Pensacola N.A.S.

Pensacola Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida is home to the Blue Angels flying team.  These are the Navy's "Ace" pilots.  True "Top Guns".  Their expertise is legendary.  I was fortunate enough to see them at an air show in Oklahoma City several years ago.  Their skills are unbelievable!  Watching their performance is a breathtaking experience.  I cannot imagine the hours of practice necessary to achieve such perfect timing.  Should you ever get a chance to see them in action, take it.  Like so many other wonders you must see it to believe it.

But there is more to Pensacola N.A.S than just the Blue Angels.  It is a full naval station, and contains several historic sites within its boundaries.  The original Spanish fort still stands, overlooking the bay.  And Pensacola lighthouse still lights the way for boats at night.  But for my money, the next best attraction there is the Naval Air History Museum.  It is full of historic and modern airplanes of every description, and admission is free.  If it flew for the Navy, there is one in the museum.

Pensacola is a beautiful place.  Blue water.  White sand.  Lots of sun.  Oh to be 18 again!

Just inside the entrance is this full sized Blue Angels plane.

Outside the entrance to the Naval Air History Museum.

Planes, planes and more planes.

The Navy held a small graduation ceremony while we were there.

Midway through the museum we entered a room with subdued lighting.  In it were the wreckages of 2 World War II planes recovered from the ocean.  The lighting made them appear as if they were still underwater.  A moving experience.

This is a cut-away view of an aircraft carrier.  Looks like a floating airport.

The museum contains as much history as it does technology.

The Mayor poses for the papparazzi.

That masked man in the cockpit is none other than the Ticketmeister.

Big planes.  Little Planes.

Blue Angels planes suspended in formation.

The Ticketmeister checks out the history of early flight.

The wings fold up for easy transport aboard other vessels.

Looks like a lean, mean, fighting machine to me.

Inside an Apollo capsule.  How'd you like to travel half a million miles in that?

Early space suits.

That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.

The museum even has single engine planes and helicopters.

An overview of the museum shows how many planes are really there.

This view of a Hornet fighter shows how well armed it is.

Pensacola N.A.S. contains a working lighthouse.  Tall and stately, it looks like a lighthouse should.  While it is normally open for visits, it was closed on this day.  Too bad.  I love lighthouses.

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