My trip to the US! (4 Viewers)

[TomNT]

Tom....
you really got your money's worth on this trip...
you may have seen more of America than I have...^&grin...
you squeezed a lot into your trip...
making the most of it...

Thanks Mike and yeah, I ran myself ragged seeing everyone and everything on my itinerary but I was thrilled to do it and I can only say to people thinking of doing a similar trip, don't think about it, just do it! {sm3}

Tom

 

[TomNT]

After we came down from Mount Lemmon, Sam took me to the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson. This museum is awesome and they have a huge amount of aircraft displayed outdoors as well as indoors.

In these pic's you can see Sam posing in front of a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird and Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II Warthog as well as myself posing in front of this bird. There's an active Warthog airbase in Tucson and I saw many flying daily during my visit.

Tom

 

[TomNT]

More pic's.

 

[TomNT]

and more..

 

[TomNT]

In these pic's you can see an Arizona dust devil and of course this awesome B17 Bomber "I'll Be Around" which was part of the 390th Bombardment Group, an Eighth Air Force unit that was based in England from 1943-1945.

Tom

 

[TomNT]

More pic's of "I'll Be Around".

Tom

 

[TomNT]

Here's some historical pic's of wartime B17's belonging to the 390th Bombardment Group. Most of these aircraft were shot down over Germany or crashed on there way back. Me and Sam also met a veteran that flew on the famous B17 "The Memphis Belle". Many of the exhibits are manned by volunteers, some of which are wartime veterans.

The other pic's are of outdoor exhibits.

Tom

 

[TomNT]

More outdoor aircraft exhibits.

Tom

 

[TomNT]

and more....

 

[TomNT]

and even more.....

 

[TomNT]

Many of these aircraft have been restored to an "as new" condition such as this beautiful old Avro Shackelton. I believe many of these aircraft currently sitting outdoors will be moved to indoor facilities once they are built.

Tom

 

[TomNT]

Me next to a huge B52 and some Chinese and Russian cold war aircraft.

Tom

 

[TomNT]

More Russian aircraft and a Mi-24 Hind Attack Helicopter restored to an excellent condition.

Tom

 

[TomNT]

More choppers and aircraft.......

 

[TomNT]

A couple more outdoor pic's then me and Sam went to the other indoor aircraft exhibits.

Tom

 

[TomNT]

A beautifully restored Hawker Hurricane (Sam, get your mitts off her.. ^&grin) and Douglas DC3 Dakota.

Tom

 

[TomNT]

A B24 Liberator with Indian Air-force markings on one side and US Air-force markings on the other. They also have a Fieseler 156 Storch hanging from the ceiling!

Tom

 

[TomNT]

More aircraft exhibits and a V1 rocket for all the V1 rocket fans!

Tom

 

[TomNT]

Me and Sam in front of this beautifully restored P51 Mustang, a Corsair and another classic warbird.

Tom

 

[Terp152]

More outdoor aircraft exhibits.

Tom

Amazing museum Tom, never been there but now on my list. Nice shot of a Guppy. Have seem them fly at times many yrs ago. Chris