Air Mobility Command Museum, Part 3 Simulators

[OldAirmail]

As a brief aside, the museum did have several simulators like we use. Just fancied up a little.

One of the better ones was built into the front cockpit of a real Douglas C-47.

Unfortunately, there were too many Boy Scouts waiting to try it out so I have no pictures.

The other two weren't being used when I was there.


Again, sorry for the poor quality. One of the settings was rotated to the wrong position on my camera.



C-5 galaxy cockpit



C 17 Globemaster cockpit

[Flacke]

Hello OldA , coincidently I attended a function at our local Air Museum yesterday. We have a 3-monitor simulator built into the cockpit of a DC-4. I got to fly it yesterday and it flew just as I expected. I have flown the DC-3 several times over the years in both the left and right seats. The DC-4 flew about the same but had two more engines. The DC-3 and the DC-4 are remarkably stable in flight and it takes a lot to upset one. Very solid on the controls and quite a pleasure to fly once you get used to how slowly everything happens. On the longer trips in the DC-3's[especially in Winter] I really wished for about 50 knots more cruise speed. Slow by todays standards but if you are patient it will get you there eventually.
I also met and got to spend some time withe Wing Commander Russ Bannock. He had 11 victories against German aircraft and another 19 shoot-downs of the V-1 Buzz bombs using the DH Mosquito. After the war he became Chief Test Pilot with DeHavilland Canada and he was the first Pilot to fly the exciting new DH-2 Beaver. He went on to be President of DeHavilland.
I was thrilled to spend quality time with Russ and I found him to be a very wonderful man and he has Aviation in his blood and soul to this day. Truly a treat

[OldAirmail]

I found the same type of people at the Dover museum. All of the planes that were staffed, were staffed by people who knew their planes very well and were happy to show you anything that they could.

A lot of the time when people get old they feel the loss of what they had been. Talking, and listening to them talk, about their plane brings them back to life.

Lots of smiling faces in those planes just waiting for a chance to talk. A win/win for all.

[Flacke]

I found the same type of people at the Dover museum. All of the planes that were staffed, were staffed by people who knew their planes very well and were happy to show you anything that they could.

A lot of the time when people get old they feel the loss of what they had been. Talking, and listening to them talk, about their plane brings them back to life.

Lots of smiling faces in those planes just waiting for a chance to talk. A win/win for all.

Agreed, truly a win/win. Aviators are a "band of brothers" and wherever you meet another one or a group of them, you are instantly one of the group and an instant friend. When I talked with Russ Bannock we spoke to each other as if we had been friends all our lives. Our only bond was our mutual love of Aviation and the fact that both of us have scared ourselves in airplanes and were able to survive the experience. We have both shared the stunningly beautiful sights that you can only see aloft. And we have also shared the tension of staring at ice buildups on our wings while wondering if we could avoid the thunder and lightning up ahead directly on our desired track to destination.
The same goes for Simulator flyers, we have a common bond here as well, and we are all part of another type of "band of brothers". We are fortunate to share our interests and experiences with each other. I for one, love it!

[ftldave]

Thanks very much for sharing this great set of pics. After seeing them, I'm putting the Air Mobility Command Museum on my got-to-visit wish list.

A lot of the time when people get old they feel the loss of what they had been. Talking, and listening to them talk, about their plane brings them back to life.

There's another not-so-melancholy explanation about that now. Brain researchers have always known that autobiographical memory peaks between ages 15 and 30, and recent studies show, in healthy, older people, access to those memories often becomes easier, while at the same time cognitive reasoning does start to decline. Modern brain research is also starting to discount the widespread belief of a great separation between left and right brain functions, as more mental processes have been observed that involve the entire brain, not just one side or the other.

I guess that all means if I visit the Air Mobility Museum in my old age, I will remember the experience, but just not as much as if I was younger, even if I don't understand what I'm seeing!