June 18, 2006 - Portland to Evergreen Aviation Museum
Home of the Spruce Goose
|
|
I took off from Pearson Airfield around 9:40 AM and headed south for a short flight to McMinnville Municipal Airport (KMMV) -- elevation 163 feet).
Below I am just taking off from Pearson with Fort Vancouver off my right wing.
|
| |
 |
|
|
Looking back, I can see Portland International Airport just across the river. Before you take off at Pearson, you call the Portland Tower on the radio and let them know.
|
| |
 |
|
| Flying down the Willamette Valley. |
| |
 |
|
|
The Willamette isn't perfectly flat like your typical valley.
|
| |
 |
|
| McMinnville Airport. The Evergreen Aviation Museum where the Spruce Goose resides is the triangular looking building on the other side of the runway. |
| |
 |
|
| McMinnville has a glider operation. A glider had just landed as I flew over.
The airport had a cozy little terminal that was staffed. A DC-3 was out front. The friendly lady behind the FBO counter called the Museum and had them send a shuttle over. You could walk it if you had to, though.
|
| |
 |
|
| The Evergreen Aviation Museum was excellent and really worth visiting if you're in the area. The star attraction is the Spruce Goose, of course, but they have quite a few other interesting airplanes and the entire museum is very well done. It was well attended and there were also docents all over the place available to answer questions. |
| |
 |
|
|
P17
|
| |
 |
|
That's a Wright Flier replica on the left, and the Curtis Pusher between it and the Spruce Goose.
You could go inside the Spruce Goose where that platform is.
|
| |
 |
|
|
The Spruce Goose is just huge. Look how small that DC-3 looks under its wing.
|
| |
 |
|
| A model of the Spruce Goose. I believe this model was used in the recent film The Aviator. |
| |
 |
|
| One of my favorite planes: a Grumman F6F Hellcat, the U.S. Navy's main fighter plane during World War II. |
| |
 |
|
| A German Me-109G painted in the markings of Erich Hartmann, the top-scoring ace of all time, with an incredible 352 kills during World War II. |
| |
 |
|
| The 109 was a formidable weapon in the hands of a good pilot. It was challenging to takeoff and land; I think a large percentage of 109 losses were due to accidents, not combat. |
| |
 |
|
| Hartmann's 109 was unique with its black tulip leaves on the nose. |
| |
 |
|
| A Wright Flier replica. I never get tired of seeing one. This is the plane that started it all. |
| |
 |
|
|
A Jenny with no fabric.
The museum had a food place where you could get a surprisingly good sandwich for a reasonable price.
|
| |
 |
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|