Aviation Activity in the Seattle Area?

[Yak 11 Fan]

Hi,

I am looking for a little advice and thought this would be a good place to ask. I am planning to visit The Flying Heritage Collection in July for the Skyfair, however I will be there a few days before the event and wondered what other aviation attractions there were in the area?

I am aware of the Museum of Flight, the Historic Flight Foundation and Legend Flyers, but wondered what else might be worth visiting in the area?

I will have a car, so getting around shouldn't be a problem

Many Thanks

[sandiego89]

Not much to add, but I do advise that the Museum of Flight is well worth it. It is a cleaner modern museum (I prefer old and musty, but that's my "problem"), but some great aircraft. I found driving/exploring all around the Boeing production buildings was interesting- you see all sorts of liveries and interesting types. Give yourself 45 minutes just driving all around, doing U turns around the plant areas near the museum. You can't get especially close, but you get some glimpses.

Enjoy the trip.

[p51]

McChord field has a decent collection of USAF aircraft, but you need a pass to get onto the base.
Olympia has a small museum, but I sort of doubt it'd be worth the drive for you as there's not much else along the way: http://www.olympicflightmuseum.com/index.php?as=index
Don't miss the museum of flight in Seattle. It's world-class. Really.
The Boeing plant has a great tour in Everett, which is right across the field from those warbird museums that are well worth the trip!

[Warbirdnerd]

Mike's locator has museums, static displays and any private aircraft he has info on based on location-
http://www.aerialvisuals.ca/Locator.php
A great travel resource for people with our affliction...

[Sasquatch]

The Museum of Flight's restoration center is up at Paine Field too, and they welcome visitors.

[gregv]

JNE Aircraft is up in Burlington. I've never been there but followed the rebuild of his Hurricane on their web site for quite some time before he moved on to the Spirit of St. Louis replica; they may offer tours, might be worth getting in touch with them if this is of interest.

At any rate the work he did on the Hurricane was top notch, worth having a look at. I'm going to check their site and see what the Spirit replica is all about...

http://www.jneaircraft.com/projects/

Also I seem to recall there was an organization near Seattle that had a vintage Huey as well as a jet or two maybe?

greg v.

[JohnTerrell]

Also I seem to recall there was an organization near Seattle that had a vintage Huey as well as a jet or two maybe?

Yes, there is the Olympic Flight Museum, south-west of Seattle, at the Olympia airport: http://www.olympicflightmuseum.com

There is also the Heritage Flight Museum, at the Skagit airport (Burlingtion, WA), north of Seattle: http://heritageflight.org/

It all depends on how much time you have available to spend on the road.

[ALOHADAVE]

For something a little different, Antiques and Aviation Museum

Glen E. Spieth Museum Antiques, Lakewood, Tacoma, Washington
Glen E Spieth located in Lakewood, WA
5928 Steilacoom Blvd SW
Lakewood, WA 98499
(253) 584-3930
http://www.museumantiques.net/

The guy has three T-33s in his backyard/garage!
he buys, sells, trades avaition stuff, especially B-17E, T-33, Pacific War

[Boneyard]

North Cascades Vintage Aircraft Museum at Concrete is worth a visit....

http://vintageaircraftmuseum.org/

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/48% ... 121.755903

[JohnB]

A big second on the North Cascades Museum.
Lots of rare GA types...in a beautiful locale.

[Stoney]

didn't know about that museum, been in there several times in a Kingair about 13 years ago.

[Speedy]

I'll go off in a slightly different direction, but it is aviation-related. The Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum is in Kent, WA. A lot of boat racers over the years have been involved in air racing and warbirds, and a lot of their work is on display and documented for history there. I was working there on Saturday and we had three boats under restoration, another 7 or 8 on display, plus Allison, Merlin, Griffon, Liberty engines on display and a working engine shop. Well-worth a visit.

http://thunderboats.ning.com/

[JohnB]

If you have a rent car...
Moses L make has the former Larson AF B, now Grant County Airport.
You're likely to see 787s on test, a 1950s SAGE building, and on the ramp is the last PBY built which is being restored.
If you can get on the field there's an airworthy B-23. The community college aviation school has some heartbreaking airframe s.

A few miles to the North is Ephrata, one of the locations forAlways.