This is National Aviation Week – and for those who like airplanes and aircraft, there’s plenty of opportunities to visit places across the Sunshine State to see a wide variety of both vintage and modern ways to soar through the air.
MUSEUMS
For instance, in Lakeland there’s Aerospace Discovery at The Florida Air Museum. Florida’s “Official Aviation Museum and Education Center” features a dynamic display of the best examples aviation has to offer including one-of-a-kind designs, classics, ultra-lights, antiques and war-birds.
But the Museum is more than a collection of airplanes; it is a tribute to the history and joy of flight highlighting pioneers such as Howard Hughes, early air racer and countless Floridians who have influenced the world of aviation. The Museum also offers a variety of unique year-round educational experiences for all ages including camps, tours, workshops and speaker presentations.
Aerospace Discovery at The Florida Air Museum continues to grow and meet the challenge of our mission – to be the premier showcase for Florida’s aviation history through exhibits, restoration and preservation, education and outreach and to share the passion of flight with all ages.
You can find out more about them here
Then there’s The Wings of Dreams Museum – located at Keystone Heights Airport in North Central Florida They were founded in 2005 by Susan King and Bob Oehl. The airport, formerly the Keystone Army Airfield, has a rich military history as a World War II Army Air Corps air base, tasked with reconnaissance pilot training, as well as preparing a squadron of fighter pilots for the Normandy Invasion. Part of the announced mission of Wings of Dreams is to preserve the airport’s wartime history, much of which is unknown or forgotten.
They plan to restore and display vintage aircraft and warbirds, many to flying condition, and serve as a repository for memorabilia and artifacts from World War II, other military conflicts, pioneer aviators and the space program to fulfill its mission to educate and preserve this part of America’s unique heritage for future generations
They may be found here
And of course there’s Pensacola’s National Naval Aviation Museum – the world’s largest Naval Aviation museum and one of the most-visited museums in the state of Florida. Share the excitement of Naval Aviation’s rich history and see more than 150 beautifully restored aircraft representing Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Aviation. These historic and one-of-a-kind aircraft are displayed both inside the Museum’s nearly 350,000 square feet of exhibit space and outside on its 37-acre grounds.
Find their site here
National Aviation Week is a good opportunity to find a great Florida Fun Travel destination to visit! And be sure to visit our Florida Fun Travel Facebook page or drop us a line at floridafuntravel@yahoo.com.
