A Pictorial Guide to Aviation Fun

Most know the thrill of aviation through commercial flights from international airports while others are familiar with it through private and recreational flying. But one doesn't have to buy an airline ticket at the airport to enjoy the wonders of aviation. In fact, just visiting the airport is a great way to get a taste of aviation. Museums, private collections, and turning your head skyward are just a few other options for getting to know a little more about those flying machines and what they've accomplished in little over a century.

Here in the Puget Sound there are plenty of opportunities to interact with aircraft and the world of aviation. Take these examples in our neighborhood and just down the block for starters and see for yourself:

The Museum of Flight

Boeing Field - Seattle, WA

The BAC Concorde supersonic airliner is open to walk through for museum patrons.

The canvas covering on this Curtiss JN-4 Jenny reveals the wooden frame of early biplanes.

The Great Gallery is home to the most diverse collection of aircraft in the museum.



The Flying Heritage Collection

Paine Field - Mukilteo, WA

A Nazi German Focke-Wulf FW-190 D-13 "Dora" is the only example of it's type still in existence. It is one of the rarest aircraft in the world today.

A Curtiss JN-4D Jenny biplane military trainer is a relic of the First World War.

This Me-163 Komet is a rocket-powered fighter used by the Germans to shoot down Allied bombers in WWII.

Historic Flight Foundation

Paine Field - Mukilteo, WA

A Grumman F8F-3 Bearcat "Wampus Cat" demonstrates the folding wings equipped on all US Navy aircraft for saving space in storage and on the flight deck.

This North American B-25D Mitchell "Gumpy" medium bomber is painted in British RAF colors and was recently flown over from Duxford, UK to become a permanent part of the collection.

The North American P-51B Mustang "Impatient Virgin?" fighter aircraft returns from performing at General Aviation Day in 2008. All of the aircraft at the collection or airworthy and fly in the summer and spring.

The Museum of Flight Restoration Center
Paine Field - Mukilteo, WA

A rare Vought F7U Cutlass naval fighter is being restored to eventually go on display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

This Piasecki CH-21 Workhorse, also known as "the flying banana," is a rare example of early helicopter design.

The cockpit of a Cold War-era Antonov AN-2 NATO-nicknamed Colt biplane utility aircraft is illuminated by a sunny opening in the clouds, rare to the Pacific Northwest.

Not all museums can give visitors the benefit of flying examples, but a trip to a local airport can sometimes be the best alternative. Just watching the planes come and go, or "spotting," can be an experience all its own.

 Boeing Field/King County International Airport

Seattle, WA

A Boeing/McDonnell-Douglas F/A-18F Super Hornet naval fighter/bomber taxis out for takeoff for a test flight.

An NAS Whidbey Island Lockheed P-3C Orion anti-submarine/patrol bomber departs after a brief visit.

A UPS Boeing/McDonnell-Douglas MD-11F freighter glides in to land and offload parcels for delivery.

The new Boeing 747-8F freighter leaves for a test flight from the Boeing facility at the northern end of the airport.

A United States Air Force Boeing/McDonnell-Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle fighter/bomber launches in afterburner to perform at the 2009 Boeing Air Show for Seafair weekend.

Paine Field/Snohomish County Airport

Mukilteo, WA

Boeing's Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star chase plane lands after escorting a Boeing plane on a test flight.

The new Boeing 787 Dreamliner departs after a quick touch-and-go.

A formation of P-51 Mustangs and a Republic P-47D Thunderbolt pass by during General Aviation Day in 2008.

The last Boeing 747-400 taxis out to the runway for it's maiden flight and marking the beginning of the new 8 series.

The new Boeing 747-8I Intercontinental lifts off for its first flight on March 20, 2011. Visible in the top-right corner is the T-33 seen above.