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Hello gents,
Been at Fort Eustis for one day now. I have visited the museum and am actually quite impressed, especially with the inside displays. I am shooting pictures left and right but am having difficulty being able to get them from my files to photobucket. It may be a few weeks but I'll have them soon. Many aircraft, trucks, watercraft, and rail of course. I did see an M29 Weasel with a recoiless rifle mounted on it, but it was a picture, not a display. "Eve of Destruction" gun truck is gorgeous! I don't think my camera will do her justice but I will try. I have to run, these 0430 wake-ups are no fun! If my sons reads this, I know you'd like the displays, be good!

One of Armorama's staff members, Dave Willet (aka animal), builds most of the display models in the museum.

Does he work in the museum? Can I ask for him by name? The indoor displays were most impressive. The outdoor pieces, especially the BRAC 3 and other"swimming trucks" looked poor, which is sad considering their relative rarity. I plan at LEAST 3 more trips to the museum to photograph everything. Thats only getting 1-2 pics of each vehicle and one pic of the description board that accompanies each picture. Once my classes start, time willl be limited so I want to get the pictures this weekend if possible.

Jeff,
Area around there is pretty nice, some cool places to visit. There used to be small park located where LaSalle and Mercury intersected in Hampton not far from Langley AFB. Had some interesting aircraft there. Also the Virginia war museum is at the corner of Warwick and Mercury just before you get to the James River bridge. They had some old tanks out front from what I remember. Other cool stuff was the NASA center at North Langely and the Mariners museum which I can't remember where it's at now. Been over 25 years since I've been there. You find any M60's I sure would like to know.

Joe D

The Virginia War Museum is worth a visit. They have an M1917 light tank, an M1917 artillery tractor and an M5A1 Stuart inside. Outside is an M53 SPH, M60A3, M42 Duster, and one of those prototype 280mm atomic cannons. Plus a lot of other artillery.

Norfolk is worth seeing just for the USS Wisconsin. You can also take a pretty cool harbor tour of the naval base there - I advise taking the harbor tour over the bus tour of the base.

Neil

Hello,
The Virginia War Memorial, in which town/city is this located?? I can not find it in my list of wrecks and relics.

Regards,
Lesley

Sorry, my mistake - Virginia War Museum - its in Newport News.

www.warmuseum.org/

Neil

- Joe_D

Jeff,
Area around there is pretty nice, some cool places to visit. There used to be small park located where LaSalle and Mercury intersected in Hampton not far from Langley AFB. Had some interesting aircraft there. Also the Virginia war museum is at the corner of Warwick and Mercury just before you get to the James River bridge. They had some old tanks out front from what I remember. Other cool stuff was the NASA center at North Langely and the Mariners museum which I can't remember where it's at now. Been over 25 years since I've been there. You find any M60's I sure would like to know.

Joe D

When were you down there? I was stationed at Langley from 76-85. The Mariners Museum is on Warwick Blvd (US 60) where it intersects with J. Clyde Morris Blvd (US 17) just drive down Warwick until you see a BIG propeller (especially on sunny days you couldn't miss it with the sun gleaming off the big bronze blades) The Virginia War Memorial is further down Warwick, I think just before Mercury Blvd.

Newport News is an interesting city to give directions in. It is 33 miles long and only 3 miles wide at it's widest part. Warwick Blvd runs the length of the City so everything is easily referenced by which cross street it is near. I don't know if they are building anything big at the shipyard right now but it was always interesting just to drive down by it and look at what is taking shape. Just don't try to do it during shift change.

Langley is 'on the other side of the penninsula' in Hampton VA. The airplane park is on Mercuray Blvd at LaSalle (The main road into the base). Also in Hampton (further down Mercury Blvd) is Fortress Monroe. The casemate museum there is interesting but that whole base was a neat place to drive around. The old moated Fortress is in the center of the base and the later Coast Defense positions are along the water. There are old cannon stuck all over base. Some are rather unique (muzzle loaders converted to breech loaders, etc. I don't now what is going to happen when it closes under BRAC.

Well I guess I know where I'm going next weekend if time permits, the Virginia War Museum. I'm sure most of you know by now, I'll have my camera and will take as many pictures as possible, while noting all USA and serial numbers. I have already documented all the aircraft on display at the Eustis museum and around the post. I took at least one picture of each item and a picture of the acompanying information board. The problem I have is that the info/pictures are all on my laptop. I don't have wireless e-mail access with it so I cant transfer them to photobucket for posting. But I do have them and will eventually post them.
I'm staying in Newport News at a hotel (Point Plaza)the Army put me in. I have a two room suite thats real nice. Also provided a rental car so I will be checking things out as time permits. Gotta run.

Bob,
Dad is retired Air Force NCO, I lived there from 73-80, graduated HS that summer, left and haven't been back. Lived behind the old Riches grocery store off LaSalle until we moved to the LTA housing area. Remembered when we got there the only fighters were the F106's from the 48th FIS. Then 1st TFW came in with the Eagles, I remember they'd put on a demonstration 2-3 times a month. Got a real kick watching that bird go verticle and disappear. My mind was elsewhere at the time so I didn't appreciate all the history in the area. I sure did appreciate the brewery tour at Busch Gardens Williamsburg though.

Joe D

- Joe_D

Bob,
Dad is retired Air Force NCO, I lived there from 73-80, graduated HS that summer, left and haven't been back. Lived behind the old Riches grocery store off LaSalle until we moved to the LTA housing area. Remembered when we got there the only fighters were the F106's from the 48th FIS. Then 1st TFW came in with the Eagles, I remember they'd put on a demonstration 2-3 times a month. Got a real kick watching that bird go verticle and disappear. My mind was elsewhere at the time so I didn't appreciate all the history in the area. I sure did appreciate the brewery tour at Busch Gardens Williamsburg though.

Joe D

Then we overlapped. You didn't own a VW bug that got T-boned when you turned in front of a Vega station wagon did you

The 'Friday Afternoon Air Show' was always a treat but what I really liked were some of the odd aircraft that came to do flight demo's for TAC HQ.

The YC-14 & YC-15 put on real impressive shows considering they were 'C-130 replacements' but maybe the wildest performance was the NASA XV-15 (The 'technology demonstrator' that grew into the MV-22)

The LTA area they were the old houses around the End of Runway from the main base weren't they? For an Air Force base Langley was 'old corps'. Main base was all brick Tudor style buildings built in the '20s and '30s. The main hangers were all brick and on the runway side had old style USAAC stars inset into the brick and brass letters designating 'GROUP' on the set of buildings on either side of the central hanger with the tower. That was back when you had a Bomber group ( 3 Squadrons, equivalant to a modern Wing) and a Fighter Group assigned there. The LTA in LTA area stood for Lighter Than Air, where there were Blimps or even Dirigibles moored.

Every now and then, especially when working a slow night shift, I would start wondering about the history of that flight line. Then there were the footprints. The parking ramp at Langley was concrete. Poured in squares with grounding pins built in. I think the concrete was poured in about 1932, probably a Depression era PWA project. on one series of squares in our squadron area there were a series of footprints in the concrete where someone, a worker or a GI walked across the wet concrete. I always wondered if they realised that 50 years later their mark would still be there? Also whether they caught hell for doing it

I was driving East on 64 at around 1700hrs today when I saw a black flash shoot over the freeway. As I looked up I could have sworn the birds were "diamond" shaped. I looked closer at the second bird, but they were still a pretty good distance away. Possibly F-22 Raptors?!, I'm pretty sure Langley has them. I want to hit Langley while I'm here, as well as the Virginia Military Museum. If time allows, Aberdeen might be in the works as well. I'm almost sure that I'll be back at Ft Eustis this fall for ANCOC. What I dont get to see now, I guess I'll shoot for then.

Yes, Langley has the first operational F-22 squadron.

Normally Langley tours are only open to "organized civilian groups," but I dont know if thats any different if you already have military ID.

"Want to get a first-hand view of Langley, its people and equipment? Langley's base tour program is one of the busiest in the Air Force. The 1st Fighter Wing Public Affairs Community Relations Branch offers tours to organized civilian groups. Visitors must provide their own transportation, tours will start at the LaSalle Gate and should be limited in number to about 25 people. Unfortunately, we cannot provide tours to individuals or family groups. Usual tours consist of viewing an F-15 static display aircraft, a windshield tour of the base and sometimes stops at the B-52, Memorial Park and the Airpower Pavilion - a total of one to two hours.
Tours are usually booked months in advance and must be deconflicted with wing exercises, deployments, etc. No tours are given on weekends or holidays."

The Langley airshow is not that far away - May 5-7. I went last year, it was okay (F-22 display wasnt that impressive since it was obvious they were limiting the flight envelope):
www.langleyafbairshow.com/

Neil

Jeff, I came up with a list of places & things to see in Virginia some time ago. Here you go:

Fort AP Hill
No museum but they have a "historical holding," including:
One M4A3(76)W HVSS Sherman
Two M7B2 105-mm HMC Priests
groups.yahoo.com/group...essage/402
One M41 Walker Bulldog and one T49 (M41 with Experimental 90mm installation) - would love to get some pics of the latter, but its at the gate...
cidwebs.com/armorinsca...rences.htm

Fort Monroe
Casemate Museum
147.248.251.93/museum/museum.asp

Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park
www.nps.gov/frsp/index.htm

Hampton
Virginia Air & Space Center
www.vasc.org/

Langley AFB
www.langley.af.mil/sta...tour.shtml

Marine Corps Base Quantico
National Museum of the Marine Corps opens Nov. 10
www.usmcmuseum.org/

Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren
Lots of naval guns & railway guns. Have wanted to visit for some time...
www.cdsg.org/reprint%2...urvive.pdf
users.starpower.net/az...6_pic.html
fredericksburg.com/New...03/1006633
www.geocities.com/hrfo...s/guns.htm
www.aopt91.dsl.pipex.c...lgren.html

Newport News
Mariner's Museum (USS Monitor turret)
www.mariner.org/

Norfolk
McArthur Memorial
www.macarthurmemorial.org/
I want to say it has a Stuart tank, but I could be wrong...

Air Power Park And Aviation History Center
www.superpages.com/cities/mtg/41432

Naval Air Station Oceana (base tours & air park)
www.nasoceana.navy.mil/Visitors.htm

Petersburg National Battlefield
www.nps.gov/pete/

Richmond (lots of Civil War stuff if thats your thing)
Museum of the Confederacy
www.moc.org/

Richmond National Battlefield Park
www.nps.gov/rich/index.htm

Virginia Aviation Museum
www.vam.smv.org/

Yorktown
Yorktown Battlefield
www.nps.gov/yonb/index.htm

Virginia Beach
Nauticus National Maritime Center & USS Wisconsin
www.nauticus.org/

Hampton Roads Naval Museum
www.hrnm.navy.mil/hrnm1.html

And of course dont forget the Ordnance Museum. Like Bob said, if you can get into the DC area we should be able to get you there. If its on a weekend I should be able to give you a lift...

Neil

- SFC_Jeff_Button

I was driving East on 64 at around 1700hrs today when I saw a black flash shoot over the freeway. As I looked up I could have sworn the birds were "diamond" shaped. I looked closer at the second bird, but they were still a pretty good distance away. Possibly F-22 Raptors?!, I'm pretty sure Langley has them. I want to hit Langley while I'm here, as well as the Virginia Military Museum. If time allows, Aberdeen might be in the works as well. I'm almost sure that I'll be back at Ft Eustis this fall for ANCOC. What I dont get to see now, I guess I'll shoot for then.

Your Hotel is probably closer to Langley than to Eustis. I'm sure you've picke d up a good map by now. The ADC book maps are probably the best.

Just drive over to Langley after school and go to the BX. from there drive down around the end of Runway to the NCO club, you'll find places you can park and watch Airplanes. I don't think there will be any problems. just don't try to take pictures. Of course it may be better to ask

Actually there used to be a snack bar in the same building as the Tower that was mainly for the flightline troops but open to anyone. Just park in a legal parking place Without going on base there is a good view from the road outside West Gate ( N. Armistead Ave)

I know when I was there and the F-15s were new we were used to having transiant folks walk around and ask questions. Timnes have changed a little but flight line troops who are proud of ther planes are usually friendly as long as they figure you're not a spy or an under cover OSI agent trying to catch them Actually we used to have army transportation classes come over to practice loading C-130s and an occasional C-5. Lessoften they would load an then LAPES drop pallets of boxes & barrels in the grass next to the runway. That could get exciting if the pallets weren't rigged right and 55 gallon drims would fly all over :-). So maybe ther will be an 'orientation' offered as part of your class.