I got emotional when I stepped into the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. That must mean I really like airplanes! It was an unbelievable experience to see some airplanes that played such a major part in how aviation evolved. My first glimpse of the Spirit of St. Louis was breathtaking...to think this was the very first airplane to cross the Atlantic, leaving from the United States and landing in Paris almost two days later! Charles Lindbergh was the man, I tell you. Another amazing character? General Chuck Yeager for risking his life to break the Sound Barrier in the airplane he named after his wife, Glennis. Nobody knew how the human body would handle going faster than the speed of sound, but he wanted to try anyway. And how about the first non-government airship to go into space, the Space Ship One? This is the predecessor to the present Space Ship Two, which is even now preparing to take very wealthy passengers for a 15-minute trek in space. Thanks to Richard Branson, the owner of Virgin Airlines, for making that possible!
In the slide show is a picture of Amelia Earhart's airplane. I just need to clarify right here and now that I am not a fan of that lady. Someone who never flight-plans and is constantly getting lost and running out of fuel isn't exactly a pilot to be revered. But, since it is a part of aviation history, I begrudgingly took a picture to record that I had seen it.
I was inside the huge museum walls for just over an hour. I almost ran from room to room to ensure I saw everything. Next time, when I have all day, I will stop to smell the roses and read every single piece of written literature in the building. For today, however, it was incredible just to be in the presence of such beloved pieces of metal!
