So it’s been about four years since I’ve been out to the Smithsonian Air and Space at the Dulles International airport in Virginia. With school out and the holiday shopping done, we figured it was time.
Some thoughts:
1) the Space Shuttle wing is awesome. While the shuttle Enterprise is obviously the centerpiece, all the other space artifacts, including the many gadgets and satellites, were most interesting. Â
2) The observation tower had a zero wait time. Usually the line is around the block to get up there. With everyone out shopping, we walked to the elevator and up we went. Â That is unheard of, I’m told. Â Checking things out from above, I noted the parking lot was about 1/3 full. Â No tour buses either. Plenty of space to check things out and not feel the crowd.
3) One of the volunteers mentioned that parking fees are NOT collected from 4-5:30 on weekdays. So if you are local and need to focus on one area, you know what to do.  While admission is free, parking is $12 at all other times.
4) The WW II section, to me, is still the most interesting part of the museum, though the Space Shuttle wing is now a close second. One area that I missed in previous visits was the bomber jacket display case. Front/rear views are included here. The coats here show the same bravado as nose art. A few pix are here in the gallery. Â Click twice to get to the full sized image.
One question: why is there no Flying Fortress?
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