May 20th, 2021 … Summer of Fun continues!

Today was our narrated Gettysburg Battlefield bus tour. We drove to the National Battlefield Visitor’s Center and waited for the bus to arrive. For three days in 1863, Union and Confederate forces met here on the fields, hills and ridges of Gettysburg in the turning-point battle of the American Civil War. Today, the 6,000-acre battlefield includes more than 1,300 monuments, markers and memorials to tell the story of the battle and the men who fought here. Through preservation efforts, the historic battlefield landscape looks very much like it did in 1863. It continues to serve as an everlasting symbol of courage, remembrance and reconciliation.

Thanks to our Licensed Battlefield Guide, we were able to connect with stories and lessons from the past. We stepped onto the hallowed ground and reflected on the many sacrifices made. This tour allowed us to take our place on the battlefield and experience it beyond the history books and movies. It gave us the opportunity to interact with iconic landmarks such as Little Round Top and Cemetery Hill. It all helped us to understand what happened here and the impact the battle and its aftermath has on our lives today.

The Battle of Gettysburg took place on July 1-3, 1863 in and near the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This battle was one of the most important battles of the Civil War for the North. Robert E. Lee had invaded the North and was trying to defeat the Union Army once and for all. However, the Union Army held him off and sent him retreating. This was a major turning point in the war.

On the first day the armies were still coming together. The Confederates outnumbered the Union the first day and caused them to retreat through the town of Gettysburg to the south side of town. General Lee wanted his men to continue the attack and finish off the Union troops. However, his men delayed and the Union had the opportunity to dig in and set up their defenses. The first day’s fighting (at McPherson’s Ridge, Oak Hill, Oak Ridge, Seminary Ridge, Barlow’s Knoll and in and around the town) involved some 50,000 soldiers of which roughly 15,500 were killed, wounded, captured or missing. The first day in itself ranks as the 12th bloodiest battle of the Civil War—with more casualties than the battles of Bull Run and Franklin combined.

The battle began about 8 am to the west beyond the McPherson barn. Union cavalry confronted Confederate infantry advancing east along Chambersburg Pike. Heavy fighting spread north and south along the ridge as additional forces arrived.

At 1 pm Major General Robert E Rodes’ Confederates attacked from this hill (where the Eternal Light Peace Memorial stands today) threatening Union forces on McPherson and Oak ridges. Seventy-five years later, over 1,800 Civil War veterans helped dedicate this memorial to “Peace Eternal in a Nation United.”

Union soldiers at Oak Ridge held stubbornly against Rodes’ advance. By 3:30 pm the entire Union line from here to McPherson Ridge had begun to crumble, finally falling back to Cemetery Hill. When the first day ended, the Confederates held the upper hand. Lee decided to continue the offensive, pitting his 70,000-man army against Meade’s Union army of 93,000.

By the second day, the armies from both sides were now at full force. The Union had around 94,000 soldiers and the Confederates around 72,000. Lee attacked and there was fierce fighting throughout the day with both sides taking heavy losses. The Union lines held. The Second Day’s Battle was the largest and costliest of the three days. The second day’s fighting (at Devil’s Den, Little Round Top, the Wheatfield, the Peach Orchard, Cemetery Ridge, Trostle’s Farm, Culp’s Hill and Cemetery Hill) involved at least 100,000 soldiers of which roughly 20,000 were killed, wounded, captured or missing. The second day in itself ranks as the 10th bloodiest battle of the Civil War—with far more casualties than the much larger Battle of Fredericksburg.

Early in the day, the Confederate army positioned itself on high ground along Seminary Ridge, through town, and north of Cemetery and Culps hills. Union forces occupied Culps and Cemetery hills and along Cemetery Ridge south to Round Tops. The lines of both armies formed two parallel “fish hooks.”

On the second day of the Battle Of Gettysburg, July 2, 1863, General Robert E. Lee devised a plan for his Confederates to attack both flanks of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge. The result would be three hours of carnage that won nothing of tactical significance for his Army of Northern Virginia. The battles fought that day are some of the most famous in military history.  Lee’s First Corps, under Lieutenant General James Longstreet, would attack the northern end of the Federal line obliquely, in echelon from south to north, with three of his four divisions. The fourth, under Major General George Pickett, was still en route and unavailable. One division from the corps would capture two hills (Round Top and Little Round Top) just beyond the end of Cemetery Ridge. Sweeping over the hills, they would hit the Federal flank and drive northward astride Cemetery Ridge.

The next two divisions, each in its turn, would then join the attack by moving obliquely at a northeast angle across the Emmitsburg Road. The three divisions would push the Federal Army of the Potomac back against the south slope of Cemetery Hill and Culp Hill. Meanwhile, the corps of Lieutenant General Ewell would be assailing those hills from the north. Ewell was to begin his demonstration against Cemetery and Culp hills when he heard the sound of guns at the beginning of Longstreet’s assault and keep pressure on the Union right. Major General Gouverneur K. Warren, chief engineer of the Army of the Potomac, rushes troops to Little Round Top; they arrived minutes before the Confederates did. The 20th Maine Regiment charges late in the battle, foiling a flanking attempt by the 15th Alabama. Little Round Top is the smaller of two hills, between the Emmitsburg and Taneytown roads. The Union left flank was preserved by an ad hoc collection of troops sent by Chief Engineer Gouverneur K. Warren that arrived just minutes before Confederates of Major General John Bell Hood’s division. The hill only became known as Little Round Top well after the battle was fought.

They were surprised to find Federals in front of them at the beginning of the assault, where none had been reported. Maj. Gen. Daniel Sickles had moved his Union III Corps about three-quarter mile in advance of the Union line, to take up position in a wheat field, a peach orchard, and around a tumbled mass of huge boulders known as Devil’s Den. Maneuvering around boulders and through thick underbrush, men finally reached the summit, and General Oates could see the entire Federal line. He could also see about a half mile away, the summit of Little Round Top, which was about 100 feet lower than where he stood. Unlike the heavily wooded Big Round Top, much of the trees on Little Round Top had been cut down months earlier. He could plainly see that only a handful of men from the Union Signal Corps were on the hill. Receiving orders to take Little Round Top, Oates had his tired men work their way down to the valley between the two hills, where they were joined by a regiment of their fellow Alabamians and two from Texas. The newcomers had fought their way through the fringe of Devil’s Den, where heavy fighting continued. The five regiments began ascending Little Round Top, with 4th Texas on the left, then 5th Texas, 4th Alabama, 47th Alabama, and on the right flank the 15th Alabama. Two-thirds of the way to the summit, they were met with volleys of rifle and cannon fire.

They were supported on their right by 10-pound Parrott rifles of 1st Lt. Charles Hazlett’s battery. The Federals got into position 15 minutes before the Alabama and Texas troops arrived. The Confederates, rocked by the initial volleys, responded with their own fire. A bullet struck Colonel Vincent fatally; reportedly, his last command was, “Don’t give an inch.” The 140th New York Regiment from Brig. Gen. Stephen Weed’s brigade arrived, sent by Warren to reinforce the Union position. Its commander, Col. Patrick O’ Rorke was killed almost instantly. Soon, Weed’s other three regiments—146th New York, 91st and 155th Pennsylvania—joined the defenders on Little Round Top. Weed himself, standing near one of Hazlett’s guns, was killed by a shot to the head, reportedly from a Confederate sharpshooter in Devil’s Den below. Lieutenant Hazlett too fell dead, also reportedly the victim of a Devil’s Den sharpshooter. Officer casualties were heavy on both sides and included Col. Oates’ brother, Lieutenant John Oates, killed while attacking the 20th Maine. The fight for Little Round Top was over, but farther north along the Emmitsburg Road brutal battles were being fought in the Wheatfield and the Peach Orchard.

On the second day of the Battle of Gettysburg Union 3rd Corps commander Daniel Sickles advanced to occupy the Peach Orchard, feeling that the high ground there dominated his defensive line. The Union lines extended from the Peach Orchard to Devil’s Den and angled northward on Emmitsburg Road. The advance forced the 3rd Corps to cover far too much ground, and it had barely taken its new position when Longstreet’s attack struck. Federal cannon bombarded Confederate forces crossing the Rose Farm toward the Wheatfield. The Confederate attacks overran the Peach Orchard and threatened the entire Union flank in the heaviest fighting of the battle. By sunset, names of otherwise insignificant spots would be writ large in blood, immortalizing Little Round Top, Devil’s Den, the Wheatfield, and the Peach Orchard.

The third day, General Lee decided to make an all or nothing attack. He felt if he could win this battle, the South would win the war. He sent General Pickett, with 12,500 men, on a direct charge at the heart of the Union Army. This famous attack is called Pickett's Charge. Pickett's men were defeated with over half of them injured or killed. Pickett’s Charge was large and grand but by no means the largest charge of the Civil War. Pickett’s Charge involved some 12,000 Confederate soldiers, but the Confederate charge at Franklin had roughly 20,000. Even that pales in comparison to the grand Confederate charge at Gaines’ Mill which involved more than 50,000 Confederate troops. 

Even the well-known 260-gun bombardment that preceded Pickett’s Charge was not the largest of the war. There was at least one bombardment at Petersburg with more than 400 cannons involved. General Lee and the Confederate Army retreated. The Battle of Gettysburg was the deadliest battle of the Civil War. There were around 46,000 casualties including nearly 8,000 deaths. After the Battle General Meade and the Union Army were exhausted and had many casualties and deaths of their own to deal with. They did not pursue Lee's Army. President Lincoln was disappointed that Meade did not pursue General Lee as he felt the entire Confederate army could have been defeated and the war ended that day.

Gettysburg Address Later that year, on November 19, 1863, President Lincoln attended the dedication of the Soldier's National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. His speech was short and lasted only two minutes. Not much was thought of the speech at the time, but today it is considered one of the greatest speeches ever given.

64 Medals of Honor awarded to Union soldiers for their actions at Gettysburg. The deeds spanned the battlefield and were awarded from wartime into the 21st century. Eight were awarded for actions on July 1, 28 for actions on July 2, and 29 for actions on July 3. The most recent Medal of Honor given for heroism at Gettysburg was awarded to Alonzo Cushing by President Barack Obama in 2014.

We end the caravan, the same way we started with a group gathering to share our favorite parts of the caravan. There is always food, fellowship and tons of fun! 

See y'all later, until we travel together again! Caravanning is a great way to see interesting sites, meet great people and enjoy worry-free traveling!

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May 19th, 2021 … Summer of Fun continues!

Today was our “free day” in Gettysburg and some of us decided to visit the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum & Visitor Center. After we purchased our tickets to the film and cyclorama, we had time to browse the Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War.

The Gettysburg Museum of the American Civil War, features items from one of the largest collections of Civil War relics in the world. It boasts 22,000 square feet of exhibit space, the museum features relics of the Battle of Gettysburg and personalities who served in the Civil War. Shackles, swords, bullet-pierced furniture, rare artifacts and interactive stories, journey back through the events and issues surrounding the Civil War and the Battle of Gettysburg. Inter-active exhibits, and multi-media presentations that cover the conflict from beginning to end as well as describe the Battle of Gettysburg and its terrible aftermath.

The film, called “A New Birth of Freedom,” is played inside two theaters to allow time for cleaning between showings. The scene depicts pictures of three soldiers who fought in the battle. The 20-minute film is narrated by award winning actor Morgan Freeman. The film helped orient us to the battle and Gettysburg's place in the American Civil War.

After the film, we headed up the escalator to the Cyclorama painting wraps around the room with a diorama is at its base. Before feature films. Before IMAX. Before virtual reality. There was the cyclorama. The cyclorama comes alive and allows you to sense Pickett’s Charge all around you in the light and sound show of the iconic Gettysburg Cyclorama.

The must-see entertainment of the 1880s, cycloramas were the blockbuster movies of their time. Often depicting epic battles or historical places, the enormous, paintings-in-the-round transported viewers into the middle of the fray; surrounding them with a 360-degree, hand-painted canvases.

French artist Paul Philippoteaux took brush to canvas and created the Battle of Gettysburg Cyclorama painting. He spent months on the battlefield researching the battle with veterans, a battlefield guide and a photographer. It took Philippoteaux and a team of assistants more than a year to complete the painting.

The result is a breathtaking canvas that measures 377 feet in circumference and 42 feet high. Longer than a football field and as tall as a four-story structure, the Gettysburg Cyclorama oil painting, along with light and sound effects, immerses you in the fury of Pickett’s Charge during the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

The painting survived years of exhibition, multiple moves, vandalism, fire, cuts and neglect before finding a home in Gettysburg in 1913. Purchased by the National Park Service in 1942, the painting underwent multiple restoration efforts–including a multimillion-dollar restoration from 2004-08–and now hangs as the centerpiece of the cyclorama building at the Museum & Visitor Center. With its landscaped foreground and dramatic sound and lighting effects, the Battle of Gettysburg still creates the three-dimensional illusion of being in the midst of the battle. And nearly 140 years later, it still is a must see, part of your visit to Gettysburg.

After the show is over, take time to appreciate the art. The Battle of Gettysburg painting is the largest oil-on-canvas painting in North America and is among the last cyclorama paintings in existence.

We enjoyed a group dinner at the Farnworth House. It was named in honor of Brigadier General Elon John Farnsworth, who led an ill-fated charge after the failure of Pickett's charge, claiming the lives of Farnsworth and 65 of his men.

The original part of the house was built in 1810, followed by the brick structure in 1833. The house sheltered Confederate sharpshooters during the three-day conflict. 

One of whom it is believed to have accidentally shot 20 year-old Mary Virginia "Jennie"  Wade, the only civilian who died during the battle. More than 100 bullet holes pock the walls. Following the battle, the house served as a hospital.

The Lincoln procession passed the Farnsworth House on November 19, 1863, on the way to the National Cemetery where he delivered the famous Gettysburg Address. 

Harvey Sweney, the owner of the house during the battle, composed a letter to his brother, penning the most insightful and powerful account ever written on the subject.

The Farnsworth House is the only Civil War period dining experience in Gettysburg. Period fare served by period dressed servers in historic inn with over 100 bullet holes in exterior south wall. Some specialties include apple bourbon pork chops, spoon bread and pumpkin fritters.

The Farnsworth house opened just to serve our group. While we ate, we enjoyed the company of our fellow caravanners! 

After dinner we were transported back in time with the conversation of a Union soldier from the period and all of his insight about the ravages of war.

After dinner, a few of us headed back into town for a Ghost Walk Tour. Gettysburg is one of the most haunted locations in the United States, plagued by almost 150 years of intense paranormal activity. The hauntings in Gettysburg are the stuff of legends and widely known throughout the rest of the country. This little town was the site of the bloodiest and arguably most important battle in the Civil War, which turned the tide in favor of Union forces. 

However, both sides of the battle took enormous losses, and it’s estimated that anywhere between 46,000 and 51,000 men were wounded, killed or went missing during the three-day battle. The Battle of Gettysburg was one of the most gruesome chapters in United States history, and there’s no doubt that the little town that was used as a staging grounds for such bloodshed has been irrevocably marked by darkness.

Our first stop was the two witness trees in the park, where we met our tour guide. What is a Witness Tree? It is a tree that is old enough to have “witnessed” the Battle of Gettysburg, July 1-3, 1863. The Sycamore that stands is near “Unity Park,” a small memorial space on Lefever Street. The tree is marked with a plaque at its base.

The Jennie Wade House occupies a unique place in Gettysburg’s history. Jennie Wade was a 20-year-old seamstress living in Gettysburg around the time of the battle. Her sister had given birth just a few days before the fighting broke out, and Jennie came to stay at her sister’s house—both because it was considered to be on the safer end of town, away from the fighting, and to help take care of the newborn baby. Historical records tell us that on the morning of July 2, 1863, Jennie was downstairs making bread for the family when a stray Confederate bullet came through two separate doors and hit her in the back, piercing her heart and killing her. Her family wrapped her body in a quilt and carried her to the basement of the home where she lay until the fighting ceased. Jennie was the only civilian to die in the entirety of the Battle of Gettysburg. Her family buried her temporarily in the front yard of the house before moving her to a cemetery almost half a year later, and then to another cemetery some years after that. The sudden, violent manner of her death and the multiple disturbances to her grave are believed to have contributed to the hauntings at the Jennie Wade House, and many visitors to the site have reported being pushed, scratched, and pinched by an unseen force.

The Farnsworth House Inn is a historic building that played a key role in the battle of Gettysburg. On the third day of the battle, Union soldiers stormed the house and killed many of the Confederate snipers who had been posted in the attack to pick off soldiers on the nearby Cemetery Hill. The confrontation led to the deaths of many of the snipers stationed inside the house. 

As you might expect, many of these soldiers were young men who were not even close to being ready to meet their end making them ideal candidates for lingering spirits. It is no surprise then that many of the apparitions reported here are believed to be soldiers. One of the most common paranormal events that has been reported at The Farnsworth House Inn is that when the property is quiet and the attic is empty, the sound of a Jew’s harp concert filters down from the attic believed to be played by the spirit of a young soldier who refuses to abandon his post even so many years after his death.

Matilda J. “Tillie” Pierce was born in 1848 in Gettysburg. She was 15 years old when the Battle of Gettysburg was fought in July of 1863. She watched the Union army march through town, and at the urging of her family, Tillie and some friends left the town and went to what they thought would be a safe farmhouse. Jacob Weikert’s farmhouse was located at the base of Little Round Top. During the battle, Tillie provided water and food to the soldiers and assisted the surgeons and nurses caring for the wounded. On July 7, 1863, she went back to her home. She said, “The whole landscape had been changed and I felt as though we were in a strange and blighted land.” 

She continued to help care for the wounded after the battle. Twenty-five years later, she wrote a book about her experiences during that time. “At Gettysburg, Or What A Girl Saw And Heard Of The Battle.” The Tillie Pierce House Inn is named for the famous young lady who lived here during the battle. Built in 1829, though the Tillie Pierce House Inn joins the best of both the antebellum past and modern convenience.  Guests at Tillie Pierce House Inn frequently tell stories of waking up in their room after feeling a figure sitting on the edge of their bed staring at them. Others tell of hearing strange noises and footsteps from an otherwise empty attic while the apparition of soldiers have been seen wandering the halls.

We found a house with a cannon ball still in the wall. Of course, when it hit the house it did more damage than just lodging in the wall. But the homeowner, saved the dud and put it into the bricks, when he had the damage fixed.

The walk was just as much history as it was ghost. But, we enjoyed it just the same!

#TwoLaneAdventures

May 17th, 2021 … Summer of Fun continues!

Today, we drove to Chantilly, Virginia to visit the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Washington Dulles International Airport. It is the companion facility to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. It opened in 2003. The two locations together attract more than 8 million visits per year, making the National Air and Space complex the most popular museum in the United States. Hundreds of historically significant air- and spacecraft, along with thousands of small artifacts, are on display in an open, hangar-like setting.

The aircraft and spacecraft hanging overhead are impressive enough, but the Udvar-Hazy Center also offers thousands of additional artifacts to view. For aviation enthusiasts young and old, the Udvar-Hazy Center is just plain cool. The hanger styled building holds more than 290 air and space artifacts. The expansive museum consists of two hangars—the Boeing Aviation Hangar and the James S. McDonnell Space Hangar—which house dozens of aircraft and spacecraft. Some of the most notable include the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, a Concorde and the space shuttle Discovery.

We explored the Military Aviation area and found this amphibious seaplane. The Sikorsky JRS-1 is the only aircraft in the Museum that was at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on December 7, 1941. Ten JRS-1s were at the US Naval Base when the Japanese attacked during World War II. The Navy immediately sent these unarmed utility craft to search for the enemy fleet. The JRS-1 (used 1937-1944) is the military version of the Sikorsky S-43 "Baby Clipper." On the day of the attack, the plane wore a very colorful paint job: silver overall, black on the bottom, green tail surfaces, a red band around the rear of the fuselage, and the diamond-shaped squadron insignia behind the cockpit on each side. A few days after the attack, ground crew repainted the plane blue, but it has weathered and the original paint is peeking through. The JRS-1’s current condition is due to many years of storage outside. The Museum intends to conserve and restore the plane.

We also found a Blue Angel plane and learned it made its own final flight into the museum. On November 18, 2020, Cmdr. Frank “Walleye” Weisser, USN, a member of the Navy’s Blue Angels flight demonstration team, flew into Dulles International Airport to deliver a McDonnell Douglas F-18 Hornet to the center. The airplane arrived and is displayed in Blue Angels livery, but its history goes back further than just its time with the Blue Angels. This airplane was built in 1987, the 11th model C Hornet off the production line, and bearing Navy Bureau Number 163439. It was part of the Navy Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 86, the “Sidewinders” and flew over Lebanon in 1989, protecting the withdrawal of personnel from the American Embassy in Beirut. In 1991, it participated in Operation DESERT STORM, pushing Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi army out of Kuwait. In 1993, the Navy transferred it to VFA-83, the “Rampagers” and again flew over Iraq, helping to enforce the southern “no-fly” zone. By 2007, it had passed through three more squadrons before delivery to the “Knighthawks.”. Deployed to the USS Enterprise, the airplane once more flew over Iraq as well as Afghanistan as part of the Global War on Terror. Transferred once more in 2008 to the “Blue Diamonds,”it continued flying in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, this time from the deck of USS John C. Stennis. After a final stint in a training squadron, “Flying Eagles,” from 2011, the Blue Angels took possession of in 2015.

Around the corner from the F-18 we found an F-4 that Charlie worked on while he was in the Marine Corps. To make this plane more special, it bears the squadron identification that Charlie was assigned to. The US Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps and the Air Forces of 12 other nations have flown the multi-role Phantom II. In this aircraft, then a Navy F-4J, on June 21, 1972, Cmdr. S. C. Flynn and his radar intercept officer, Lt. W. H. John, spotted three enemy MiG fighters off the coast of Vietnam and shot down one MiG-21 with a Sidewinder air-to-air missile. This Phantom also flew combat air patrols and bombing missions during the Linebacker II bombing campaign that same year. Later assigned to the Marine Corps, this F-4J was extensively modernized and designated an F-4S. The Museum's F-4S-44-McDonnell Douglas Phantom II, 157307, was accepted by the Navy on December 18, 1970. By June 22, 1971, it was assigned to Fighting Squadron 31 stationed at the Naval Air Station, Oceana, Virginia. Early in 1972, VF-31, went aboard USS Saratoga, and by April en route to the western Pacific for duty in the Vietnam War. On May 18, 1972, the squadron started combat operations on Yankee Station, off the coast of Vietnam. 

While on a flight on June 21, 1972, its last day on station, F-4 made its mark. It was launched that day on a MiG Combat Air Patrol with VF-31's Executive Officer, Cdr. S.C. Flynn, USN, as pilot, and Lt. W.H. John as the Radar Intercept Officer. This was not their regularly assigned airplane. They spotted 3 MiGs and in the ensuing engagement shot down one MiG-21 with a Sidewinder missile (AIM-9). This action marked a first for the Saratoga Air Wing and for an East Coast fighter squadron. VF-31 completed its deployment to Southeast Asia early in 1973, and returned to its home port at NAS, Oceana, Virginia. The Phantom remained assigned to VF-31 until September 12, 1975, when it was transferred to VF-33. After a series of deployments aboard USS Independence, it was assigned to VF-74. It left VF-74 for VF-103, then to VF-171. On April 8, 1983, F-4J was taken into the Naval Air Rework Facility for conversion from a J model to an S model. The S conversion was an extensive modernization and service life extension overhaul for 250 F-4Js. When conversion was completed on December 27, 1983, F-4S joined Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron, stationed at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma, Arizona (Charlie's unit). It remained there until November 28, 1988, it left the Marines for the National Air and Space Museum, at which time it had amassed a total of 5,075 hours flight time with 6,804 landings (1,337 were arrested), and 1,163 catapult shots off the deck of a carrier. On November 29, 1988, this Phantom arrived at Dulles International Airport.

On the Sport Aviation side, we found many unique planes, but the 1912 Gage biplane is referred to as the Fowler-Gage, in recognition of its owner and pilot, Robert G. Fowler. Beginning in October 1912, Fowler made numerous exhibition and passenger flights in California. He made his most famous flight in the airplane in 1913, flying ocean-to-ocean across Panama. With the Gage now on floats, Fowler started his Isthmus of Panama crossing with a takeoff from the Pacific side on April 27. It was an extraordinarily dangerous flight, with no open areas available for emergency landings. Nevertheless, he completed the 52 mile flight in one hour and 45 minutes, landing with his passenger/cameraman, R.E. Duhem, at Cristobal. Fowler continued to perform further exhibition and passenger-carrying flights, as well as flying linemen on inspection trips over the transmission lines between Sacramento and Oraville, California, for the Great Western Power Company. He retired the airplane in 1915.

The cutest plane we saw on the Sport Aviation side was the Stits SA-2A Sky Baby. On a dare from another pilot, Ray Stits designed and built the Sky Baby at his home in Riverside, California, to prove that he could build the world's smallest man-carrying airplane. To keep the overall dimensions of the SA-2A as small as possible, Stits chose a biplane layout with negative-stagger, full-cantilever wings, and a conventional, cruciform empennage. I am not even sure a man could sit in there!

Restoration and preservation of our collection is conducted in the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar. The facility is spacious enough to accommodate several aircraft at one time, giving our restoration specialists the room and equipment required to reconstruct, repair, and preserve artifacts. The Restoration Hangar also houses numerous support shops where Museum staff complete the many highly specialized functions necessary to preserve the collection. From a glassed-in mezzanine, you can view restoration projects in progress. The "Flak-Bait" is in the center bay on the Restoration Hangar.

Orbiter, Space Shuttle, OV-103, Discovery is on display in the James S. McDonnell Space Hangar Space. The Discovery entered service in 1984 as the third orbiter in the space shuttle fleet. Columbia and Challenger had already flown a total of 11 missions as America’s “space truck.” Discovery’s first mission, STS-41D, followed suit as the crew deployed, for the first time, three communications satellites, but it also signaled how the shuttle could serve as more than a delivery vehicle. Discovery’s first mission began with drama—three launch delays, the first on-pad engine shutdown (just four seconds before liftoff), a related fire on the launch pad, and rollback from the pad for a major payload shuffle—but after launch it progressed well. Both the crew portrait and mission patch depicted the orbiter with an odd feature that looked like a tower rising from the payload bay. 

It was a ten-story, 13-feet wide, lightweight solar array, accordion-pleated for compact stowage – at that time the largest structure ever deployed in space. From the aft flight deck, the crew extended and retracted the array several times to observe its operation and stability. This new technology experiment used the shuttle as a test bed for evaluating large structures needed for a future space station. Discovery checked out well in space. However, one surprise drew attention: an icicle about two feet long and a foot in diameter, composed of wastewater and urine, jutted out from a dump port just beyond the crew hatch, where it threatened to damage the open payload bay door. The crew rotated the orbiter to expose that side to direct sunlight and reduce the ice mass, then tapped it gently with the robotic arm to break it loose. The successful STS-41D mission confirmed the shuttle’s versatility as a delivery vehicle, technology test bed, and research environment. More than 20 of Discovery’s 39 missions also involved deliveries, but this orbiter began its career serving multiple purposes at once.

The namesake of the facility is Steven Udvar-Hazy, who immigrated to New York from Hungary as a child. After immigrating to the U.S., Udvar-Hazy packed boxes in a Manhattan warehouse for 30 cents an hour when he was 14 years old. The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum named it for him after a $60 million donation in 2000. He is credited with creating the airplane leasing industry. He started his own airline in his 20s, but realized there was easier money to be made in buying planes and leasing them to airlines. Udvar-Hazy's first airplane leasing firm, International Lease Finance Corp., was sold to AIG in 1990 for $1.3 billion. He started his second airplane leasing company, Air Lease Corp., in 2010 and took it public a year later. He remains Executive Chairman of the Board. He is very proud of the center because of the opportunity it gives children to see the history of aviation. If he can have children have that same feeling that he had when he was a six-year-old at the airshow in a communist country that to him is worthwhile.

Other features of the Center include the Donald D. Engen Observation Tower and the Airbus IMAX Theater. Unfortunately, both of those features were closed due to COVID.

It was another great day on the #EastCoastPatriotTour

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Stay tuned for more #TwoLaneAdventures