Capt. Ken's comments

By Ken Armstrong

This is the second installment of Ken and Linda Armstrong’s winter trip through the south eastern states where they discovered several interesting museums.

Fantasy of Flight

Billed as the world’s greatest aircraft collection, (everything is bigger and better in the USA in case you didn’t know), owner, Kermit Weeks, has assembled a massive collection of flyable aircraft and a mammoth collection of spare parts and engines.
The family made their money in oil and it appears Kermit has invested it in aircraft. Kudos to Kermit.
Mr. Weeks has been a former aerobatics champion and a grand champion of aircraft restoration for a long time – considering he is relatively young.  The museum is located just off Interstate 4 between Orlando and Tampa at exit 21 and is truly worth a diversion from anywhere you may be in Florida.
Kermit’s museum is so enthralling it is billed as “an aviation-themed attraction” and competes in many ways with the big, expensive attractions in central Florida that Mr. Disney and others created.
The difference is the Fantasy of Flight is less than half the price and affordable fun for the whole family.
The back site tours are excellent and informative even for those with considerable aviation knowledge.  I’ve never seen such a large collection of aircraft engines and I am sure if you are looking for a rare powerplant – Kermit has it!
Most of the display aircraft are in excellent condition and Kermit tends to fly them from time to time – so they are also airworthy.  Daily flight displays are scheduled and are of real interest to visitors.
Fantasy of Flight has many aircraft on display.  Some of the fairly unique aircraft include: Wright Flyer (replica), Curtiss Pusher, Neuport 17, Morane A-1, Curtiss Jenny, Lockheed Vega, Fort Tri-Motor, Spirit of St. Louis (replica), MK 16 Spitfire, And a B-26 Marauder.
Movies, cockpit mockups and eight simulators provide a broad based selection of interests.  Personally, I enjoyed not only the tours but also the ability to sit in the cockpits of aircraft I have flown in the past and enjoy the ambience that surrounded me.
The collection includes a selection of aircraft types and their missions from the world’s last air worthy four engine flying boat, Maureen O’Hara’s Sunderland to the queen of the piston airliners a Starliner Constellation.  Other exhibits include a grand champion P-51 Mustang, a Ford Trimotor that was featured in an Indian Jones movie and a German missile firing, bomber-eating rocket fighter from WW II - to name but a few of the approximately 50 pristine aircraft.
Each of us aging aviators has favourite aircraft and one of mine was the amazing Lockheed, triple tailed Constellation L-1649 Starliner.  They were known as the Queen of the Sky and were the largest, fastest and longest range airliners during the 40’s and 50’s.  For that matter, the American armed forces were still flying them through the late 60’s…. The aircraft on display served as German Airforce One in it’s duties flying Chancellor Konrad Adenauer.
Fantasy of flight also has numerous cockpit trainers and flight simulators for would-be aviators to sample the real McCoy experience, and for some of us geriatric aviators to be once again enveloped in our once familiar flying offices.
While I didn’t sample either the F4U or seven other WWII aircraft combat simulators, visitors can apparently “feel the sensation of piloting a fighter in mid-air combat with enemy aircraft over the blue waters of the South Pacific.”
All in all, the museum is a full immersion experience and well worth a full day visit.
For more information visit www.fantasyofflight.com or phone 863-984-3500.

National Navy Museum, Pensacola, Florida
This museum presents an amazing collection of U.S. Navy aviation since its inception and is indeed worthy of the name National.
Co-sited with the museum is an IMAX theatre showing multiple shows of aviation topics with spectacular sound and visuals.
There is a “island” from a carrier as well as other portions of the sailing airport that allow visitors to see what life was really like for naval aviators.  Cockpits, briefing centers, movies, cockpit trainers and a full motion flight simulator ride round out the offerings.
Linda was particularly impressed by a Prisoners of War display (which was very informative) while I found the atrium with a formation of Blue Angel Hornets suspended overhead quite impressive.
Interactive computerized displays allow attendees the opportunity to research aviation history or learn how aircraft fly and the display area is quite large providing points of interest for virtually everyone.
The aircraft on display exceed 50 inside and out with a number of notable and rare variants such as: TC-4C Academe, Hu-16E Albatross, C-46A Commando, C-118A Liftmaster, P5M Marlin, C-131F Samaritan, F-16N Viper, RA-5C Vigilante and the graceful EC-121K Warning Star.
Access to the museum is via the highways west of Pensacola to the western gate which leads to the grounds near the waterfront. As I recollect, admission is via donation.

Wedell-Willimans Memorial Aviation Museum of Louisiana
This is a small operation and apparently the Aviation Museum for all of Louisiana. It is located at Morgan City’s Harry P. Williams airport off Interstate 90 SE of Lafayette, Louisiana.
The displays are largely attributed to Jimmie Wedell, a plane designer and racer and his partner Harry Williams.  They established the state’s first commercial airlines and became well known for their racing exploits.
The famous “44”and “We-Will Jr.” racers are on display here along with a 1940 Stearman crop duster and President Eisenhower’s Aero Commander.
Admission is only $3, and be sure to enjoy the Cajun food in the general area. Phone 985-395-7067 for details.

Commemorative Air Force (aka Confederate A.F.)
From childhood, I’ve been wanting to visit the Confederate Air Force in Harlingen, Texas.  However, the founder has subsequently joined the angels’ squadron in the sky and the headquarters has moved to Midland TX with the aircraft spread out to wings or squadrons all over the place.
The staff at the Midland premises were minimally helpful and as friendly as was minimally possible. There are few aircraft on the premises – although the memorial to Viet Nam had a number of pristine aircraft painted in their camouflage colours (F-105, F-100 F-4, Huey Cobra and Huey).  A number of aircraft in the rotating fleet were parked out on the taramac; however, only staff were allowed access to the area.  It was a long drive out of the way to the hinterlands of the big state for a disappointing visit.
On a positive note, we found the write ups on military aviation heros that adorned the entry hall to be quite interesting.  Moreover, even though this was home country for President Bush, the CAF folks did know about Canadians and at least one hero’s write up was dedicated to a Canadian (who flew with the Americans in WW II).
A portion of the museum featured “nose art” that was cut from bombers and this display along with some excellent aviation art captures the spirit and feelings of the time when mens’ lives were put on the line due to political failings in their mutual countries.
Some of the most poignant aviation paintings live in this Midland museum and the collection is quite large.
The CAF can be reached at 915-567-3009 or www.commemorativeairforce.org

Pima
The Pima country aviation museum benefits from a selection of thousands of planes at the U.S. military aircraft storage center at Davis Monthan AFB on Tucson’s SE side.  One of my absolute favourites, this collection has well over one hundred aircraft with some unique, one of a kind aircraft, that can’t be found anywhere else.
There are a number of themes such as space flight, U.S. Presidents’ planes, fires suppression aircraft, and world war fighters and bombers to name a few. There are touring vehicles to eliminate the physical challenge and excellent tours of some of the special aircraft.
As a side tour, one can drive less than an hour to Green Valley and explore a Titan ICBM launch  facility – quite an education.
Admission is approximately $12 and worth every penny when one can puruse such a massive collection – there is even a Canadian Beaver on display.
Besides, this collection is located in Tucson, a location that promises the best in winter weather and other non aviation points of interest.

Collecting our Thoughts
This wraps up our visit to the southern states and some of its aviation museums.  I’m sure I missed a few, but perhaps you can help our readers by telling them about your favourite collection and why its so special.