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Summer of Flight - I: Museum of Flight

I had a lot of aviation-related activities this summer, which is not surprising given the world largest aircraft manufacturer, Boeing, is just around the corner.


Inside Museum of Flight
Originally uploaded by yisu79
First I visited the Museum of Flight, which is nonprofit organization independent of the Boeing Company. Nevertheless, it has a strong tie with the company. Coming from Baltimore-Washington area, I have no surprise seeing things like this because of the great Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.



Blackbird M-21
Originally uploaded by yisu79
However, it was my first time to see a Blackbird, the fastest spy plane in the world, even though it was not exactly a SR-71, but a variant of its precursor.



More Planes
Originally uploaded by yisu79
The museum has a decent collection of planes.



Blue Angels: A-4F Skyhawk
Originally uploaded by yisu79
This Skyhawk was an early Blue Angel.



Concorde 1
Originally uploaded by yisu79
I was very excited to see the legendary Concorde. Later I learned that there was a Concorde in Virginia, too.



Concorde 2
Originally uploaded by yisu79
Concorde has a beautiful outlook.



Concorde 3
Originally uploaded by yisu79
I waited in line to climb up into this amazing plane. It was fantastic.



United States Air Force One
Originally uploaded by yisu79
Another busy line was a retired Air Force One.



Me inside Air Force One
Originally uploaded by yisu79
How can I miss the chance of getting into Air Force One? I took a picture of myself in front of a mirror.



Boeing Building
Originally uploaded by yisu79
The museum is located near the Boeing Field so it wasn't hard to catch the sight of a Boeing logo.



Boeing Red Barn
Originally uploaded by yisu79
Part of the museum is the Red Barn, Boeing's original plant. A nice exhibition about Boeing's history is housed inside.



Model Plane Gallery
Originally uploaded by yisu79
Besides the main hall, the museum has another hall dedicated to military aviation in the two World Wars. This gallery of model planes was very impressive.



Outside Museum of Flight
Originally uploaded by yisu79
I arrived at the museum a bit late so I had only two hours, which was barely enough. But I prioritized my visit to each section and it turned out well. On the field outside the museum, several companies offered 15-minute rides on historic planes, including a B-17 Flying Fortress, for about $425. Do I have some spare $425 for a 15-minute ride on a World War II bomber? Hell no!

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