AF Museum Day Trip
Reading this thread tweaked a buried desire for me to go back to the museum. I've been there several times (the first in 1958 when my dad took me as a kid and most of the planes were outside), but every time seemed like a quick walk through. So - since the weather from Alabama to Ohio was favorable yesterday and it was only about a 2 hour RV flight, I decided to do a day trip and concentrate on absorbing everything from just one gallery.
Take off from Moontown (3M5) at 0625 CDT and engine shutdown on the ramp at Xenia - Green County (I19) two hours later at 0925 EDT. Tailwind at 9500 ft helped. Fueled the plane, ordered up an Uber, and was at the Museum front door at 1020 EDT.
Spent 3-1/2 hours attempting to absorb everything in the "Early Years" gallery (reading all the wall displays, looking at all the artifacts, and oh yeah the airplanes too). The "Early Years" takes you all the way up to just before WWII.
Late lunch at the Valkyrie Caf? at the museum (Disney World food prices
) and then a trip into the WWII gallery to look at the Memphis Belle.
Back out side the Museum front door a little before 1500 EDT, ordered up another Uber, and was back at I19 and taking off for home at 1540 EDT.
Had to pay for that morning tailwind on the way back as well as serpentine a bit through cumulus build ups at 10,500 ft. Landed back at 3M5 after 2.3 hours at 1700 CDT.
Observations:
* RV's are great! (but you already knew that).
* I19 is a good airport for this purpose, plenty of parking, good fuel prices ($4.89 yesterday), closest to the Museum. I was kind of ignored by the staff yesterday - the "Assisted Self Service" fuel turned out to be actual Self Service. Not really a problem though.
* Uber was quick and pleasant. 6 minute pickup time from the airport with $18.77 ride to the Museum. 9 minute pickup time from the Museum with a $19.18 ride back to I19. Nice drivers with nice cars both times.
* One gallery was about my limit. This old guy's feet were hurting after standing/walking for 4 hours or so. I felt the 3-1/2 hours I spent in the Early Years gallery was enough to really see everything there. I suspect this would also work for the other galleries as well - we shall see.