Really good news from Paine Field

[India Four Two]

The Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum is re-opening

https://warbirdsnews.com/warbirds-news/flying-heritage-combat-armor-museum-to-reopen-soon.html

[washoutt]

Is Paine Field at the Boeing factory at Everett? A map would be helpfull, couldn't find one on their website.

[Less Hair]

Yes, it is the same field. https://www.flyingheritage.com/Visit/Directions-Parking.aspx

[bobward]

I managed a visit a few years ago, pre-covid.
What a superb collection! I thoroughly recommend a visit.

[India Four Two]

Sorry washout! :(

Paine Field was unique in that it used to have three museums:

Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum https://www.flyingheritage.com/Explore/The-Collection.aspx
An amazing collection. Many of the aircraft are airworthy, as witnessed by the drip trays! Opening soon.

My favourite - an Fw 190-D13 "Dora":
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1504/dora_47c60268104c4286e5f55cc04357730d9008a819.jpg


The Museum of Flight - Restoration Center & Reserve Collection https://www.museumofflight.org/exhibits-and-events/aircraft-restoration
An annex of the main museum at Boeing Field, Renton. Currently closed, but worth a visit, especially to see the ongoing restoration of a Comet 4C. Note the Boeing SST mockup in the background:
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/960x640/bz0a6162_jpg_copy_f8ef7d8632af00b98dd63de88c7581890d4a19a6.p ng

The Historic Flight Foundation https://historicflight.org/collection/
This museum used to be on the west side of the airfield, but has moved, as I discovered on my visit last week. It is now in Spokane, 300 miles away in Eastern Washington.

Of course, if you were visiting Paine Field for the first time, the Boeing Factory Tour used to be a must, but it is currently closed. There is the Boeing Future of Flight "attraction" which I have not visited:
https://www.boeing.com/company/tours/

[tdracer]

The Historic Flight Foundation https://historicflight.org/collection/
This museum used to be on the west side of the airfield, but has moved, as I discovered on my visit last week. It is now in Spokane, 300 miles away in Eastern Washington.

Damn, I didn't know they had moved. Funny, I'm on their email list and don't recall hearing anything about that. I got a guided tour of a B-29 there about six or seven years ago (I'm thinking it was CAF "Fifi" but I wouldn't swear to it) - they also were offering 30 minute rides (price varied from ~$500 - $1000 depending on where you sat) - I wanted to go but my wife vetoed it because I'd already flown on the Collins B-17 (Nine-0-Nine that subsequently crashed at Bradley in Connecticut)(I tried to convince her "it's not the same" but she would have none of it). Anyway, for something like $20 I got a ~1 hour personalized tour of the B-29 (plus some time in their DC-3 and B-25) along with museum admission.

[India Four Two]

​​​​Damn, I didn't know they had moved. Funny, I'm on their email list and don't recall hearing anything about that.

I was very surprised when I drove there. No signs or notices - no evidence at all that the museum had ever been there. It was a very nice museum. I previously visited in 2015. I remember a Tigercat and a P-51B with a Malcolm hood. There was a DC-3 and a B-25 on the ramp, which a docent allowed me to go inside.

The DC-3 was the first one I had been in. After climbing up the hill to the flightdeck, I was invited to sit in the left seat. Without thinking, I put my hands on the wheel and throttles. The docent said "You're a pilot, aren't you?". :)

I was surprised how cramped the B-25 cockpit was - very narrow.

I'll have to drop in to the new location, next time I'm passing through Spokane. I also want to visit the museum at Fairchild AFB, just west of Spokane. I tried to visit it once, but it is on the base and you need an invitation and an escort to go there.

I previously posted about my visits to the three Paine Field museums here:

https://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/568983-road-trip-part-2-santa-monica-calgary.html#post9149270

[washoutt]

Thanks for the info, India. In then 90's, when certificating the 777, I spent much time at both B Field and Everett. I loved the Museum of Flight, but never knew there was also a museum in Everett. Alas, I don't think I'll be in the area any more. The pictures are great, though.