We came face to face with this massive plane out front of the museum, when we pulled into the parking lot. Luke just had to go check it out!
The old airport, constructed in 1940, was saved from demolition,
restored and turned into a museum. It is now run by volunteers and much
of what is on display, including the planes, has been donated.
A close up of the big stone engraving above the door. What's with the airplane loin cloth?
This is a picture the terminal back in the '40's.
I'm pretty sure this old photograph of the airport was taken back in 1941. Jeff wasn't posing for this picture. He's just naturally that awesome.
One of the old offices with the original furniture. Check out the old phone and typewriters! The original brick non-load-bearing walls have been left untouched.
Remember when people used to use these to keep phone numbers and other contact information? How times have changed!
A funny-looking old stapler.
Luke insisted on pushing his stroller through the museum instead of sitting in it!
So excited about all the model planes! I think he wanted to play with these!
Reading kids books about airplanes.
They had the original drinking fountains, which were kind of cool and stylish looking.
We went outside to watch planes take off and land on the runway behind the terminal.
Luke loves airplanes, so he was really excited about this part!
Luke spotted a butterfly taking a rest on the ground.
Watching more planes from the window.
Some of the original architecture was pretty run down after all these years!
Back outside to watch some more planes. Luke couldn't get enough! And this time, one of the volunteers working at the museum came with us. He excitedly pointed out the planes to her as if she didn't know they were there!
Luke was so confused as to why this guy wasn't moving. He cautiously walked up and touched his hand and then ran away. Once he realized it was a mannequin, he thought it was hilarious and went around touching all of the other mannequins and laughing his head off!
Luke was very concerned about this man's lack of socks.
Cute flight attendants of the 40's.
This is a galley - basically an in-flight kitchen - was used by "Lady Bird" Johnson (wife of President Lyndon B. Johnson) on Air Force Two.
The counter where passengers checked their baggage.
Here is a cool picture of the counter when it was in use in the 40's.
Back outside to watch the planes. Luke decided to relax on one of the old benches while we watched.
This and a few others like it decorated the back wall of the terminal.
We saw a display about A.J. High, the Texas native pilot who played a big part in preserving the air terminal. He is the only living pilot whose career spans from Mercury Airlines to Trans-Texas Airways to Texas International to Continental Airlines.
And THEN, we got to meet the man! He just happened to be hanging out at the museum that day!
A.J. turned 89 years old this year on Easter Sunday. He is retired, but not by choice! He flew his last flight for Continental Airlines the day before his 60th birthday - the age they require retirement and then flew as a private pilot for 14 years. As we sat and talked to him about his life, he told us, "I'm at home up there" and that he misses it. In his lifetime, he logged a total of 40, 000 hours! That's more than 4.5 years in the air!
A.J. told us stories about his life and his love for flying from a young age. At 5 years old he worked at a railroad moving the trains around. He knew he wanted to be a pilot at 8 years old. When he was about 15 or 16, he taught himself how to fly with stolen planes from his flight instructor brother's flight school. He paid $1.40 each week for one of the students at the school to taxi the plane out, turn it over to him, and taxi it back in afterwards. He became a pilot in WWII at age 18. And after the war, at age 22, he was hired as an airline pilot. A.J. flew Texas International's very first flight, and their last flight before they became Continental Airlines. He told us he never imagined he would have such a full and wonderful life. He feels very lucky and told us he doesn't think a happier guy exists.
It was lunch time, so we checked out the airplanes out front one last time on our way to our car.
This isn't a real plane. It was built for the Houston Art Car Parade!
But just as we were about to leave, a couple of the volunteers came outside and told us we could go inside the airplane if we wanted and they opened it up for us! Awesome! Luke was so excited!
"Hello?"
Of course, Luke was most excited about flying the plane!
SO many buttons, switches, and gauges! I don't know how pilots do it!
Luke thought it was hilarious that when he moved his controls, mine moved at the same time!
We headed for our car again, only to be told that the airplane hangar that we had previously been told wasn't open because there weren't enough volunteers to spare one to take us in there was now open to us. One of the volunteers offered to take us in to see the planes! Another family asked to come too and we were off to explore the hangar!
We only had to drive about a block to the hangar entrance so we let Luke sit in front with us, which he was just giddy about.
A massive plane (from the 60's or 70's) right as walked into the hangar.
Inside the huge plane. Check out those seats!
The cockpit. Luke was disappointed that we weren't allowed to sit in this one.
We found a box of old games in the plane that I'm pretty sure have been there since the plane was in use.
Presenting: the rest of the hangar.
HUGE helicopter!
Look at the size of that emergency exit ..um..window (the yellow square). Good luck getting everybody out of that in an orderly manner in an emergency!
Cool old Texaco car.
Luke had to press all of the buttons on our way out of the hangar.
Lunch in the car on the way home. What an awesome day!
1 comment:
I'm so glad that you said that was an airplane loin cloth! I was a little bit afraid to look very close :) And I totally learned to type on one of those old manual typewriters, I think we may still have an old rolodex, and I'm pretty sure we may have one of those staplers around as well...yeah, I'm old :) You guys all look wonderful! I love you!
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