A Visit to the March Field Air Museum

Saturday we visited the March Field Air Museum, where they have a large indoor display and a much larger outdoor field of planes. Inside, in pride of place, is the famous SR-71 Blackbird. It's really beautiful but that's not why it's here. In their 24 years in service Blackbirds set world records for speed (2,193 mph) and altitude (over 85,000 feet); it could fly from London to LA in under 4 hours. But the best part is that they never lost a crew member during active service. When fired upon, they could simply fly high enough and fast enough to outrun everything else in the sky. Eventually they were decommissioned as too expensive and replaced by drones, but it is obvious that to the men who built and flew them, nothing will ever replace the Blackbird. It's got an amazing shape - pure aerodynamics - and from the front it looks a little like a flying saucer.

At less than 19 feet tall, that smooth shape belies how long it is - 107 feet long. I couldn't even find a spot to get it all in frame. It's long and sleek and beautifully engineered.

The hall holds other exhibits like the main engine exhaust nozzle of the Space Shuttle. This one flew on 3 Endeavor and 2 Atlantis missions before being used by NASA to test propellants. Now it's comfortably retired at March Field.

From other exhibits I learned that in WWII our POWs called themselves Kriegies, which is short for the German word for prisoner of war, Kriegesgefangene. And that in 1941 Bob Hope started his tradition of performing in USO shows right here at March Field. And I learned about the B24 Liberator plane "Lady Be Good", whose tragic fate was the basis for a Twilight Zone episode. She disappeared without a trace on her first mission in 1942 and her fate was a mystery until 1958 when the unmanned wreckage was found in the Libyan desert. It was another two years before the remains of her crew were found. The consensus is that the crew realized they were lost in a sandstorm, bailed out, then died trying to walk out of the storm. So sad.

A separate room has individual displays for each of the different wars or conflicts. And unfortunately, there are a lot of them:

WW I (1914 - 1918), when airplanes came into their own in the military. I am always been amazed by what was accomplished with such basic tools.

WW II (1941- 1954), when the US had to fight both Japanese and German forces. They mention the Mighty Eighth, which we learned about in Georgia. It is an odd footnote that the clothes from this war are so darn trendy; I would love to have USAAF wool flight suit.

They also give a nod to the Royal Air Force, who in 1940 did what nobody thought could be done - keep Germany out of England. And to the Tuskegee Airmen, who proved their many detractors wrong.

Korea was next (1950 - 1953), our foray into a civil war.

Then the Cold War (1954 - 1991), with artifacts that I can recall. The caricature in the back is from Russia - everybody used propaganda.

And overlapping that was Vietnam (1959 - 1975), with the quote “In war, there are no unwounded soldiers”. The boonie hat they have on display reminded me of MASH's Colonel Blake's hat, although his was actually a bucket hat.

Operation Iraqi Freedom (2008- 2009) is their most recent display. I wish it could be the last one.

In another building we found this curled propeller of P-38. The pilot was doing a low-altitude salute to patients at a navel hospital when he was hit by the wash of the jet in front of him, which slammed him into the ocean. He got out but the impact curled the propeller right back; never underestimate the power of water, even against metal.

Outside the hangers is a large field with dozens of planes. It's amazing how the planes have changed over the years - some to increase effectiveness and a lot to increase crew safety. I would hate to be inside that little turret below the belly of the B-17 Flying Fortress. It seems like one rough landing would be the last.

They have several different MIGs on display, from MIG15 to MIG23. They are small but that was one of the things what made them effective. And they have a big refueling tanker, the KC-97, which was retired when it couldn't keep up with newer jets. 

The T1-4J Skyhawk has its refueling nozzle attached; that's what would join up with the KC-97 in flight. I cannot understand how they pulled this maneuver off. 

And they have a personal favorite of mine, the F-15. Randy worked on F-15 software at Boeing; that's why they were so good!

They have a big fat C0123 on the field, with its rear ramp that opened for parachute jumpers. The body was designed with an unusual raised tail, so the jumpers could get safely out.

Near the back of the field but visible from everywhere is the legendary B-52. It is unbelievably BIG. The wheels under its wings are a couple feet off the ground because it could hold so much cargo and fuel that when it was full, the weight would bend them down to ground level. In my photo the people are standing in front of it, not next to it; it's hard to give a sense of how enormous this plane is.

I was glad Randy was there with me - he pointed out several things that I would have missed. Like the fact that the Flying Fortress used zippers to enclose its barrel slots. The zippers are attached to the barrel itself so they slide up or down with the barrel, keeping the slots safely closed.

And the F-4C Phantom II has a hook under the tail, which would have been used when it landed on aircraft carriers. I put that feat right up there with mid-air refueling - almost unbelievable. 

And he explained to me that all the bits of wire I saw on the exposed engines were there to lock the bolts into place. I assumed they were added when the engines were put on display, but it was done during the actual engine assembly.

There is an amazing amount of information in this museum. It lacks some of the personal stories that I loved at the Mighty 8th Museum, but it is fascinating and well worth a visit.

One year ago: Freezing at Hilton Head Island

Three years ago: A quick stop in New Orleans