Birds of all Types

On my walk the other morning, the birds were trying to tell me that Spring is on the way, so I captured them talking about it. I also played with Elements to  make them look extra special.

And now for the other kind of birds. On Saturday I visited the Pima Air and Space Museum. It was a busy place and a lot more to see than I expected. There was a forum of Viet Nam vets who were set up on a stage talking about their experiences and answering questions. All of the docents were excellent. I am assuming they were all veterans and had first hand knowledge. They had very interesting information; they knew how to deliver it in an interesting fashion, and inter-acted well with the visitors. I was really impressed.

This plane was used in a movie with John Wayne and Janet Leigh.

This is a spy plane that flew three times faster than the speed of sound. I did this in a panorama so I could get the whole thing in one picture. It ended up looking rather futuristic even though it's roughly 50 years old.

This sea plane came to the museum without any paint on it. Some vets who had flown it during their time of service to our country commented on the fact that it should be a dark blue. The museum people said they didn't have the $5,000 it would take to paint it. That group of vets raised the money and gave it to the museum. All the planes are clean and shiny. That must take some doing.

"Big Sal" is an interesting story. John Westfall from Green Valley, a small community about 15 miles south of Tucson, was on the tram tour one day, and the guide stopped in front of this plane and started talking about it. John spoke up and said that was his plane. His name is stenciled in white right below the window. So the guide asked him about the name "Big Sal". John said that he had only loved two women in his life; one was Big Sal and Little Sal is my wife sitting right here beside me. He didn't realize the plane was at the museum, so that was quite a surprise for him. The windows on all the aircraft are covered with that dull material to protect the interior from the desert sun.

Our guide on this tram tour was incredible. Above is one of the planes he flew. He served in the Navy as a pilot for 4 years, was in the Reserves, and a United pilot for 37 years. I guess you might say he knows airplanes. He talked non-stop for over an hour giving us more information than I could really digest.

My children's grandmother used to fly on a TWA plane very similar to this one when she came to spend the winter every year. At the time, the airport in Albuquerque resembled a stage coach stop complete with hitching rails that you stood behind to watch the passengers deplane and walk down the steps. On leaving, the plane would turn, and the jet engines would blow dirt and whatever on you as you stood waving madly at your departing relative.

I always take pictures of Blue Angels. My father-in-law was retired Navy, and my late husband's family still lives in Pensacola. I actually have video I took one summer of the Blue Angels practicing over us while we were at the beach.

That's a warhead of some type, but like the shot of the snow on the mountain, where all snow should stay.

This plane is experimental, and I think I took the picture, because it is so ugly. I wonder if the prop configuration is the experimental part.

I like the reflection of the background that I picked up in the nose of the plane. Like a said, most everything is neat, clean, and shiny.

I'm a sucker for colorful. I loved the orange on the Coast Guard helicopter.

This is a Skorsky helicopter like they use in SEAL missions. I believe it's the museum's newest acquisition. I'm going to be back to visit again and take the bus ride over to the Boneyard at Davis-Monthan. It's only open on weekdays.