Anyone got a PIREP on Seattle's Museum of Flight?

We're flying to Seattle this weekend aboard the "executive mail tube,"
sadly. Gotta be at my nephew's wedding, and just can't trust that the
weather will cooperate enough for us to fly Atlas over the mountains on a
schedule.

(Although we just had husband & wife guests at the inn who were flying a
gorgeous 1940 Meyers OTW open-cockpit biplane -- at 80 mph -- all the way
from Oregon to Michigan! They landed at KIOW at sunset, after departing
Wyoming at sunrise... Boy, were they COLD and tired!)

We're planning on going to the Museum of Flight on Saturday morning (not too
early...the stag party is the night before!) -- can anyone post a PIREP on
this museum? What's not to miss, what's worth skipping. I expect we'll
have far less than a full day to see it, and I want to make sure to hit the
"high points"....

Also, any unique aviation "stuff" available for sale at the museum? You
know, stuff we can only get there, not at every tent in the Fly Market at
OSH? We're always "on the prowl" for artwork and memorabilia for the
hotel.

Thanks in advance!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

The only downside to the Museum is that it would be hard to visit it and
spend less than a day.
They even have a FW 190 "Dora".

I can't comment on souvenirs since I expend considerable effore on keeping
my wife out of such shops. Grin

Cheers:

Paul
NC2273H

The shop is just like every other museum shop. You'll find the
obligatory NASA stuff, Boeing (why am I not surprised), the coffee
table books, etc. No flea market stuff at all.

The cafe is a bit overpriced but not bad.

It's a neat little museum. In particularly the Red Barn - which is
the memorabilia from the early days of Boeing. And the Concorde, which
is surprisingly small and cramped.

We flew in as an Angel Flight - on an Airbus 320 and pulled up into
the parking lot (turn off from the runway). We parked the Airbus
pointing into the big windows less than 100 feet from the building.
Definitely "Airplane!" memory!

Have fun!

A cool museum with a lot of great aircraft and other exhibits including an
SR-71 cockpit that you can sit in. Believe it or not, I actually got out
of it at the end of the day without security being involved. ;

You could see the whole thing in two or three hours because everything is
located in basically two or three large rooms, all connected. Definately
worth it.

-c

The shop is just like every other museum shop. You'll find the
obligatory NASA stuff, Boeing (why am I not surprised), the coffee
table books, etc. No flea market stuff at all.

Hmmm... Boeing stuff?

Suppose there's a source of real, authentic Boeing memorabilia for a
possible Boeing Suite?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Hi Jay,

Recently, Jay Honeck posted:

We're planning on going to the Museum of Flight on Saturday morning
(not too early...the stag party is the night before!) -- can anyone
post a PIREP on this museum? What's not to miss, what's worth
skipping. I expect we'll have far less than a full day to see it,
and I want to make sure to hit the "high points"....

I visited the museum about 3 years ago, and found it to be interesting.
Most of the aircraft were in one large indoor area on two levels and there
are a few out on the tarmac. I thought it was a bit "thin" compared to,
for example Wright Patterson or the Smithsonian, but that may have changed
since my visit. I don't think you'll have much difficulty in seeing it all
in around 4 hours.

Also, any unique aviation "stuff" available for sale at the museum?
You know, stuff we can only get there, not at every tent in the Fly
Market at OSH? We're always "on the prowl" for artwork and
memorabilia for the hotel.

Sorry, can't say what "stuff" might be unique to that museum. But, take a
camera with you!

Regards,

Neil

On Wed, 18 May 2005 20:01:08 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

The shop is just like every other museum shop. You'll find the
obligatory NASA stuff, Boeing (why am I not surprised), the coffee
table books, etc. No flea market stuff at all.

Hmmm... Boeing stuff?

Suppose there's a source of real, authentic Boeing memorabilia for a
possible Boeing Suite?

The Boeing country store used to be over in Kent. Is it still there?

Don

In article 8aNie.4976$WG.2421@attbi_s22,
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

The shop is just like every other museum shop. You'll find the
obligatory NASA stuff, Boeing (why am I not surprised), the coffee
table books, etc. No flea market stuff at all.

Hmmm... Boeing stuff?

Suppose there's a source of real, authentic Boeing memorabilia for a
possible Boeing Suite?

There _used_ to be a Boeing surplus store in Seattle that supposedly had
a lot of interesting stuff -- I think I read on this NG once long ago
about someone obtaining a whole cockpit (or cockpit dummy mockup?) for
scrap value and making a kids' playhouse out of it.

Whether it still exists or not, don't know.

Things have changed since Neil Gould's visit; the museum is continually
improving. The most notable change is the acquisition of the Champlin
Fighter Museum from Falcon Field in Mesa, AZ.

Not knowing whether you intended to park your plane near the museum I tried
to get some information....after fighting the telephone tree I was switched
to Security, and got one of those "Sorry we missed you..." messages.

Talked to a museum docent today (flew as a B29 crewmember over Japan) and he
suggested that you park in the lot south of the museum, go to the fighter
display first, then to the Red Barn, then where your interests take you.
There are displays across Marginal Way from the Museum...I haven't visited
any of them yet.

The Boeing Surplus store won't score you any memorabilia, just worn-out
office equipment and various kinds of hardware. If you want Boeing stuff,
the best source is The Boeing Store (duh) at 6th and Park in Renton.

Being an airplane person, as opposed to a space person, I like the MofF
better than the Air and Space Museum on the Mall in DC...it leans heavily on
space with a nod to airplanes. Haven't been to Wright-Patterson yet.

There is an admission fee at the MofF.

Bob Gardner

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:K%Hie.4147$796.1868@attbi_s21...
We're flying to Seattle this weekend aboard the "executive mail tube,"
sadly. Gotta be at my nephew's wedding, and just can't trust that the
weather will cooperate enough for us to fly Atlas over the mountains on a
schedule.

(Although we just had husband & wife guests at the inn who were flying a
gorgeous 1940 Meyers OTW open-cockpit biplane -- at 80 mph -- all the way
from Oregon to Michigan! They landed at KIOW at sunset, after departing
Wyoming at sunrise... Boy, were they COLD and tired!)

We're planning on going to the Museum of Flight on Saturday morning (not
too early...the stag party is the night before!) -- can anyone post a
PIREP on this museum? What's not to miss, what's worth skipping. I
expect we'll have far less than a full day to see it, and I want to make
sure to hit the "high points"....

Also, any unique aviation "stuff" available for sale at the museum? You
know, stuff we can only get there, not at every tent in the Fly Market at
OSH? We're always "on the prowl" for artwork and memorabilia for the
hotel.

Thanks in advance!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Bob Gardner" wrote in message
...
There is an admission fee at the MofF.

Though, not on the first Thursday of each month. Plan your visit right, and
no fee.