A Visit With Bloggers & Palm Springs Air Museum

Thursday afternoon I drove over to Sam’s Family Spa RV Resort, just a few miles down Dillon Rd. from the Sands, for a visit with Rick and Joanne. 

Rick and I had exchanged emails Thursday morning about getting together and I arranged the time unaware that Paulette was going out for lunch with some friends so she couldn’t make it.  I really enjoyed meeting Rick and Joanne and we made plans to get together early next week for dinner.

We’re already looking forward to dinner at Sherman’s 

This time I’ll check with Paulette first just to make sure her busy calendar is in sync with my usually empty one.  Rick and Joanne have never been to Sherman’s Deli so I think it’s time they were introduced to not only the best deli in Palm Springs but the most decadent desserts too!  I’m dying for their Carrot Cake again!

One of the spiffy, spotless hangars at the air museum

As predicted, yesterday was a pretty windy day here in Desert Hot Springs – and, noticeably cooler too.  It looks like the cold spell afflicting most of the southwest will be hanging around here for a few days – at least it didn’t rain.  Paulette wanted to do some sewing in the rig so I headed over to the Palm Springs Air Museum.

B-25 Mitchell Bomber – same as Jimmy Doolittle’s

One of the perfectly maintained aircraft I saw was a Mitchell B-25 bomber the same as the one used by Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle in his famous air raid on Tokyo on April 18, 1942.  This plane carried 5 to 7 crew members depending on the configuration.  I noticed how small the turret gunner positions were – and how exposed!!

Spitfire the RAF fighter that won the Battle of Britain

The Spitfire fighter, of course, needs no introduction to anyone with even a vague familiarization with WWII and the Battle of Britain.  British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said it best in a 1940 speech:  “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few” when talking about the courageous pilots who flew the Spitfire against overwhelming odds.

The jammed cockpit of a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21

Perhaps the most intriguing exhibit I saw was the very cramped cockpit of a Russian Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 fighter jet.  After looking at all the dials, switches and instruments facing the pilot, I couldn’t help but wonder how in the world anyone could fly this thing at speeds of 1,400 mph.  Also, I wonder the museum got this?

This fighter got my vote for best looking aircraft

I forgot to get the name of the beautiful fighter jet pictured above but it got my vote for the best looking aircraft in the museum.  Perhaps one of my ex-Navy bloggers can help me out here (Sam, Rod, Paul??).  All I know is that this sucker is not a twin engine Beechcraft.

Tom Cruise flew this Tomcat?  Yeah, right!!

In addition to the aircraft in the spiffy hangars, there were also many fighters on display outside.  One of the fighter jets was the F-14 Tomcat made famous in the movie Top Gun with Tom Cruise.  “Never in the field of entertainment was so little owed by so many to one actor” – you can quote me on that if you like!

My vote for the most scary seat on a bomber

Can you imagine flying into battle against anti-aircraft barrages and fighter planes while sitting in the little glass bubble shown above.  Guys volunteered for this?  They actually climbed into this suicide chamber before taking off?  Seven Flags Amusement Park’s scariest rides are chicken-feed compared to this!

Mt. San Jacinto held back most of the day’s clouds

It was a pretty good day all around considering it was kind of windy thus eliminating most of my usual outdoor activities like hiking, swimming and lounging around in the sunshine.  All days are good here in the desert and some are just better than others!

Just for the heck of it – a ‘Forever Marilyn’ encore

Have a great Friday and thanks again for visiting!