Another piece of history, I didn't know, was presented when we reached the actual plane that first crossed the Atlantic. The NC-4 Flying boat is a proud resident of the Museum. With 3 other flying boats, it took off from the US on May 8th 1919, it hopped along the land masses, landing where it could, until the last stretch to England. Only the NC-4 would make it. With navigation poor, the Navy lined up 65 ships in a row to point the way for the plane. It landed on May 27 and entered the History books. I could go on for quite a while describing the 130 some odd planes available. But I will close with one of my all time favorites which came about when, in 1957, the Navy requirement for a long range, low level, strike aircraft resulted in the design of the "Intruder". The aircraft was to have a high subsonic performance at tree-top level to permit under-the-radar penetration of enemy defenses and be capable of finding and hitting small targets in any weather. With side-by-side seating for the pilot and bombardier-navigator it could carry up to 15,000 ponds of external weapons. Deliveries started to the Navy in February of 1953 with the Marine Corps following in. It has always been a favorite of mine since I saw the movie "Flight of the Intruder" There was much more then just planes. the second floor mezzanine was crammed full of cockpit simulators ready for kids and old folks too, to climb in and grab the controls. For a feeling of the real thing, there is the 15 passenger flight simulator which pitches and twists as the internal Veda shows the sights of a fighter pilot shooting down an Iraqi fighter. There is also the Club Bar Cafe, decorated with over 1000 squadron and unit plaques reassembled from the historic officer's club at Cubi Point in the Philippines. The Museum also tells the human side of Naval Aviation and features memorabilia from each ear of fighting including personal mementos from historic battles, flight logs, vintage equipment and flight clothing. We walked down the street of an American Town as it would have appeared in WWII and looked in the windows at the things that would have been going on then. In the center of the room is part of the aircraft carrier USS Cabot, with wooden flight deck and anti-aircraft guns. The kids were having fun spinning the guns as they turned the cranks. Many of the experiences available would have to wait for our next visit. We missed the IMAX show, the bus trip to the flight line, and the 37 acres of displays outside the building. When you come here, allow plenty of time as there is so much to see, and to miss any of it would be a shame. If you'd like to check their website for further information try: http://www.naval-air.org.

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