Up, Up and Away!

On January 16th, (also known as the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday), we went as a family to the National Air & Space Museum, The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (named after this major donor; we were told we, too, could have a museum named after us for a mere $60 million donation, lol), by invitation from my sister, Nancy. I have been wanting to visit there ever since it opened a few years ago, so I'm glad Nancy gave us a push.

The museum is in a building attached to some huge hangers, where all different kinds of aircraft through the years are housed...from the first types of planes that the Wright Brothers used to the Concorde and stealth planes, to the Space Shuttle and military planes.



At first the kids enjoyed the guided walking tour, but halfway through, the little ones and Aunt Nancy decided McDonald's was calling their name! :o) There was a McD's right INSIDE the museum (complete with Happy Meals and a little airplane toy, along with a McCafe, which is a cross between a Starbucks and a Panera Bread. So they went to eat while Bill and I and a couple of diehard kids stayed through the end of the tour. It wasn't that it was boring or anything, but it took about 1.5 hours and the guide told very detailed facts that went in one ear and out the other. I did pay attention to the story about the "Enola Gay"and was amazed that the plane in front of us was the actual place that dropped one of the bombs on Japan. There were many other historical planes, some of which are the last remaining original planes of those types.

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird's last flight "was from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. in 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 20 seconds, averaging a speed of 3,418 kph (2,124 mph). At the conclusion of the flight, this aircraft landed at Dulles International Airport and taxied into the custody of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. The official name Blackbird was named for the special black paint that covered the airplane. This paint was formulated to absorb radar signals, to radiate some of the tremendous airframe heat generated by air friction, and to camouflage the aircraft against the dark sky at high altitudes."

Later we went up in the observation deck to watch planes come into and depart from Dulles Airport, and to see the scenery of Fairfax and Loudoun counties. The observation deck has windows so that you can see 360 degrees around it.










We enjoyed the impromptu field trip and hope to go back again to view some of their Imax movies or try the $7 a person rides in a space shuttle simulator.