Friday September 30th 2016
Today I went to the National Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola. I followed the signs in from Interstate 10. It was a very circuitous path to the appropriate entrance gate to the air station. I had to show ID at the gate and at the entrance to the museum. Bags were also being checked at the museum entrance. I suspect there was additional security that I did not observe.

Blue Angle Aircraft at the National Naval Aviation Museum
I arrived at the museum just in time to join a guided tour. The tours are conducted throughout the day by retired navy and marine aviators. The tour took a little over two hours to cover both wings of the main building. The hanger building was closed for maintenance.

A1 Triad replica. The Navy’s first aircraft.

The guide speaking in front of a Sopwith Camel
The tour was very good. The guide put the aircraft and exhibits in historical context. He told a story about an aircraft or some pilot that flew that type of plane. I suspect the stories were well embellished, but they were entertaining. Talking the tour proved to be a good way to see the museum at a measured pace. Without the tour, I would have hurried by some of the more interesting exhibits.

SBD Dauntles fought in the battle of Midway. It was found at the bottom of Lake Michigan after crashing while being used for training.

PB2Y Coronado

Plymouth navy staff car

Primary training aircraft
The museum in general seems to focus on telling the story of individual aircraft or types of aircraft. Often times the type of aircraft and its use is hard to find behind a story of accomplishment. I’m used to a museum like the Smithsonian Air and Space museum that provides the facts and little else about the aircraft in the exhibit. I’m not sure which I like better.

Skylab Apollo type spacecraft
Overall I enjoyed the museum. I took 75 pictures that can be found in my Google Photos shared album National Naval Aviation Museum.