Air and Space Udvar-Hazy Annex, February 2004

On a rainy winter Tuesday the guys in the Washington office took a field trip to the new Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center out by the Dulles airfield. I'm still speechless. I've been a fan of the Air & Space museum since I was a little kid... but the Smithsonian outdid itself with this. One giant hangar, no interior walls - fantastic planes parked nose-to-nose, tucked under wings of jetliners, cavorting from the girders. Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see. I can't remember all the planes - here's a list.

SR-71 Blackbird

Engine Room

Shuttle Enterprise

Enola Gay

My dad's a pilot and an avid 1/72-scale aircraft model builder. Standing on the catwalk above the jumble of planes it reminded me of the family room in my house growing up - I had to take a few pictures with 1/1-scale people to remind myself that this was the real deal.

My uncle flew F4s for many years.

An Embarrassment of Riches

The facility is still under construction - for the moment if you want to grab a sandwich it'll have to be alongside the Concorde.

Conclusion: BEST. MUSEUM. EVER.

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