Cradle of Aviation Museum Warbirds
Fri Feb 23, 2007 12:57 am
Last Monday I paid a visit to LI's Cradle of Aviation Museum at the old Mitchel Field in Garden City NY. The museum's been in the news lately b/c of financial woes, but there was a good sized crowd there when I went. Hopefully they can get everything worked out as it is a 'must see' for any aviation enthusiast if you are in the area.
http://www.cradleofaviation.org/
The only bad things are that like many museums it is DARK. The other, the museum is housed in 3 of the remaining hangars of the old base (1 other is now the LI children's museum, the other the county uses as a garage). The NC Firefighters museum was put in hangar 2 and it takes up a full 1/4 of it. Whats silly is they charge an extra admission to get in, but it is open ended and the old firetrucks are right in front in plain site. I snapped a few pics of them. I guess if you really want to look at the old memorabilia....IMHO they should have put it in the old base firehouse which still exists down the flightline.
The hangars are really needed for aircraft displays and there is little to no room for expansion. This is part of their problem I think, repeat visitors. I last visited after the re-opening in '02 and nothing really was added.
But here are the warbird highlights! :
Replica F3F
Lake Michigan F4F Wildcat
Buffalo Replica
Pete
http://www.cradleofaviation.org/
The only bad things are that like many museums it is DARK. The other, the museum is housed in 3 of the remaining hangars of the old base (1 other is now the LI children's museum, the other the county uses as a garage). The NC Firefighters museum was put in hangar 2 and it takes up a full 1/4 of it. Whats silly is they charge an extra admission to get in, but it is open ended and the old firetrucks are right in front in plain site. I snapped a few pics of them. I guess if you really want to look at the old memorabilia....IMHO they should have put it in the old base firehouse which still exists down the flightline.
The hangars are really needed for aircraft displays and there is little to no room for expansion. This is part of their problem I think, repeat visitors. I last visited after the re-opening in '02 and nothing really was added.
But here are the warbird highlights! :
Replica F3F
Lake Michigan F4F Wildcat
Buffalo Replica
Pete
Fri Feb 23, 2007 6:13 pm
Thanks for the update. When Tim, Scott, and I were there last year, the Buffalo had not been completed.
Fri Feb 23, 2007 8:11 pm
Get any shots of the "Spirit of St. Louis' replica?
Sat Feb 24, 2007 12:30 am
APG85 wrote:Get any shots of the "Spirit of St. Louis' replica?
Here you go. This replica flew in the Jimmy Stewart movie. The Jenny in the collection was actually owned and flown by Lindberg himself.
Pete
Sat Feb 24, 2007 8:10 am
Awesome...Thanks! 