Going to NASM this week...suggestions?

[DenverWarbirdFan]

I leave for D.C. tomorrow and haven't been to the NASM in 10+ years...and have never seen the Udvar-Hazy facility...any tips, suggestions, must-sees, etc? I'm flying into Dulles so I just plan on taking the shuttle from there to UH.

[T-6G Pilot]

My only suggestion would be that if you're going downtown to the NASM on the mall be very careful about the times you decide to travel. I live in DC and traffic can of course be a huge factor. If you're just going to the "Haz" then you'll have a great time for sure!

[C170BDan]

Be sure to fit in visits to BOTH locations. It sounds like you are. Where can we look up info on the shuttles? The last time I made the trip was to the Grand Opening of "Haz" and I had a car. Thinking about going to D.C. in April and not renting a car.

[DenverWarbirdFan]

I'm heading out for a business trip and won't have a car. I'm staying downtown and plan on visiting both locations.

Spent the last week figuring out the Metro system schedules!

[k5083]

Getting to Hazy from downtown by rail is a nightmare, unfortunately. There are even those who say "you can't get there from here." You can, but you may be spending 4 hours on trains.

August

[jdvoss]

Time permitting you may wish to take in the NMUSMC at Quantico (about 40 min from DC). F4U, F4F, TBM on display. It's open every day & free admission.

[T-6G Pilot]

Be sure to fit in visits to BOTH locations. It sounds like you are. Where can we look up info on the shuttles? The last time I made the trip was to the Grand Opening of "Haz" and I had a car. Thinking about going to D.C. in April and not renting a car.

Dan, I don't think they run a shuttle out to the "Haz" anymore from downtown. You'd have to take metro to West Falls Church, hop on a bus to IAD and then catch a shuttle from there is my guess.

Also, anyone visiting the area should try to be here the second Saturday of the month as out CAF unit in Culpeper has its Open House. Living on Capitol Hill, if there are any Wixers coming to visit DC, don't hesitate to message me. (or email, mhogan@piedmontaircraft.com) I'll help anyway I can with suggestions, recommendations,etc.

[mike furline]

I live about 10 minutes from Udvar-Hazy. If you have any questions about getting around DC, give me a call. Check your PM's.

Regards,
Mike

[Owen Miller]

I had a tremendous time there a couple of months ago.
I drove to U-H and rode the subway to A&S. Assuming
you have a digital camera I suggest you carry LOTS of
batteries in lieu of more film. Other than that, as the
day wears on, the crowds at A&S increase exponentially.

Last edited by Owen Miller on Tue Feb 03, 2009 8:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Mudge]

Time permitting you may wish to take in the NMUSMC at Quantico (about 40 min from DC). F4U, F4F, TBM on display. It's open every day & free admission.

I have to disagree with the 40 minute "guesstimate". It'll take you 40 minutes just to get past the Springfield interchage nightmare on 95S. Maybe 40 minutes after that...I'm pretty sure Mike Furline (another "DCite") will agree.

Mudge the native

[steve dickey]

Don't bring a tri-pod to Hazy, only mono-pods allowed. Last I heard anyway?

[PbyCat-Guy]

I was at the NASM on the mall on Saturday. It's nice, as well as Udvar. I have some pics. Flak Bait is still in great shape, as well as the other WW2 airplanes, but I didnt get in to see the Sea and Air section, as i only went there about 1.5 hrs before it closed, and my girlfriend wanted to see an Imax movie but I would've rather been walking around. It's a great time.

[Steve Nelson]

My wife and I visited both facilities last summer. Security at the downtown museum told me absolutely no tripods, monopods, or camera stabilizers of any kind are allowed. The let me keep my monopod with me, but told me that if I was caught using it I'd be asked to leave. We were there in August, and the place was absolutely mobbed with hordes of rude tourists, who couldn't seem to keep their hands off the aircraft or their kids under control. The galleries are very cramped, making a wide-angle lens a necessity.

Udvar-Hazy, on the other hand, was a completely different experience. Security actually encouraged me to use my monopod (although I understand tripods still aren't allowed.) The crowds weren't nearly as large, and much better behaved.

We stayed in the suburbs and took the metro into town. Took about a half-hour to get from the end of the line to the Mall. We drove out to U-H, and spent the whole day.

SN

[TAdan]

I'll be making a similar trip in March. U-H and the Mall. This is a very helpful thread.

[old iron]

Enjoy the trip. I have studied NASM since I was in high school (am now 55). I have been to virtually every important air museum in the world (the one in Krakow Poland being the only one left for me to visit) and in the back rooms of most of these: NASM is the best, not only in terms of the strength and diversity of the collection, but also the best restoration philosophy.

The collection has so many aircraft that were consciously preserved when all others were lost. The Loening seaplane is a case in point - you must stand before it in silience and give recognition to whomever (Paul Garber? but also others) it was that set this aside and gave it protection. This was no lucky survivor that just happened to stay around long enough to be appreciated, it was set aside for preservation before there was historical perspective. The Smithsonian people had serious longterm vision.

You are not going to a museum, you are going to a church!