Mr Kevincm returns to Washington – The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum – National Mall

Mr Kevincm returns to Washington – The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum – National Mall

In this… well.. mess:

• How far can you go for a £1 (+Tax)?
• Off to Manchester Airport, Manchester Airport and the BA Terraces Lounge
• AA735 Manchester Airport to Philadelphia
• A long Philadelphia layover featuring the US Customs and the TSA at their best.
• AA4545 Philadelphia to Washington Reagan
• Holiday Inn Washington Reagan
• The Marriott Marquis, Washington DC
• The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum – National Mall
• The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum – The Udvar Hazey Building
• Back to Dulles, British Airways Dulles Lounge
• BA216 Washington Dulles to Heathrow with the Airbus A380
• Heathrow Transfer, North Lounge
• BA1530 London Heathrow to Manchester
• The joy of coaches, and CrossCountry trains from Manchester to Birmingham
• Short and Sweet

With a few hours to go before I had to be at the conference, I had a couple of things on my agenda.

First was a camera shop – which was closed when I arrived. That wasn’t helpful – but not impossible to deal with.

The other thing was I wanted to head back to National Space and Air Museum – even though I passed through there a year ago with LeChicGeek.

The National Air and Space Museum, National Mall

Why would I got to a museum that I’ve been to before a few times before? For one reason alone. Enterprise.

Let me be more precise – USS Enterprise, NCC-1701. Or rather the shooting model from Star Trek.

My love of travel and exploring is a gift I got from my parents when I was a lot younger when I was taken around bits of the world, bits of Asia, Europe and beyond. However the other thing that nurtured my want of exploration and understanding a little more about the world was Star Trek.

It formed part of my childhood, a love of travel, adventure and exploring.

The last time I was here, the Enterprise was away being conserved , with the studio model going on display again last year.

And I wanted to meet her.

Boldly Going 

The shooting side of the model

You know the registry. The foundation of many a bad password out there.

Head on.

Here’s why you don’t see the right hand side of the model – as well as missing her speedstripes, she’s also got big cables, used to connect it to power to make her light up.

For me, it was wonderful seeing a part of my childhood.

Meanwhile, I took the time to explore the museum.

Northwest Airlines 747 Nose

American Airlines Douglas DC-7 

Northrop Alpha

Colourful uniforms you won’t see today

Big turbofan engines are big.

Exhibits in the main hall

Things that can go boom.

The band prepares to play.

Nope. Nowhere near a stewardess with my figure.

A sunken A320? … no, it’s a simulator which shows arrivals and departures from Washington National.

Time sadly was not on my side, so I headed out past the Boeing Milestones of flight

And past her again.

  
Passing The Enterprise. Her ongoing mission – to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.

And remember, it doesn’t say go. It say GO BOLDLY.

Something to remember on a day to day basis sometimes when you’re not sure about the world.

Next: The National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Centre

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