Picking up where I left off yesterday, these are pics from our recent trip to the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida.
The huge hangar houses roughly 150 restored Navy warplanes, plus exhibits, artifacts and tons of history. By no means am I a history buff, but this museum is totally fascinating. As I mentioned in my last post, the sheer number of planes is almost overwhelming; you just don't where to look first.
And it's free.
The black hat on the plane below is the patch for Strike Fighter Squadron 14.
From wiki:
The Strike Fighter Squadron 14 (VFA-14) "Tophatters" are a United States Navy fighter attack squadron based at Naval Air Station lemoore. They fly the F/A-18E Super Hornet, and are the Navy's oldest active squadron, having formed in 1919. Their callsign is Camelot, and their tail code is NG.
Since its inception the squadron has flown 23 different type aircraft, had its designation changed fourteen times, operated from 20 different aircraft carriers (and several battleships) and had 81 commanding officers (the 82nd is now in command).
Over the years the squadron has been assigned many different missions, including patrol and observation in its early years, and scouting, attack, fighter, bombing and forward air control missions when it became associated with carrier-based operations. The squadron adopted the classic Top Hat as its squadron patch and called themselves the "High Hats".
Below is a very detailed model of carrier ship, the USS Shangri-la.
Again from wikipedia (what the heck would I do without this site???)
USS Shangri-La (CV/CVA/CVS-38) was one of 24 Essex-class aircraft carriers completed during or shortly after World War II for the United States Navy.
Commissioned in 1944, Shangri-La participated in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations in World War II, earning two battle stars. Like many of her sister ships, she was decommissioned shortly after the end of the war, but was modernized and recommissioned in the early 1950s, and redesignated as an attack carrier (CVA). She operated in both the Pacific and Atlantic/Mediterranean for several years, and late in her career was redesignated as an anti-submarine carrier (CVS). She earned three battle stars for service in the Vietnam War.
Shangri-La was decommissioned in 1971 and sold for scrap in 1988.
The strikes of a Navy ship's bell are used to indicate the hour aboard the ship, and to regulate the sailors' duty watches. Traditionally the ship's cook, or his staff, would shine the bell everyday.
History of the USS Essex aircraft carrier:
It's sunny and 18C here in Ozark, Alabama and time for some tennis... (and this is starting to feel like work) so I'm gonna end here and post the rest of the pics later today or tomorrow.
Totally off topic: Despite regular exercise and eating habits, My fella and I both gained a few pounds and felt really bloated during our two months at the Gulf Coast. Now that we've moved north into central Alabama, we've started dropping the extra pounds and we both feel back to normal. Does 100% humidity make a person gain weight?
When I lived in Houston, it was really hard to keep my weight in check. Part of it was bloating for sure, since when we'd go somewhere less humid, I'd lose water like crazy. I think it's something to do with allergies (maybe mold?) that don't occur in drier climates. Or it could be that fast food is so cheap... :-)
Posted by: Jacq | January 02, 2012 at 10:55 AM
jjolie - within 2 days of leaving the humid Gulf coast we were both almost back to normal weight. And we haven't even had any fast food since we've been here, despite the latest tv commercial offering two cheeseburgers, large fries, apple pie and a drink for only $5. Holy Moly! My 21 year brain is rejoicing while my 41 year old metabolism is saying "walk AWAY from the burgers!"
p.s. Congrats on the new contract. Any RV plans for the spring/summer?
Posted by: kelsi | January 03, 2012 at 08:46 PM
This one goes to April 17th - and is enough cash for another year - as long as I don't buy any more cars and stuff. ;-) So the summer is up in the air. We both thought 7 weeks was too long or we bounced around too much last time - I think 2-3 weeks or a month tops would have been better. OR staying in one place longer like you guys do. I really loved a couple of places that we went to in Montana and Idaho (Sawtooth is high up there on "to go back to place") and would love going for longer this year.
I'm a little worried that they're going to think that I'm going to stay there full time afterwards. I'm just not that interested in buying the Mercedes and the $750k house like everyone else does I guess. I want the time, not the money and the co. mentality isn't there. Oh well, not my problem.
The hours are already grating one me so who knows?
Posted by: Jacq | January 22, 2012 at 03:45 PM