National Museum of the USAF

[skypilot6]

I'm going in October. Where and when must you sign up for the Valkyrie exhibit? How far in advance?

I gots to see that XB-70!

It was a slow tuesday when we went, I think it was about and hour and half after we signed up is when the bus left. Just ask the people at the information booth when ou first walk in and they will send you in the right direction. They only go over with a bus load at a time (around 40 people) and you only get about 45 min at that exhibit.

 

[Heavy Haulin]

It was a slow tuesday when we went, I think it was about and hour and half after we signed up is when the bus left. Just ask the people at the information booth when ou first walk in and they will send you in the right direction. They only go over with a bus load at a time (around 40 people) and you only get about 45 min at that exhibit.

This is a lil pit stop, as we will be ultimately en route to DC. Smithsonian Air and Space Museum!

Is 1 day enough time to cover the USAF museum?

 

[skypilot6]

This is a lil pit stop, as we will be ultimately en route to DC. Smithsonian Air and Space Museum!

Is 1 day enough time to cover the USAF museum?

Yup One day is enough, We walked it in about 5 hours, stopping every so often to read the info. If you like to read every work on everything in a museum, better get there early! lol

 

[Minuteman]

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123342477

Museum announces initial sequestration impacts
4/2/2013 - DAYTON, Ohio -- The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force will close its Presidential and Research and Development Galleries until further notice beginning May 1, 2013, as part of budget reduction requirements due to sequestration.

According to Museum Director Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jack Hudson, museum leadership has been working with the Air Force to comply with Department of Defense sequestration guidance to determine the best possible course of action for reducing museum operational and maintenance costs with the least impact to the public.

"This was not an easy decision, as we have several popular exhibits in the Presidential and R&D Galleries, including President Kennedy's Air Force One and the XB-70 Valkyrie," Hudson said. "Our goal has been to make every effort to maintain museum operations to the maximum extent possible, and we hope to reopen these galleries as soon as possible."

The main museum complex will remain open to visitors from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. seven days a week. The Air Force will fund utility costs for six days each week, and the Air Force Museum Foundation, Inc., will fund those costs one day per week from May through September.
…
Additional sequestration impacts include the weekly Behind the Scenes Tours of the museum's restoration area, which will end after the April 26 tour until further notice, as well as cancellation of the Wings & Things Guest Lectures on April 30 and May 22 and all summer Aerospace Camps.

 

[Heavy Haulin]

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123342477

Well that was about the equivalent of dropping a deuce in my cereal. I have been to plenty of air museums, so really, THE MAIN reason I'm taking this side trip is for the XB-70........

Guess its better I found out now. Thanks for the heads up.

If these cuts keep happening, I might just scrub the whole trip. We were already planning on not being able to go tour the White House while in DC.

 

[///AMG]

As a child of the 80s I totally agree. The F-14 was THE fighter plane at the time.

Agreed. It might have been technologically outclassed, but damn was it cool to look at. I remember sitting by the ramp at Miramar as a little kid watching them come into the break for hours.

 

[MQAAord]

The AF museum is an amazing place, I've been there twice. Totally worth seeing. As are both facilities of the Smithsonian (the museum on the mall and the Udvar-Hazy building), and the "Boeing" museum in SEA.