by Violet Rebecca Jones
On a sunny Saturday, I took a little excursion to Charlotte, NC to check out this plane that landed so miraculously on the Hudson River in New York a few years ago. I felt I just had to see this marvel, and I was not disappointed when I found the huge plane sitting in a hangar at the Carolinas Aviation Museum
http://www.carolinasaviation.org/exhibits near the Charlotte-Douglass International Airport. It was amazing that it is in as good condition as it is. The sad part is that it received more damage in its retrieval from the Hudson and its transport to Charlotte than it did in the actual emergency landing. (Click to see its voyage: http://www.carolinasaviation.org/commercial/miracle-on-the-hudson-flight-1549/travel-to-cam ) Nevertheless, it is something everyone should see simply because it gives hope, and is a testament to what one can do when one is skilled, determined, and has the hand of God to lift one's wings.
However, the "Miracle of the Hudson" was the not the only interesting, or inspirational, display at this unique museum. There on display were numerous examples of military and commercial aviation since flying began with the Wright Brothers in this same southern state at a place called Kitty Hawk. Although I am not that interested in fighter jets, it was interesting to see how the US fighter jet has evolved over the years. Some of them seemed truly antiquated, and I couldn't help but wonder at the courage these early pilots must have had to fly these machines.
Another interesting plane was the DC 7 on display on the tarmac outside the museum. It took me back to an earlier time in our history when commercial flying was still a luxury of the rich and famous and had its own aura. It was a time when one "dressed" for a flight in one's Sunday best, and could expect a nice dinner in flight. Our guide explained how there was a smoking sofa in the back of the plane where the men would smoke their cigars during the flight, and how the "stewardesses" would actually cook a full course meal on the plane. It was a beautiful plane, and I wished we could have seen inside, but we weren't allowed on this particular day. Still, it took me back in time to an era when things were simpler, time moved a little slower, and our country was filled with hope and anticipation of greater things to come.
Even more historically significant was the military transport plane that was in commission for over 35, 000 hours and approximately forty years. The story of its use in the Iranian hostage rescue mission, Operation Eagle Claw, was one I knew very little about, but it was fascinating, especially the detail of this massive bird hitting a sand dune and coming out the other side to become airborne. I thought of all the soldiers who had depended on this transport plane during so many years of battle, from Vietnam to Afghanistan.
While out on the tarmac for the outdoor part of the tour, one older, bald man kept ducking and holding his head. Everyone looked at him strangely, but were too polite to comment on his weird behavior. I suppose everyone thought he simply had "personal problems". He finally asked the tour guide where all the hawks were nesting. The tour guide laughed, and told him there were no hawks; they simply used recorded sounds of distressed hawks to keep the birds from building nests in the planes! I guess he thought he was being attacked.
Another unique display was a cockpit demo where kids, or anyone, could actually climb into a cockpit and be a pilot . The only thing better would have been a flying simulator. Still, it was interesting. Several planes were open for children to climb aboard and explore, and one little guy spent at least an hour in a small small plane pretending to fly while his dad looked on.
I liked this little excursion, and it met my criteria of exploring places off the beaten path. The museum was a little hard to find ( I first wound up on the military base nearby, but that is a whole other story), but once found it is a gem, but then most gems are hard to find.
On a sunny Saturday, I took a little excursion to Charlotte, NC to check out this plane that landed so miraculously on the Hudson River in New York a few years ago. I felt I just had to see this marvel, and I was not disappointed when I found the huge plane sitting in a hangar at the Carolinas Aviation Museum
http://www.carolinasaviation.org/exhibits near the Charlotte-Douglass International Airport. It was amazing that it is in as good condition as it is. The sad part is that it received more damage in its retrieval from the Hudson and its transport to Charlotte than it did in the actual emergency landing. (Click to see its voyage: http://www.carolinasaviation.org/commercial/miracle-on-the-hudson-flight-1549/travel-to-cam ) Nevertheless, it is something everyone should see simply because it gives hope, and is a testament to what one can do when one is skilled, determined, and has the hand of God to lift one's wings.
However, the "Miracle of the Hudson" was the not the only interesting, or inspirational, display at this unique museum. There on display were numerous examples of military and commercial aviation since flying began with the Wright Brothers in this same southern state at a place called Kitty Hawk. Although I am not that interested in fighter jets, it was interesting to see how the US fighter jet has evolved over the years. Some of them seemed truly antiquated, and I couldn't help but wonder at the courage these early pilots must have had to fly these machines.
Another interesting plane was the DC 7 on display on the tarmac outside the museum. It took me back to an earlier time in our history when commercial flying was still a luxury of the rich and famous and had its own aura. It was a time when one "dressed" for a flight in one's Sunday best, and could expect a nice dinner in flight. Our guide explained how there was a smoking sofa in the back of the plane where the men would smoke their cigars during the flight, and how the "stewardesses" would actually cook a full course meal on the plane. It was a beautiful plane, and I wished we could have seen inside, but we weren't allowed on this particular day. Still, it took me back in time to an era when things were simpler, time moved a little slower, and our country was filled with hope and anticipation of greater things to come.
Even more historically significant was the military transport plane that was in commission for over 35, 000 hours and approximately forty years. The story of its use in the Iranian hostage rescue mission, Operation Eagle Claw, was one I knew very little about, but it was fascinating, especially the detail of this massive bird hitting a sand dune and coming out the other side to become airborne. I thought of all the soldiers who had depended on this transport plane during so many years of battle, from Vietnam to Afghanistan.
While out on the tarmac for the outdoor part of the tour, one older, bald man kept ducking and holding his head. Everyone looked at him strangely, but were too polite to comment on his weird behavior. I suppose everyone thought he simply had "personal problems". He finally asked the tour guide where all the hawks were nesting. The tour guide laughed, and told him there were no hawks; they simply used recorded sounds of distressed hawks to keep the birds from building nests in the planes! I guess he thought he was being attacked.
Another unique display was a cockpit demo where kids, or anyone, could actually climb into a cockpit and be a pilot . The only thing better would have been a flying simulator. Still, it was interesting. Several planes were open for children to climb aboard and explore, and one little guy spent at least an hour in a small small plane pretending to fly while his dad looked on.
I liked this little excursion, and it met my criteria of exploring places off the beaten path. The museum was a little hard to find ( I first wound up on the military base nearby, but that is a whole other story), but once found it is a gem, but then most gems are hard to find.
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| The "Miracle on the Hudson" Airliner |
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| Amazing that the damage was so minimal. |
Broken Wing on "Miracle on the Hudson"
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| An earlier era in all its polished glory. |
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| When airlines were different flying cross-country meant an adventure unto itself. |
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| Simplicity at its finest. |
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| One of the many faces of military flying. |
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| I cannot fathom the emotions of the men who flew in this aircraft. |
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| So much skill needed to fly these. |
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| Used in Operation Eagle Claw |
Text and Pictures Copyright 2014 Violet Rebecca Jones
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