Great Museums: The National Museum of the United States Air Force

Ground transportation, road and rail, are by far my preferred areas of transportation. This wasn’t always the case. The very first career I aspired to as a child was airplane pilot. Furthermore, I certainly appreciate all forms of transportation. While how we state it can differ, the people in all modes are working to the same ends: a safer, more efficient world to live and work in.

There are several outstanding museums dedicated to flight in the United States. The three that seem to come to mind for most Americans are the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of the United States Air Force, and the Seattle Museum of Flight. If you live within a few hours of DC, Dayton, or Seattle and have never been to one of these museums, you’re depriving yourself of an amazing experience.

The National Museum of the United States Air Force is the world’s oldest and largest museum oriented around military aircraft, although their expansive collection includes space, research, civilian, and even presidential aircraft. Admission to the museum is free, as is parking. The only challenge is getting to Dayton, realizing that Dayton, Ohio is not a particularly exciting tourist destination. But if the museum weren’t part of an Air Force base it just wouldn’t be as cool. One of the benefits to the museum being free is that if you’re passing through the area on the way to some place more exciting, you could visit for an hour or two, although there is enough on display to fill more than an entire day.

Because of the immensity of the facility and the collection, there is no way for me to effectively summarize everything. Instead, I will fill you in on my favorite aspects of this outstanding institution.

Chronological order of exhibits. The museum begins with the dawn of flight and moves forward from there. I think this format is excellent for people who aren’t plane fanatics to get a sense of the time and place of aviation development. The collection is masterfully assembled to be coherent even if this is the first time a guest has encountered a plane.

Hands on exhibits. Nothing gives you a better appreciation for the experience of flying in a fighter jet than getting to sit in the cockpit. Likewise, getting to walk through some of the larger planes really brings home the scale and utility of these behemoths.

Getting hands-on in a fighter jet

Aviation clothing. Uniforms and clothing for flying have evolved with time. Looking at the attire and getting a sense of the times when different outfits were most popular add dimension to the development of aviation.

Outer space! The actual Apollo 15 capsule that went into space is here. There are other pieces that relate to the development of the space program and its place in aviation history, but an actual space capsule is pretty neat. What is so impressive is seeing how small they actually were. Astronauts are not only completely ballsy, but have no issues with claustrophobia.

On my one visit, which lasted over six hours, I could not see everything. I do plan to return, but even based on my six hours, I’m ready to espouse the gospel of this cathedral of aviation.

You are also guaranteed to find a plane that matches who you are. Personally, I was a fan of this one.