Students in Ms. Gerri McDonald’s Gifted Education program recently took a field trip to the Naval Air Station in Pensacola to tour the museum and watch the world famous Blue Angles practice show.
Everyone was excited to see the vast array of biplanes of the Great War, record-setting aircraft, experimental platforms, survivors of epic aerial battles and even a replica of a Mercury space capsule of the type in which Naval Aviator Alan B. Shepard became the first American in space on 5 May 1961. The National Naval Aviation Museum features over 150 beautifully restored aircraft, including rare and one-of-a-kind flying machines such as the NC-4 (first to cross the Atlantic by air), SBD Dauntless Bureau Number 2106 (a veteran of the Battle of Midway), the Que Sera (first aircraft to land at the South Pole), the last combat F-14D Tomcat, and many, many more.
Continuing the story of naval aviation, the museum’s exhibits provide a closer look at people and events that shaped our history. From vintage uniforms and historic documents, to dioramas that transport visitors to the World War I Western Front, Main Street U.S.A. in 1943, and the depths of Lake Michigan.
For many, watching the Blue Angels practice their air show maneuvers was the highlight of the trip. For most of the students, this was their first opportunity to see the Blue Angels in person, and they were not disappointed.