Warbird Sunset

Boarding

Old Navy

I took the kids out to the Van Nuys airport on Sunday. They'd been begging me for days and thankfully it had stopped raining. I had a great time cuddling with my baby girl and watching my boys pretend to be airplanes. And I got to see this old thing. ;)

Rainy Nose

Aboard the USS Midway in San Diego.

TWA flies again

This DC-3 was beautifully restored by veteran pilot Clay Lacy. He brought it back to luxury airline condition as it would have been when it was flown for TWA. I love living in a place where I can walk out my front door and see such awesome aircraft. Van Nuys airport FTW!

Cold Power

Sorry about the late posting today, I was wiped out last night. Hope everyone is having a non cloudy day today!

Screwed

Happy Monday everyone! Why am I so chipper? Maybe because it's a holiday. Of course if you don't have the day off....then enjoy reading this at work! Ok, pleasantries out of the way, on to today's images. As part of our recent trip to San Diego we took the fam to the Air and Space Museum. If you've ever been to the Air and Space museum in Washington, D.C. then you'll have an idea of what this place is like. Except smaller. For those who haven't been there, rent Night at the Museum 2. I kid! No really, rent it, it's much better than the first one. Back to San Diego. They have lots of actual, historic aircraft and full scale replicas of aircraft on display. There is nothing like walking up to an actual plane to get the size and historical importance of it.

This first image shows something that I've always found cool and humorous at the same time. When I've seen fighter jets at airshows and museums, and I've seen my fair share, I've always found something interesting on the nose. Here, at the very point where that Mach 1+ air is first hitting the plane, is a simple screw. There to hold the nose cap on, it's just a simple screw (although the military probably paid a lot for it and called it something like primary air deflector security device). A little phillips head screw holding down the front of a mulit-million dollar aircraft. I sometimes wonder if it makes fun of other screws when they say they have it rough. This is the nose of a Blue Angel F/A-18.

This is a World War I vintage plane. I loved the finish on the engine cowling and that awesome wooden prop.


This is my son under glass, served with a light cream sauce. Ok, it's a helicopter. Can you tell I'm using my wide angle lens!


This exhibit shows an American P-51 (so sweet) next to a German (lame) Messerschmitt.



All in all a fantastic day with lots of airplane goodness.

Flying Fortress

A beautifully restored B-17 bomber that was giving tours and rides at the Van Nuys airport. My grandfather flew these during WWII so they hold a special place in my heart.