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Trip to Smithsonian Air and Space Museum

Vlad

Well Known Member
It was raining like crazy for three days. No flying.






Finally Sunday! Mostly sunny with temperature above freezing. The museum month is ending and I've visited only two. Time for a big one, time for Smithsonian Air and Space in Washington, DC. A quick phone call - flight plan into FRZ filed. College Park Airport, MD KCGS.
WOT!! Out of this swamp :D







Good tailwind. Climbing on top of Philly Class B.












Somewhere here just north of Bay Bridge airport I asked Potomac gatekeepers to let me in.







Observed, proceed on course, stay out of Bravo, report College airport in sight... what could be simpler...







It was a bit bumpy below 1,500 feet but not terrible. I even managed to get couple shots of the Mall and the Monument.


 
First time to find College Park airport from 1,400 feet is not easy. It's hidden in the woods and surrounded by large buildings. It's a little pretty place. There is even a herd of domesticated bambis.





On approach end of runway 33 is a unique cutout of tall trees on the glideslope.
Very visible and looks unusual. The only airport keeper was a TSA coordinator, a young, friendly and energetic gentleman who promptly locked my propeller with one inch thick cable and explained how to get to a Metro station.







The subway (not sandwich) station is couple minutes walk from the airport.







I fumbled with prehistoric ticketing machine for some time. Finally I am in after spending whopping $8 on round trip.






It's definitely not New York City. Very different underground.







After a short 20 minutes ride (phone reception is good in the tunnels) I exited at Smithsonian.













.... there will be more after the break.... :D
 
I was just there.

I was at the Smith a few weeks ago. Lots of neat stuff to see.

One of my paintings is among their collection somewhere.
 
Vlad, have you gone though the security proses to land in Collage Park? I did many years ago and have made the same trip you did,,lots of fun.
 
Of the two locations, I think I prefer the Udvar-Hazy facility at Dulles. Harder to get to from the city, but wow do they have a lot of neat airplanes there!

mcb
 
That's way cool Vlad!

"After a short 20 minutes ride (phone reception is good in the tunnels) I exited at Smithsonian."

I remember riding that subway on one of my first visits there with my family years ago. There was somebody talking on the phone as the train entered a tunnel. I was thinking "this guys going to be surprised when he loses his signal". Nope, he kept talking in the tunnel!!

I also recommend Udvar/Hazy. My family was pretty entertained at my ooohhhs and ahhhhs as we walked through. You can see the Sirius 4 satellite that my company built as a spare for Sirius Radio. I worked on that bird as a Mechanical Engineer. There is also an SR-71 there which was the Lockheed test bird in Palmdale when I worked there as a Flight Test Engineer in the mid 80's. It's pretty cool to see actual stuff you worked on in a museum. It also makes you feel OLD!
 
There is also an SR-71 there which was the Lockheed test bird in Palmdale when I worked there as a Flight Test Engineer in the mid 80's. It's pretty cool to see actual stuff you worked on in a museum. It also makes you feel OLD!

SR-71,.......... Kelly Johnson!

By Chance any relation?

RHill
 
Hey Vlad

Is Mercury 7 still on display or was it moved to Dulles?
I was fortunate enough to be part of John Glenn recovery in '62.:p
 
SR-71,.......... Kelly Johnson!

By Chance any relation?

RHill

Nope. Just a coincidence.

Back when I was in Burbank (before I went to Palmdale) the smart Kelly Johnson still had an office with a secretary, even though he was retired. That lead to an interesting exchange between my future wife and his secretary when she was trying to call me once. It was a bit shocking for secretary to hear that a 70+ year old legend had a girlfriend! She said something like "oh, you want the YOUNG Kelly Johnson"!
 
One of my paintings is among their collection somewhere.

Paul for that reason I will back and find your painting.


Vlad, have you gone though the security proses to land in Collage Park? I did many years ago and have made the same trip you did,,lots of fun.

Affirmative Adam. Thank you Skykingbob :)

Of the two locations, I think I prefer the Udvar-Hazy facility at Dulles. Harder to get to from the city, but wow do they have a lot of neat airplanes there!

mcb
Sure hope you made it to the Udvar/Hazy museum at Dulles.

Roberta:)


Mike, Roberta, Udvar Hazy will be accessible by RV sometime next winter.
There is a subway line extension under construction. Grey line.


I hope/expect he went through the museum there at the College Park airport.


Couldn't make airport museum. Days are too short in December.





Is Mercury 7 still on display or was it moved to Dulles?
I was fortunate enough to be part of John Glenn recovery in '62.:p



Jerry I didn't see the 7 I was probably overwhelmed with exhibitions. Some day you will tell me the story on recovery 62. I was born that year... :D
 
Vlad,
Your picture of the Bay Bridge brought back some old memories as well. We drove over it the first year it was open; remember both my parents being shocked at the toll, best I recall it was about $4.00. Don't remember the exact year, but it was well before '62, and there was of course only one bridge. Couple of years ago I was able to be in the area again, had a great seafood lunch at a place at the north end of the bridge, right on the water.
 
Mike, Roberta, Udvar Hazy will be accessible by RV sometime next winter.
There is a subway line extension under construction. Grey line.

There is a little known secret that those of us in the DC area keep to ourselves but I'll tell. Every year in June there is an event at Udvar Hazy called "Become A Pilot Day". On this one day GA is allowed to fly into Dulles and taxi right up to the ramp at Udvar Hazy. The one drawback though is it is by selection only. You apply to particpate and hope you are selected. I guess that means Vlad will have to paint his plane now:D http://becomeapilot.si.edu/
 
Great trip write-up, Vlad!
One of the few painless ways to get to Udvar-Hazy was the shuttle they ran from NASM on the Mall. It took you right to the door of UH. That was 6 or 8 yrs ago ... I don't know for sure they still run that shuttle. I used to take the Metro to NASM from Alexandria specifically to catch that UH shuttle. It was less than 1/4 of the cost of taking a cab direct to UH.
 
I just watched a show about Kelly Johnson and his designing the SR-71 Blackhawk. He is a person that I would have loved to talk to.
 
There is a little known secret that those of us in the DC area keep to ourselves but I'll tell. Every year in June there is an event at Udvar Hazy called "Become A Pilot Day". On this one day GA is allowed to fly into Dulles and taxi right up to the ramp at Udvar Hazy. The one drawback though is it is by selection only. You apply to particpate and hope you are selected. I guess that means Vlad will have to paint his plane now:D http://becomeapilot.si.edu/


No Mike it's for showplanes only I'll take the train :D


It's very impressive inside Air and Space Museum. I have to come one more time I couldn't cover all halls and exhibition at the extend I would like to.
My favorite navigation tool.






The hall of drones. I would love to fly one of those.








Somebody from Russia was asking me about skis for RVs. I found right ones for him I guess.








I missed Air Force Band by 30 minutes they have scheduled performances on the weekends. I have to catch them next time. This way I could brag I flew my RV to a performance.







Space exhibition absolutely amazing. Full body shower at SkyLab.







Long forgotten Soyuz-Apollo marriage.







The Lander.






Its hatch.



 
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You know you're getting old when some of the stuff you flew is hanging in the Smithsonian's Udvar...... definitley worth multiple trips - youcan't see either the Mall or Udvar in a day - or a week!!
 
Where can I buy one of these? The sextant is very compact good for use in tight RV cockpits.





First cosmonaut.






A shoe of Crawler Transporter. This thing is massive!








Collection of unique aircrafts.














Time is up it's late afternoon. Time to go back to College Park airport.
On the way to subway passed by this friendly building.







Two brief phone calls and I am exiting FRZ via other gate. The winds were blowing not in my favor and I preferred the beating of staying lower.
Some fun space like symbols and landscapes on the way back.











It was a great trip and my first visit inside so called (falsely imho) Circle of Doom. I encourage more pilots get vetted, receive your pin and go fly into SFRA and FRZ. Visit great places and support local airports behind the red line. They need it.
 
Years ago, Ruth and I toured the Paul Garber Restoration facility in a Maryland suburb. It was a collection of old hangars filled with aircraft they had no room for in the Air and Space Museum. I understand most of that has been moved to Udvar Hazy at Dulles, but if you can swing an opportunity to tour the actual facility where they store and restore the aircraft that have been donated, it is an awesome experience. At that time, it was a six hour docent guided tour.
Jerry Folkerts
 
The space like symbol was the turns around the point spot in the practice area for the now defunked Shannon Airport in Downingtown Pa
I rotated around that cross a few hundred times
 
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Vlad,
Your picture of the Bay Bridge brought back some old memories as well. We drove over it the first year it was open; remember both my parents being shocked at the toll, best I recall it was about $4.00. Don't remember the exact year, but it was well before '62, and there was of course only one bridge.

It opened in '52. My father got knocked off the deck level just a little west of the Annapolis side tower in the winter of '50-'51. At the time he was an apprentice ironworker, just out of high school. Cannonballed in between two barges, about 190 feet. My grandfather was standing on one of them, watching him come down. Not a scratch. They fished him out, found him some dry clothes, and sent him back up.
 
Whats neat for me in Vlad's pictures and write up, is that there are ALOT of you guys out there that were involved with all of that history. Especially the space program, and the high altitude and speed stuff. It would be cool to get a group together, make a trip there, and let YOU GUYS tell your stories about those planes, and your involvement with them.
Tom
 
Vlad,

I have many hours and fond memories in that 747. That aircraft was the queen of our 747 fleet. During that era, Northwest only paid cash for their airplane purchases. Northwest would insist that Boeing deliver the aircraft to their headquarters in Minneapolis before handing over the check...now back to my 85 hp air-fliver.

AFBand.jpg
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Smitsonian air and Space Museum

Vlad , you read my mind. I have been planning to drive down to check out the Smith (although flying there was probably more fun) Now I really need to go!
 
There is a little known secret that those of us in the DC area keep to ourselves but I'll tell. Every year in June there is an event at Udvar Hazy called "Become A Pilot Day". On this one day GA is allowed to fly into Dulles and taxi right up to the ramp at Udvar Hazy. The one drawback though is it is by selection only. You apply to particpate and hope you are selected. I guess that means Vlad will have to paint his plane now:D http://becomeapilot.si.edu/

Wow, That would be a great event for RV owners to apply, enmass, so future pilots can see the real future of GA. Many new airplanes. Let us know if you will "organize". And , yes, a good reason for Vlad to paint!
 
You know you can actually fly into Dulles and get a ride from the FBO to the main terminal and a shuttle from there to the museum...

Landing Fees I have no clue but it is doable. Buy some outrageously priced AVGAS and they may waive it.
 
I will take the Metro to Udvar Hazy. Empty on weekend mornings, cheap and much cleaner then NYC subway. Will report in Dec 2015 how it went :D


 
FRZ vetting process?

So Vlad, did you have to personally visit the Baltimore FSDO and do the fingerprints at Reagan National to get your PIN or is there another way to do it? Sounds like a cool trip - just not sure it would be worth if I had to personally visit Baltimore and National a month or so in advance!
 
My first trip to the Air and Space museum was when I was 12 ... back in the days of regulated airlines. My Dad, a NASA engineer, had a week of meetings at NASA HQ (right across the street from the museum at the time). He pulled me out of school for the week ... they had "take your kids along free" fares at the time. He went to meetings during the day; I scoured the Air and Space museum .. I read every word on every exhibit twice at least. Oh, btw, it was my first flight in a airplane .. an L-1011 from SFO to IAD. Too much fun! Though, they still have the silly transporter things to get you from the outer concourses to the main terminal. (at least for a bit while they finish the subway). Great time and a great museum!

Thanks for rekindling the memories Vlad!
 
So Vlad, did you have to personally visit the Baltimore FSDO and do the fingerprints at Reagan National to get your PIN or is there another way to do it? Sounds like a cool trip - just not sure it would be worth if I had to personally visit Baltimore and National a month or so in advance!

Dan, yes a year or so ago I did fingerprints at Reagan but I went to Dulles FSDO instead per Skykingbob advice. It was more convenient, I visited my good friend and planned a little adventure out of it :D

The process took three months I forgot about it. Then airport owner of Potomac Airfield called me, gave me my PIN and invited for a visit. David Wartofsky what a guy!
 
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