Personal Escort on the Travis Air Force Base

Tuesday, Sept.18, 2007
As a surprise field trip, I told my in-laws to make sure they brought their driver's licenses. Mum was concerned that I had scheduled a go-cart race or something too dangerous and fast for her as she knows what kind of adventures I tend to get involved in. She was hesitant on handing over her license. And she didn't know what to expect when I drove up to Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, CA. Other than Treasure Island, I had once many years ago did weekend drills on the air base as part of my military assignment. It was odd to be back here again.

I checked in at the visitors center and had to show proper papers prior to their issuing me security clearance and giving me a personal driver/escort to follow to the Travis Air Museum on base. Mum said we must be "important people" for us to get escorted. I thought it was because of the Alpha alert (high alert) due to 9-11...

Taken at the museum entrance.

Kai just loves airplanes. Other than pointing at the sky every time he saw one, or jumps for joy when he gets to fly...he practically ran up the steps to get into this thing!

Kai is in heaven!

The Engine Room.

Kai attempts to spin the propeller.

The "Fat Man" nuclear bomb. Measuring 10-ft 8-in, and 60-in in diameter, it weighs a whopping 10,800-pounds. It's 23 kilo-ton yield is equal to 20,000 tons of TNT. There were only 2 nuclear bombs of this type in history that were used in warfare, the last in Nagasaka, Japan causing a 2-mile radius of devastation and resulting in 45,000 immediate fatalities.

Kai sits in the one-man Mercury spacecraft. This display is a 1:1 scale of the typical spacecraft flown by the Original 7 astronauts from 1961-1963. It is 11 ft 6in. long and 6ft 6in. in diameter.

Airplane nose art can be traced back to WWI and became popular in WWII. Aircraft came off the assembly lines by the hundreds and it was difficult to identify the airplanes other than the tail numbers on it. So the men in charge of their planes did artwork on their plane for easier identification. It was easier to remember "Final Objective" or "Axis Nightmare" rather than "423542". The inspiration for most of their artwork was influenced by cartoons, girlfriends, magazines, and mainly from Alberto Vargus who did pin-up calendars for Esquire Magazine.

I had dejavu when I saw this patch. I remember seeing this when I was out in the Persian Gulf aboard the USNS Comfort serving during Operation Desert Storm. No- I didn't smoke either camel...not the cigarette, nor did I kill one. I was on the neutral side of things- it was my job to help the sick and injured.

Gramma and Kai head outdoors to see the airplanes on display.

Well, well,well- is that Miss America '62 standing in front of this aircraft?

Dad walks in front of a moving craft? kiddin'

An actual airplane pre-flight. Makes me think of the C-140 I hopped for a thrill ride to Puerto Rico. A non-heated flight, the net seats were uncomfortable and you had to wear ear protectors or hear the continual loud engine sound.

A Boeing B-52 with a wing span of 185 feet. It doesn't look that long in this picture...

...how about this one? Does it look long now? Wheels are needed to support the end of this wing!

That's Kai, Dad and Mum in the shadow of this plane! People in pictures can give you a better perspective of just how enormous the craft is.

Kai and I head back to our car...

Geez...you'd think that aircraft could have parked somewhere else in this huge lot- other than in front of my Toyota?