An Aviation Wonderland
- G. Rhodes
- Mar 22
- 6 min read
After my Tuesday morning breakfast in the St. Cruz Restaurant of Tucson’s Leo Kent Hotel, Dave and I were ready to meet up with James. He picked us up around 8:30 in the morning to first take us to the Pima Air and Space Museum, one of Tucson’s aviation gems. Founded by the Tucson Air Museum Foundation of Pima County in 1966, the museum opened to the public ten years later. It’s a non-profit organization, which relies on ticket sales, events and other fundraising activities to meet its budgetary requirements. The Pima Air and Space Museum preserves and presents the history of flight through its extensive collection of aircraft and space vehicles on display, which includes historic biplanes, modern fighter jets as well as restored World War II aircraft. The outdoor tram tours, hangar tours and World War II aviation tours assist the museum in fulfilling its mission of providing aerospace education, as does its extensive exhibits and the invaluable work of its knowledgeable docents, many of whom are pilots themselves. (James could easily be a docent. He’s got a photographic memory and did such a great job explaining the details of so many aircraft, we often attracted a crowd.)
There are six indoor hangars at Pima, including three dedicated solely to World War II planes, along with an 80-acre outdoor display area with some land-based Cold War fighter aircraft. There’s also a restoration facility on the grounds which repaints, repairs and refurbishes some of the world’s rarest jet aircraft. The museum has exhibits on X-planes, the Space Race, outer space, and materials technology. Its collections include a moon rock, a B57 nuclear depth charge and artifacts from the 390th Bombardment Group, one of 40 bomb groups serving with the Eighth Army Air Force during the Second World War. In fact, the 390th Memorial Museum is a separate museum on the grounds, included with the $19.75 price of admission, which houses the last B-17 Flying Fortress flown by any branch of the US military. This section also showcased a display on the POW experience of the group’s 731 men who were captured and interned during the conflict. We learned about “Operation Chowhound” too, a 390th mission, which along with nine other bomb groups, dropped over 4,181 tons of food to help feed the starving citizens of the Netherlands towards the close of the war.
Other highlights at Pima included an incredible full-size replica of the Wright Brothers’ first airplane. It was constructed of the same materials as the original now housed at the Smithsonian in the nation’s capital. Kudos to Mr. Lester Klean of Sun City, Arizona, who built this exceptional reproduction acquired by the museum in 1986. Several other aircraft on display captured my interest as well. One was the first-ever 777-200 to roll off the Boeing production line and take to the skies on June 12, 1994. Registered as B-HNL with the appropriate serial number 001, it remained in Boeing's test fleet for six years until it was purchased by Cathay Pacific Airways in December 2000. The aircraft then accumulated an impressive 49,687 hours of flying time over 20,519 flights with Hong Kong’s flag carrier before its retirement in May 2018. Another Boeing wide-body aircraft now located here was the second prototype 787 Dreamliner to be produced by the company in Everrett, Washington and delivered in December 2009. It participated, along with other prototypes, in the aircraft testing and certification program that lasted from late 2009 until 2011. After the testing program was completed, the aircraft was placed in storage at Palmdale, California, and later donated to the Pima Air & Space Museum in 2015.
After lunch at the museum café, we drove around the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, which is known as the "Boneyard" or officially as the Air Force Materiel Command's 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (309 AMARG). This is where excess US military and government aircraft are stored. The aircraft stored here would constitute the second-largest air force in the world, after the US Air Force itself of course. The boneyard was established in 1946 to store wartime aircraft and it became the nation's primary storage center for military aircraft in 1964. The boneyard houses a vast array of aircraft, including planes, jets, helicopters, and even space shuttles, belonging to various branches of the military, NASA, and other government agencies. Although access was limited due to security concerns, simply driving the perimeter gave us an appreciation for the country’s military might, seeing row upon row of sleek “excess” aircraft. James next took us to Tucson Mountain Park, which, offers a 20,000-acre Sonoran Desert preserve with 62 miles of trails and features the Gates Pass Overlook. This popular spot allowed us to enjoy spectacular views of the desert and countless saguaro cactus that take about 13 years to grow one foot. Some of them were 40 feet tall. Before heading back to the hotel for the night, we stopped for dinner at Culinary Dropout. Located in a renovated lumber yard, this relaxed restaurant stood out for its classic bar food and live music.
James was a wonderful host. He arranged a private tour of the Pinal Air Park for us on Wednesday morning. The Pinal Airpark is special because it's the world's largest commercial aircraft storage and heavy maintenance facility that includes wide-body jets. It’s a "boneyard" if you will for civilian commercial aircraft, which benefits from the dry desert climate that helps in minimizing corrosion. Airlines store aircraft here that are no longer in service or that are undergoing long-term maintenance. While the Pinal Airpark is accessible to the public for general aviation services, the aircraft storage areas are not open for general viewing, so we considered ourselves to be very lucky. The facility was constructed in 1942 and known as Marana Army Airfield, a training base for military pilots during World War II. It’s co-located with Silverbell Army Heliport (SAHP) and also hosts the US Special Operations Command's Parachute Training and Testing Facility. The airpark currently houses approximately 34 Boeing 747s, including one bearing the TWA livery. I may have flown that very aircraft many times across the Atlantic in the 1980s.
We stopped for a lunch break at Amigos Burgers & Beer, a casual family-friendly restaurant known for its juicy burgers and extensive beer selection. Our next stop was the Titan Missile Museum, the only publicly accessible, preserved Titan II missile site, offering a unique glimpse into Cold War history and the technology used for nuclear deterrence. The museum is the last remaining artifact of the 54 Titan II missile sites that were on alert across the United States from 1963 to 1987. The site was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1994, recognizing its importance in American history. During our tour, we were given an opportunity to visit the underground missile site, including the launch control room and see the Titan II missile up close in its silo. Visiting the museum was a sobering experience and provided context for the Cold War arms race and the development of increasingly deadly missile systems.
The late afternoon found us driving up to the summit of Mount Lemmon, the highest point in the Santa Catalina Mountains. Mount Lemmon is home to Ski Valley, the southernmost ski resort in the continental United States and a popular winter destination for those seeking a snowy escape from the desert climate. The drive up via the Sky Island Scenic Byway (Catalina Highway) was beautiful, known for its breathtaking views, which gave us a chance to see different ecosystems along the way. The mountains rose dramatically from the desert floor, creating a unique high-altitude ecosystem that offered a stark contrast to the Sonoran Desert below, As we ascended the mountain, we passed through various ecosystems, including the Sonoran Desert, semidesert grassland, pine-oak woodland, Ponderosa pine forest, and mixed-conifer forest. This diversity supports a wide array of wildlife, including black bears, foxes, and various bird species. The drive up from the city correctly deserves its designation as a "scenic byway."
Our Tuesday evening dinner took place at Caruso’s, a quaint Italian eatery known for its 4th-generation owners and its unlimited garlic bread. Afterwards, it was time to say goodbye to James and to thank him for making our visit so special. Dave and I headed home to Raleigh early the next morning with many fond memories made with a now very good friend.
Until next time…safe travels.
Great write up George of a very fun and educational trip. As always great to travel with you.