2019 Airplane Fun Near and Far

Always Looking For Antique Airplanes

In 2020, the COVID pandemic cancelled most air shows. Some, like Oshkosh, held virtual events. Some aviation museums are starting to reopen slowly. Hopefully people are busy in hangars restoring antique airplanes and readying them for when we can all get out and travel again.

It's no fun to be grounded when you want to fly and explore.

We have had a personal setback too, with some health issues slowing us down.  We don't have the time to check on which venues are still viable and which are things of the past.

So... Post COVID our advice is to check with each air show or museum to see if they are open and operating.  Stay safe.

Our 2019 airplane fun came sometimes as part of our travels, sometimes as destinations on their own, and often as fun filled weekends.

While we were on some of those other travels, we were always on the lookout for airplanes… antique and otherwise.

(As before to see more about our 2019 travels in general instead of just 2019 airplane fun, you can head over to MouseTours.com

To see any of these photos in a slide show with a larger size, just click on any of the photos.  Enjoy!)


2019 Airplane Fun Abroad First

Spain

Our trip to Spain was to explore the northwest corner in Galicia, but we knew we were going to return to Quatro Vientos Airport in Madrid.  It's the oldest airport in Spain, established in 1911, and is Spain’s first military airfield.

We went for the museum and antique airplanes.  We had been years ago, but we had to go back because it’s bigger than we thought, and we hadn't allowed enough time then.

The Museo del Aire has changed a little from our first visit.  All the great planes are still there, but the first exhibit hall was a complete surprise.  Instead of planes all just lined up in a row, they have a winding exhibit with some interactive surprises and great exhibits around every bend.

Here's how the Dornier Wal "Plus Ultra" looked before... and how it is displayed now...

Dornier Wal - Plus Ultra
Dornier J Wal  - Plus Ultra

And here’s how the CASA Breguet XIX was, then and now…

CASA Breguet XIX TR (GR)
CASA Breguet XIX Super GR Cuatrovientos

The new display is very well done.  The lighting may make it harder to photograph the planes, but the scenes and descriptions are good.

The other halls and the outside displays are much as they were before.

Now, Those Fun Filled Weekends

Orbis - An Obsolete Jet On a Mission

Orbis MD-10

An aging jet is not what we usually write about when we say antique airplanes…. but the MD-10 that this great charity uses is rare if not antique.  Orbis operates this Flying Eye Hospital around the world. 

We had a chance to tour it this year… read what we said about Orbis.  And if you’re so inclined, you can support them at orbis.org.

A Tri-Motor and An Air Mail Marker

Ford Tri-Motor

There was a Ford Tri-motor making the rounds, so we HAD to drive to Concord, California and get a ride in it. 

Now, we’ve flown in several tri-motors, but Mark really, really likes planes with 3 engines, and we hadn’t ridden in THIS one. 

When we were in the air, he spotted something we had been wanting to go looking for…

Old Air Mail Markers From The Air

...one of the old Air Mail Markers… remnants of the Transcontinental Airway System. 

This was a network of about 1,550 concrete arrows built from 1924 to 1931 to help airmail pilots complete transcontinental flights faster than trains before radar was practical in aviation.

Now we HAD to go looking for it on the ground... talk about 2019 airplane fun!

Transcontinental Airway System Arrows

There are actually two arrows on Acalanes Ridge, pointing to two routes.  They are graffiti covered, but otherwise in good condition. 

There is a hiking trail to it, but it's an obscure local trail, and finding it is not necessarily easy.  With a little persistence, our GPS got us to a very small parking lot for a short hike to see them… and watch the Tri-Motor fly by one more time!

Adventure Flight Again

1943 North American SNJ-4


Last year Mark had a flight in the old Bamboo Bomber.  Adventure Flight operates out of the Lincoln, CA airport and they have other planes to fly in…

...So for his birthday this year, Mark got to fly in their 1943 North American SNJ-4.

Center for Freedom and Flight

We were on a driving weekend, heading home after that SNJ flight, and  as we passed the old Nut Tree Airport, we stopped to see what was going on.

1935 Kinner Playboy

What we found was a museum we didn’t know about...

The Center for Freedom and Flight.  It’s a great little museum that is fun to visit. 

They don’t have a large collection yet, but they had one plane that we’d never seen….

Have you ever seen a 1935 Kinner Playboy?

A B-24 Ride

B-24J Liberator -  Witchcraft

We had a friend who had a health scare last year, so he decided that he and Mark should fly in a B-24 together.  The Colllings Foundation was making their rounds, and when they came to Moffett Field, the boys paid their money and off they went.  It’s always fun to see these great old planes in the air.  We were so sad to hear about the tragic crash of their B-17 later in the year

Moffett Field has an aviation museum that you can visit.  They have a Lockheed P-3 Orion that sits outside… We usually take our own photos, but we snatched this one from their website…

Lockheed P-3 Orion - Moffett Field Historical Society

While we were there we noticed it was open for tours.  That doesn’t happen often, so we jumped on it.  Docents who flew on them were there to tell us all about their missions.  If you’re interested you might try to contact the Moffett Field Historical Society to see if there are any dates it will be open.

Mid-Atlantic Air Museum

Annual World War II Weekend Reading, PA

C-97G - Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation

This was more than a weekend of fun.  We had been wanting to get to the Annual World War II Weekend at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum (MAAM). 

This year there was a plane flying in that Mark really wanted to see… the Berlin Airlift Historical Foundation's C-97G "Angel of Deliverance”.

We’ve seen air shows with WWII re-enactors before, but we had never seen anything like this.  There were amazing camps set up representing many nationalities, and even some of the spectators came dressed in WWII era costumes.

MAAM has been working for years to restore a P-61 Black Widow.  You can see it there… they’re making progress.

And Another Ride!

There are other great planes to see at the weekend show.  The Commemorative Air Force had some planes there giving rides. And since we were into 2019 airplane fun… and to celebrate my birthday, we took a ride in “FiFi” their B-29.

B-29 Fifi

Finally, Sobering History in Vietnam

In the Fall we took a great trip to Vietnam and Cambodia.  Mostly it was a fun trip, but there were history lessons too.  In the north, we went to Hỏa Lò Prison, the “Hanoi Hilton”.

In Ho Chi Minh City we visited the old Presidential Palace with a Huey Helicopter exhibited on the roof as it would have been.  And at the War Remnants Museum there were planes left behind like the A-1 Skyraider.

Our guide also pointed out the old “CIA building” where the last helicopter took off in 1975.  Our guide points it out on his phone. It's surrounded by skyscrapers now, but if you look close, you can see the small white square roof of that building.

Huey Helicopter in Saigon
A-1 Skyraider in Saigon
CIA Building in Saigon

2019 Airplane Fun Was Packed!

If you had some 2019 airplane fun, we’d love to hear about it.  If you have a favorite museum or airshow, we’d like to hear about that too… there are pages where you can share.

Can't wait to see what next year brings.

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

Curious about what other antique airplanes we've found? Search for more...

But... We'd love to have you share this page or comment on it...  Thanks

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.

Ready For A New Adventure?

Follow Your Passion
Who knows where it will take you?
(Look around at where it's taken us!)
Click below to start your own journey

SBI!


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

Calling All Pilots
Please Share!

Ask A Question

What Plane Is That?

Maybe our readers can give you an answer.

We can't do this alone. Writing just a short story won't be too painful! Something about...

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


How about something

Just Plane Fun

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!

Antique Airplanes
You Might Like...
Click on a photo to Read About...

Our Cub to Oshkosh Story...

J-3 Cub California to Oshkosh Story

See antique FRENCH airplanes...

Bleriot in La Ferte Alais Air Show France

You can find this beautiful Fox Moth in Canada

1932 de Havilland DH-83 Fox Moth

Didn't Find It?
Search For It...

What We've Seen Lately and Updates

  1. 2021 Airplane Fun - Planes Flew Even If We Didn’t

    Our 2021 airplane fun was confined to domestic travels. But plenty of airplanes fly close to home.

    Read More

  2. Golden Age Air Museum

    Nothing pretentious, just cool old (pre-WWII) aircraft and most of them fly!

    Read More

  3. 2020 Airplane Fun - Mostly Watching Skies At Home!

    Our 2020 airplane fun was confined to Guyana and French Guiana. And the skies at home due to that darned COVID virus!

    Read More

Airplane Fun Through The Years

2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021