Airplanes space ships – missiles:  the U.S. Air Force Museum at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio includes hundreds of examples of flying objects!  

From the very first hot-air ballons to the first airplanes, the first warplanes, the warplanes of every conflict since, up to the most modern airplanes and space vehicles, a visit to the USAF Museum is an opportunity to see it all!

Four huge halls plus outdoor exhibits (see the map) contain about two hundred airplanes and space ships – some of which you can walk inside – as well as the piston engines, jet engines, and rocket engines that powered them, plus displays recounting the stories of the people and histories behind each one, all await your visit.

One display tells the stories of the Women’s Air Force – the women who flew the U.S. warplanes of World War Two from the factories in the U.S. to deliver them to American airbases in Europe and Asia.  

Another very poignant display recounts the history and flights of the Tuskegee Airmen – African-Americans who flew as part of the Air Force during World War Two, in a time when racial segregation was a fact of life.

The Museum’s displays are not limited to U.S. aviation.  German airplanes from both World War One and World War Two are exhibited, including the ME-262 – the first jet fighter.  Fighters and bombers from Britian, France, and elsewhere are also on display – including Russia’s MIG-15, MIG-17, and Sukhoi SU-27!  

The Museum is open 9-to-5, seven days a week.  Get there early; that is barely enough time to see it all.  

And admission to the Museum is free.  No charge is required to enter.  Prepare for a day full of exciting discoveries!  ●