Santa Monica Museum of Flying

May 18, 2002

We visited the old Santa Monica Museum of Flying on the Last Day of Operation, before it was closed due to lack of financial resources needed to keep it operating.

Click on any thumbnail picture for a larger image.

Here we are in front of Canoga Park High School, ready to board the bus for the Santa Monica Museum of Flying. Post Advisor Bob Egermeier is on the far right, with school Career Counselor Earl Roth standing

Our LAUSD bus driver for the day

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Bob Egermeier gesturing as he explains something about aerophysics

N596AR, "Full Options" DC-3. Starting life as a C-53 in 1955, this plane was the personal transport for President Eisenhower.

After that, it continued to serve the Atlantic Richfield company until 1990 as an executive transport. It has been in storage at SMO for more than a decade.

After the museum closed, it was donated by collector David Price, along with $50K to restore it, to the City of Santa Monica. The idea is to make it a monument to the DC-3.

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The full motion flight simulator that was converted into a fun ride for the kids

The hydraulic actuation under the flight simulator

Post Advisor John Gatej and some Explorers in the simulator ride

Post Advisor Marc Mathieu and his wife in the simulator ride

Canoga High Science Teacher with his son, and some Explorers in the simulator