the Right Stuff

I'm just gonna fess up to this right now. 

I knew of Wright State University. I knew of Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Both are in Dayton, OH. 

I know that the Wright Brothers were from Dayton where their bicycle shop resided and where they drew up plans for airplanes. 

It never ever ever ever occurred to me until we were about a mile away from Wright State that anything 'wright' related in Ohio went back to the Orville and Wilbur. 

Sigh. 

Ohio is the Birthplace of Aviation, not Brains. 

Anywayyyyyyy..............neither 710 nor I had ever been to the Air Force Museum, but we thought, 'eh, why not?'.  It was on our way-ish to Cincinnati and it was free, so.........why not indeed. 

First off, can I say, we were the youngest people there. Ok, there were some grandparents with their grandkids, but we were pretty much the youngest people there.  And I was using a cane. There were more walkers and mobility assisted devices than you could shake a cane at! ......and I'd know. 

The poor volunteer at Room 1 (of 4), the WWI room - and the Wright Brothers room too. I don't know how old she was but I wanted to lean down and say, ".....and honey, where were you during the Blitz?".   I think she would have said, "well, I was 27 then....."

We'd seen most Wright Brothers things down in Kill Devil Hills, NC.  They did NOT fly at Kitty Hawk, that's just from where the telegram was sent from saying they had flown.  But in this room was the evolution from 1903 to 1919-ish during the Big War. 

There was a WWII room as well. 

They had the fully restored Memphis Belle there.  And of course, this one. 

The 1940s was a better time.  .....a simpler time. 

......and the, we couldn't possibly know it would be poorly named plane 55 years prior. 

....and there was a room for "Asian wars" - they're phrasing, not mine - just lumping Korea and Vietnam together. I took no shots here. 

....and the Presidential room, that had way more than presidential stuff......which was basically only two planes. Air Force One (the one used from Kennedy - Clinton) and one plane used by FDR. 

Oh - and rockets. And missels. And ICBMS. And bombers.  Admittedly, the Stealth Bomber did look pretty cool, even with some stupid Dodge Charge tie-in. I don't get it.  $$$$, I guess. 

And while this is the "Air Force" Museum, I'm 99.1% sure that X-Wing Fighters and Tie Fighters were not USAF sanctioned..........or built.  Or flown. Or real. I won't lie, I was happy to see them. 

I said there was a huge missed opportunity not calling their cafeteria 'the Lunchpad'. 

There began a hotly contested discussion on if it was or not. 710 said it was with a rocket being there as the A, but "Lunch" was implied. I say the A was just that, and it was meant to be "Launch".  I still think (read: know) I'm right. 

Song by: Bryan Ferry