Getting That Old Feeling...

Does anybody out there ever get the feeling that you need to do something? I don't mean, "Man, I feel like baking a cake." Nor am I speaking of, "Did I turn the stove off before we left for the grocery store?" No, this is a deeper, more beating purpose-filled need. Yes, I am speaking of the need to see airplanes. It appears to be a relatively rare malady, and it only affects a surprisingly small percentage of the population, but it is none-the-less debilitating to those afflicted with it.

Now, I have a few options open to me. One is the small Air Museum here in Yakima(not really an option since the coolest thing they have is a main gear to a B-1 bomber). Another option is the Museum of Flight across the Cascades, in Seattle(large collection, but it is all out of reach of the normal museum visitor: no touching or alarms go off). There is also the Olympic Air Museum and the Flying Heritage Museum (these might allow me to get closer to the aircraft. I am certain that I could talk someone in to letting me near an aircraft, especially given my intense feelings for aircraft, and my credentials[which aren't credentials, but people who work in museums like to share with those of similar interests]). If I had military ID I could go to the museums on base at McChord and Fairchild AFBs.

...but I have a deeper need. I am thinking either a re-visitation of Pima Air and Space Museum or a new visit to the Air Force Museum in Ohio or the SAC museum in Nebraska. I don't know. It is difficult to decide. Either way, I would be able to see one of the four remaining B-36s. I have seen two of the four, but my goal is to see all four remaining ships, and hopefully, what remains of the one in Walter Soplata's back yard.

I like B-36s because they are so damned big! I mean BIG! The wings spanned a length of 230 feet! The fuselage was 162 feet long! It had 10 engines! It could remain airborne for a little over 50 hours...without refueling! It could fly at a weight of over 400,000 pounds. It was an awesome aircraft and still is if you get the chance to see one up close.

I am also a big fan of the B-58, one of the fastest bombers ever, and, quite truthfully, most sexy bombers ever.

So, anyone want to take me to an air museum for the sake of my health? It would really make me feel better! So, do any of you live in Ohio or Nebraska?

On a different note, it is snowing outside...something guaranteed to make me feel better.