Pima Air Museum 5-21-12

[Ken]

I had the opportunity to spend the day at the Pima Air Museum on Monday. A big thanks to James for his hospitality and for sharing insight into one of the finest aviation museums in the nation.

Some photos available at this link:

https://picasaweb.google.com/kch130/Pim ... directlink

Ken

[The Inspector]

Is that TF-102 the same one that is/was rotting away @ Fox Field in Lancaster CA.? It's a pretty rare bird and there can't be many left.

[mustangdriver]

Ken,
thank you for posting pictures. Zack and I were there last year. Amazing how big that place is.

[JohnB]

One of my favorite places. I almost moved to Tucson just be near it.

[Pat Carry]

A very nice set of photos, thanks. I have been to Pima on 2 occasions and I really enjoyed looking over the huge collection they have. They seem to put up new buildings on a regular basis which brings the planes out of the harsh sun there and that is a good thing!

[JohnB]

When it comes to airframes, possibly the best collection (as opposed to museum) in the U.S. outside the National Air & Space Museum.
Army/Navy/Air Force/civil, it's tough to beat the variety. The only area its lacking in is WWII fighters. If they had bought the Champlain museum, I'd dare say it would be world class.
But of course there is more to a museum than just airframes, something at which Pima is always improving....

I had the opportunity to spend the day at the Pima Air Museum on Monday. A big thanks to James for his hospitality and for sharing insight into one of the finest aviation museums in the nation.

Some photos available at this link:

https://picasaweb.google.com/kch130/Pim ... directlink

Ken

Ken, glad you had a chance to visit this outstanding museum. I spent the day there on May 3 and it was one of the best days I ever had at an aviation museum. Post World War II aircraft from the Late Forties/Fifties/Sixties/Seventies are my favorites and this has to be the best collection of these types in the world.

By the way, I can't find any of your Pima photos in the link, but maybe I just didn't know where to look on your web site.

[Ken]

By the way, I can't find any of your Pima photos in the link, but maybe I just didn't know where to look on your web site.

Not sure why. The link was direct to that photo album. I'd prefer to place the photos in the thread, but Photobucket has been uber slow and I haven't taken the time to select a new service.

John, good point on collection vs museum, you are right. I have to admit that when I visit any place such as this, I feel familiar enough with the history that my interest is 90% collection and only 10% in learning new history. That said, I have made a resolution to stop and spend more time on the small displays and glass cases next time in Dayton, etc in order to learn more history that might be new to me.

Ken

[TAdan]

John, good point on collection vs museum, you are right. I have to admit that when I visit any place such as this, I feel familiar enough with the history that my interest is 90% collection and only 10% in learning new history. That said, I have made a resolution to stop and spend more time on the small displays and glass cases next time in Dayton, etc in order to learn more history that might be new to me.

Ken

I am always amazed by how much time it would take to take in everything in these smaller displays in many museums. Sometimes a single small artifact and it's history can be just as interesting as an entire airframe.

I hope I can make it out to Pima someday, it is on the bucket list...

[6trn4brn]

Wowee! The -106 parked next to the -102 certainly appears to have the Minot tail flash. Any chance you took any other pictures of her and could post them? The -106 was at Minot when I was stationed there back in the early 80s.

On the -102...I don't think that is a TF as the one at Grissom has a bubble canopy.

Great set of pictures...the Big Stick is just gorgeous!

[APG85]

They have a beautiful B-29 on display...a combat vetern at that. Absolutely stock and all polished up. The B-24 is a treat as well...

[JDK]

Thanks for sharing, really liked the B-23 Dragon's ventral 'sting' shots, never seen that before!

[airnutz]

Thanks for sharing, really liked the B-23 Dragon's ventral 'sting' shots, never seen that before!

That's the B-18B Bolo, the civvy Dragon is outside.

[JDK]

Well, that'd be why I'd never seen it before, too!

[Ken]

Although I didn't post "all" my pix, you guys got the best and there aren't many more that would satisfy those who asked for more (F-106, etc). That said, I'd recommend going to the Pima web site to get more info/photos including the aircraft serial. From there a google search should yield more photos on the web. BTW, the web site calls it a TF-102A.

Thanks for all the kind comments,
Ken