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About 55 minutes west of our home is a wonderful attraction that gets little attention. We have seen a large, rusting old airplane parked near the I-4 roadway for decades. Friends told us that the experience was great and worthwhile for children and adults. We decided to use this school holiday to take Mitchell to the Fantasy of Flight experience. Although we agreed to leave between 9:45 and 10:00, Mitch called at 7:15 and was at our house for breakfast at 8. Needless-to-say, he was excited. We were greeted by an appropriately dressed “aviator,” given our tickets and ushered to the entrance. Thus, our adventure into this wonderful museum of aircraft history began. We climbed through the fuselage of a military fighter and entered a huge hangar with dozens of restored planes.
We were told that all of the items on display were in working order and would be able to see a flight later in the day.
We walked around several rooms in the hangar and then had a tram tour of the grounds. We learned about engine design and development. Stacked all over this open bay garage (shelves, floor and walls) were more than 300 engines of various sizes, shapes and horsepower. At a different bay, a guide explained the planned restoration projects showing several planes in various states of disrepair. There were also several hundred bombs stored in crates above our heads. Scary for those below! Back to the tram and a drive-by to see the woodworking hangar and then the main building.
We were impressed and overwhelmed with the information. Lunch was next on our agenda and it was pleasant to sit inside away from the cool wind. After lunch, we watched a flight demonstration by a 40 year veteran pilot. He flew low and slow in a cloth covered P3 right near our vantage point. Near the end of this show, we returned to view planes in hangars we missed earlier. One was a monster commercial passenger plane with three classes, including an upper deck with a built-in bar. We spent a lot of time in the simulation area, making and flying paper planes, virtually raising and lowering a hot air balloon and attempting to land a glider. Nanny came within 25 ft., while Mitch was 10 ft. from the bulls-eye. Our last simulation event was in a fighter plane trying to attack or dodge the enemy. Mitchell scored very well; Poppy crashed each try! The final stop was the gift shop. Purchases included T-shirts, a hat and a “to be assembled glider plane.”
