Yak 11 Fan wrote:
I am hoping to be in San Diego in May for a day or two, my plan is to try to do both in the same day, looking back at an earlier post this should in theory be possible. Other than the Flying Leathernecks museum at Miramar is there anything else vintage aircraft related I should try to see when I am in the area?
Yes doing both in one day is very feasible, and you won't feel terribly rushed. About 15 minutes door to door drive between the two sites. Suggest Air and Space in the morning, lunch downtown, then do the Midway in the afternoon. There can be coastal gloom in the mornings in May, usually burning off by noon, giving you a glorious day on the Midway. You can do a walk through of the Air and Space in @2 hours, 3 is better. Same for Midway. If you are a read every display type obviously you need more time, but I think 2.5 hours at each is plenty for your average (if there is such a thing) enthusiast.
The leathernecks museum is fine, but nothing too rare. If you are time limited, you will see some of the same aircraft at Air and Space and Midway, but not in USMC livery. If you are Marine enthusiast it moves up the scale, but if time constrained concentrate on Midway and Air and Space.
Have not been to the mentioned Gillespie annex, it looks good, but plan on 45 minutes each way to get there. Perhaps only if there is a particular airframe you really want to see.
IF you have base access as a military retiree, driving around North Island Naval Air Station is recommended. Lots of neat old art deco buildings, hangers, a few gate guard aircraft, usually a carrier in port. Neat.
The area around Lindbergh field is neat to, great to watch the airliners just clear the fence and parking garage!
The military cemetery and driving out to point Loma is recommended. Beautiful.