Chopper_nut's US trip July 2018

[chopper_nut]

Hit up the March Air Museum today. I would go out on a limb and say that it was better than Pima... especially if you're not into being stuck in the desert for the day.










B47 bomb bay








XB70 engine






B25 used in Catch 22








B29 bomb bay


SR71 office


Rear cockpit


SR71 camera package




Flight jacket worn by Jimmy Stewart on the film Strategic Air Command


B47 cockpit used in Strategic Air Command


Rear bang seat could swing through 180 degrees so the co-pilot could use the radar trained cannon in the tail.

[Splitpin]

wow ...what a trip, cheers Nick.

[chopper_nut]

Back in LA, we hit the California Museum of Science and Technology. Not many aeroplanes yet but worth it for the spacecraft. Enclosed in plastic so although you could get close, photography was difficult.

MR2. The first chimp flight.




Gemini 11. Conrad and Gordon







As I say, difficult to photograph...

ASTP. Stafford, Brand and Slayton










STS Endeavour

[Splitpin]

Holy cow ! Nick, for goodness sake DONT misplace your camera.

[chopper_nut]

Last day in the US, we planned to go up to Santa Barbara and hit the air attack base up there. Once on the road though, the traffic turned to poo so we jumped off at Camarillo and had a look at the CAF there. Well worth it.












Genuine PBJ









That's it chaps. We flew home last night on the worst airline in the world (Philippine Air) and now I'm in the process of organising everything while fighting jet lag.

[Charl]

Well Fiesta Class gives you what you pay for...
Great collection - what a trip, you'll be debriefing yourself for months!

[chopper_nut]

Yep, we’ve already decided to spend the extra money and go with a proper airline next time. We did four sectors and all four were delayed over an hour. Seats on their A330s are designed for unusually small people although their 777s aren’t too bad.

Already thinkng about the next trip. Will probably be either the middle bit (Oshkosh, USAF museum, out to Washington for NASM) or the bottom bit, Houston for JSC and out to Florida to do KSC.

Once you’re over there you realise that some of the things that we put up with at home are ridiculous. We’re seriously looking at moving to the US once I’ve done my FAA conversion.

[Splitpin]

Well done Nick ...your living the dream young fella.
Will reply to your PM asap .... thanks for this journey ...very well done and very generous.