National Museum of the United States Air Force

On to Heather and Ryan's place, where I was reintroduced to little L and Bruce, Scott, and Kendra met him for the first time. We spent the 4th of July there -- pretty quietly at home, because it was dumping rain outside. But it cleared up later in the day and we enjoyed a great fireworks display, with not one, not two, but three grand finales. You know how you're always a little disappointed when the fireworks are over -- well, we were pleasantly surprised two times out of the three that they weren't! After the final grand, grander, grandest finale, I was quite content!

On July 5th we drove an hour or so over to Wright-Patterson AFB to visit the National Museum of the United States Air Force. There was more to see than we could do justice -- history of flight, early to present military flight, National Aviation Hall of Fame, IMAX theatre where we watched a movie on fighter pilot training at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas. We all said we needed Dave there to explain things to us -- it was an almost overwhelming display.

As impressive as all the displays were, I was especially intrigued by the quotes posted throughout the museum, particularly those of skeptics who didn't think this flying contraption would ever be useful or amount to anything. For example, this from the managing editor of the Dayton Journal, referring to Wilbur and Orville Wright: "I sort of felt sorry for them. They seemed like well-meaning, decent enough young men. Yet there they were, neglecting their business to waste their time day after day on that ridiculous flying maching. I had an idea that it must worry their father."

Convincing the military was also an uphill struggle. This, dated 1912: "The General Staff of the U.S. Army was unimpressed . . . and one staff officer made it clear that airplanes were only suitable for reconnaissance and that thoughts of air battles were purely the product of the young fliers' fertile imaginations." But there were those who caught the vision: "More than anyone I have ever known or read about, the Wright brothers gave me the sense that nothing is impossible. I like to think . . . that the Air Force has rooted its traditions in that spirit." -- General H.H. "Hap" Arnold, Wrights brothers' student and later Commander Army Air Forces World War II.