National Naval Aviation Museum

Gulf Shores, Alabama: What? Are we still here? Sure thing! Temperatures rose to 72 degrees today. Too windy to enjoy the beach or a round of golf though, so (on the recommendation of our dear friend, Captain Jim) we drove 30 miles to Pensacola, Florida to tour through the National Naval Aviation Museum. Captain Jim was a Navy Top Gun pilot, and trained at the Pensacola Naval Air Station. Now a commercial pilot, My Captain can fly anything from a paper airplane to a 767. Not to mention he is gorgeous and knows every track & field stat off the top of his brainy head. So, it was with great interest we toured through the museum today.

National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida

The museum itself is on the base, but mere taxpayers are allowed into a small area of the air station to visit the museum, an old fort and lighthouse. Inside are over 150 airplanes (I have no idea how they manage)! Displays include a great WWII section, complete with planes, and displays depicting a small American town during the war and a base camp in Southeast Asia. You can test your flying skills inside the cockpit of a Navy F-14 Tomcat simulator. (You can, I didn't. We are chicken... though I noticed tourists only needed a twenty-minute instruction before they could "land" on an aircraft carrier - but I suspect the Navy took a little more time with My Captain).

Inside the Naval Air Museum... how could you tell?

We were lucky to see a graduation ceremony today in the atrium of the museum! Did you know the US Navy trains pilots from around the (NATO) world? Twenty three wingmen and pilots were getting their wings today! It was quite a ceremony too, with all the new pilots' National Anthems (Italian, Saudi Arabian, US are three I can recall off the top of my head) and lots of brass medals on the uniforms up on the podium. The graduates were introduced, given their wings and then the speaker announced where and what they would fly. Very interesting to this civilian.

Above the atrium in the museum - Blue Angels


An Italian pilot gets his wings with his girlfriend, parents and sister attending

DT and I spent over three hours in the museum, but didn't even begin to see everything. The facility is really extraordinary in scope and size. Plus, the curators have taken quite a bit of time and trouble to make the exhibits kid-friendly - there are countless cockpits and space ships to climb into. Much attention is paid to veterans, POW's and sailors who lost their lives in service to Our Country, fascinating tales of last-minute rescues, and months-at-sea in rafts survival stories. Very moving displays.

Years ago, the US Navy had a huge base in Subic Bay, Philippines. When Mount Pinatubo blew up, the base was basically destroyed and was immediately closed. However, a little piece of Naval history was taken piece-by-piece from The Philippines, carefully restored, and put back together inside the Naval Air Museum: the Cubi Bar! I nearly cried from nostalgia when I saw the elaborately-carved wooden doors and other very-Filipino things inside the bar. (FYI: DT and I lived in The Philippines from 1980-1983 and our daughter was born in Manila.)

From Luzon to Pensacola: the Cubi Bar


Exact recreation - down to the wall color

Captain Jim wanted a photo of his favorite plane - the Mighty FA-18. The only FA-18 they had at the museum was painted in the Blue Angel colors. Not to say anything against the Blue Angels (that is simply un-American, isn't it?), but My Captain was busy protecting me, not flying around entertaining people. Okay? Captain Jim also often flew the F-14, so I snapped this photo and sent it to him via phone-mail:

F-14

His reaction? Not even a real plane, but a wimpy version because it has a spot for a co-pilot. Apparently Captain Jim does not require a co-pilot. Did you know Captain Jim can also land these babies on an air craft carrier?

Here is the MIGHTY FA-18:

Quote: What a Sweet Machine!!!!!

Another great day on the Gulf Coast... but we continue east tomorrow. Until my next update, I remain, your "Shabbat Shalom, Y'all" correspondent.

RV Park: Bella Terra RV Resort