Home
What's New in the Air
Just Plane Fun!
North America Wright B Flyer
Oshkosh
J-3 Cub to Oshkosh
Cactus Fly-In Arizona
Pima Air Museum
Planes of Fame
Reno Air Races
Schellville Airport
Watsonville Fly-In
WAAAM - Mt. Hood
Zeppelin Eureka
Canadian Warplanes
Canadian Air & Space
Europe Airshows In England
Duxford
Le Bourget France
La Ferte Alais
Budapest Museum
Polish Air Museum
Riga, Latvia
More of the World Al Ain Airshow U.A.E.
Your Contributions Tell Us Your Favorites!
Your Favorite Plane
Favorite Air Museum
Airshow or Fly-in
YOUR Flying Story
Nuts 'n Bolts Contact Us
About Us
Aviation Resources

[?] Subscribe To This Site

XML RSS
Add to Google
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Subscribe with Bloglines

 

Pima Air Museum
See Aircraft You Can't Find Anywhere Else

The think Mark loves about Pima Air Museum is that there are so many planes you just won't see anywhere else.

This museum has lots of rare military airplanes....

It's spread over 80 acres so there's plenty of room for them.

The full name is the Pima Air and Space Museum...

We just always shorten that to the Pima Air Museum when we talk about it.


There are several indoor exhibits (5 hangars)... look for the oldest or best restored inside, but the majority of the planes are outside.

Pima Air and Space Museum


One thing to remember is that it's in the desert....

That's good for preserving the planes that must stay outside...

But sometimes that heat is a little hard on the visitors.



You'll be glad to spend some time in those hangars... not just for the cool planes inside but because those hangars are "climate controlled"... read that air-conditioned... and that's a good thing. They're good places to cool off.
First Flag Ashore on Utah Beach on D-Day


Don't miss the hangar with the B-17 inside.

Not that rare, you're saying....

No, but it is staffed with docents who actually flew on them...

Talk to them while you can!

And there is a case with the first flag ashore on Utah Beach on D-Day.



We went in early March. It was pleasantly warm then, but during the warmer summer months of the year it will be hot... and there isn't all that much shade... though you can duck under a wing here and there.

They offer bus tours of the outdoor planes... a nice way to get around if you have mobility problems or if it's just too hot. Bus tours are about $6.00 in addition to the museum admission.

You can spend several hours wandering through their collection if you're up to it. Be sure to bring a hat, sunscreen and water. You can always buy water there. There's a great grill for lunches and ice cream to cool you off.

The Pima Air Museum is open daily (though it is sometimes closed for special events.)

    Hours are 9:00 - 5:00.
    The last admission is at 4:00, but you'll need more than an hour to see it anyway.

    Admission for adults was $15.50 when we were there, with discounts for Seniors, Children and Military.

    Parking is free.

    Check their website for current details... Pima Air Museum

    6000 E. Valencia Rd.
    Tucson, Arizona

It's on the south side of Tucson and just across the street from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base...

That location can be a plus. Beside the possibility of touring the boneyard there… you can usually see planes taking off and landing at the base.

When we were there, they were practicing "Heritage Flights" for the upcoming air show season. It was great fun watching the different formations fly overhead, and trying to get photo… See our attempt to photograph that with our point and shoot.... Pictures we missed!

Now you have the information… Now you want to see what planes are there don't you? We'll show you a few of our favorites... a few out of over 300 aircraft! They are in no particular order… unless you count that this is the order we walked and took them in…

Budd RB-1 Conestoga, Northrop YC-125A Raider Bristol Mk. IV Blenheim
Budd RB-1 Conestoga (L); Northrop YC-125A Raider                Bristol Mk. IV Blenheim           


Convair B-36J Peacemaker

Convair B-36J Peacemaker


Sikorsky H-5G Dragonfly One sentimental favorite of Mark's at the Pima Air Museum is this little Sikorsky H-5G Dragonfly.

Why you ask?

Because as a kid, he had a bunch of models of antique airplanes hanging from his bedroom ceiling...

...and one of them was a Sikorsky Dragonfly.

Fairchild C-82A Packet Douglas TF-10B/F3D-2 Skynight
Fairchild C-82A Packet                      Douglas TF-10B/F3D-2 Skynight


McDonnell F-3B Demon Douglas F-6A Skyray
McDonnell F-3B Demon                           Douglas F-6A Skyray


Heritage Flight and General Dynamics F-111E Aardvark

Lockheed P-38, North American P-51, General Dynamics F-16, McDonnell Douglas f-4 fly over General Dynamics F-111E Aardvark


Convair B-58A Hustler MiG-19PF  (L);  MiG-15Bis Fagot (R)
Convair B-58A Hustler                           MiG-19PF (L); MiG-15Bis Fagot (R)


Grumman TAF-9J Cougar (L); Grumman F9F-4 Panther (C); Grumman TF-9J Cougar (R)

Grumman TAF-9J Cougar (L); Grumman F9F-4 Panther (C); Grumman TF-9J Cougar (R)


North American RA-5C Vigilante Douglas B-23 Dragon
North American RA-5C Vigilante                               Douglas B-23 Dragon      


Sikorsky S-43 Baby Clipper

Sikorsky S-43 Baby Clipper


And for a sampling of what the Pima Air Museum has indoors....

McCulloch HUM-1 Curtiss O-52 Owl
McCulloch HUM-1                                 Curtiss O-52 Owl     


Martin PBM-5A Mariner Columbia XJL-1
Martin PBM-5A Mariner                                Columbia XJL-1     


Are you ready to go? It took us a while to get this page up... just looking at the photos makes us want to go back!

Find 'em, See 'em, Fly,'em! And have a great flight!
  Judy and Mark

Go from Pima Air Museum to Antique Airplanes Home Page
Privacy and Legal Policy

Protected by Copyscape Online Copyright Infringement Tool
But... We'd love to have you share this page...
Use one of the handy "share this page" buttons below. Thanks, Judy and Mark


New! Comments

Have your say about this page on Antique Airplanes... what you just read or something you'd like to add! Leave me a comment in the box below.

Happy, Profitable New Year!
SBI Made This Site Easy For Us...
Try It For Yourself - Risk Free
Psst... What's BB2? Read the buzz...
First Day Of The Rest Of Your Life


Two Ways To Like Us!
Like Our Site Top Left
Like Our Fanpage Below
Thank You!


Calling All Pilots
Participate!
OK guys.... Come on... share!

We can't do this alone. Send us stories..

Your funniest flying story
Your favorite airplane
Your favorite fly-in lunch stop

Recommend
An aviation museum or
An air show you liked.

Or... just contact us with
Suggestions or Questions



Write It or Read It
In Your Own Language!
We'll Translate...
Or Google will...



Read our Cub to Oshkosh Story...

J-3 Cub California to Oshkosh Story


See great antique FRENCH airplanes Bleriot in La Ferte Alais Air Show France