many years to come.
This F-14 was the one that shot the Libyan jets over the Gulf of Sidra in the early 80's
One of the few remaining examples of the Harpoon. One of the veterans I interviewed years ago told me that at wars end they did not want them brought home so they ran up the engines and sent them off a cliff on the base. Those wrecks must still be there.
One of the few remaining examples of the Harpoon. One of the veterans I interviewed years ago told me that at wars end they did not want them brought home so they ran up the engines and sent them off a cliff on the base. Those wrecks must still be there.
