The Air Museum

After any number of trips up and down I-75, I finally got the chance to visit an excellent air museum at Warner-Robbins Air Force Base, near Macon, Georgia. Driving north with my son, I asked if he'd mind a side trip to check out this air museum, and he was OK with the idea. It turned out to be worth the 20 mile detour on our drive, and while it put us into Atlanta rush hour, it was the back side of the rush hour and not all that costly in time.

I was really enjoying the two hour diversion from driving (scattered showers followed me from my five days in Florida), and took lots of pictures. There were three large buildings, and a vast wrap-around field with great aircraft from the post war (WW II) period. The rain held off and it was actually a nice day, albeit hot. My son wandered off and I later learned that his enthusiasm wasn't nearly as great as mine - he told my wife I was acting like "a kid in a candy store". Well, I was. He did agree to snap the picture of me as we left. I had taken quite a few of the aircraft, but couldn't decide which one to post, so you get me.

There were some really neat aircraft there, including the KC-135 command plan of General Schwarzkopf during the 1991 gulf war, and a C-130 that participated in the ill-fated Desert One raid during the Carter administration. World War II aircraft included a P-40, P-51, B-25, A-26, C-46 and C-47, all inside the hangers. More modern aircraft inside included an SR-71, U-2, F-15, F-16, and the CH-46. I think I may have impressed my son (of course, you never really know with your kids) with my knowledge of the various types, or maybe he was just humoring me. I think he may have liked the A-10, the B-1B, or perhaps the BUFF (B-52) outside. My favorite outside exhibit was the massive C-124, a Korean war period transport alternatively known as "Old Shakey" or "2 million rivets flying in loose formation".

I would recommend this as a great place to visit, but start before 3 PM as it closes at five in the afternoon and two hours is just not enough time.