TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — We're rolling down the road with our "One Tank Trips" this morning here on KGUN 9.
These are easy-to-reach destinations right here in our corner of the Sonoran Desert.
We have a connection here in Tucson with the world of aviation and no place displays the deep roots, as well as the blue sky possibilities, better than the Pima Air and Space Museum.
More than 180,000 visitors a year can't be wrong
With your eyes to the skies but your feet planted firmly on the ground, there's a lot to take in here.
"We're constantly up-keeping the aircraft and acquiring new aircraft."
Brad Elliott, Advertising Manager with the Arizona Aerospace Foundation showed me around some of the half dozen buildings and open spaces housing more than 400 aircraft on display here. Each has its own role in shaping aviation past, present and future.
It's not about the metal but the memories and the men and women who flew these incredible planes, jets and helicopters.
"The human connection with these vehicles, these aircraft is what it's all about," Brad said.
So how much time do you need?
That depends on how much history you want to take in.
"You could fill weeks and still see new things. I was a member before I was an employee and I saw something new every time I came for years," Brad told me.
"It's extensive... that's for sure."
Clare Haynes is here from the UK and is working to become a commercial airline pilot herself.
She pointed out that learning from those who came before is the best way to dream of what might be coming just over the horizon.
"If you look at where were 100 years ago and where we are now; It just makes you think in 100 years what are planes going to look like? It's just exciting," Clare said.
The museum takes in new aircraft every month of the year. They've got a paint and restoration facility on site, too, effectively saving priceless pieces of history that otherwise would be lost to time, rusting away in the unforgiving elements.
As you crisscross the grounds in awe of the massive size and scope of some of these planes it can feel overwhelming.
But the same can be said for those who have a personal connection to fellow soldiers and sailors, marines and airmen who made the ultimate sacrifice in past struggles for freedom.
"Most of us made it home. Our prayers still go out to the families for the loved ones that never did come back home. So they're the heroes."
Mark Betts served in the army in Vietnam. The sights here take him back to the landing zones where he loaded up munitions, doing his duty as a 20-year-old soldier.
Thinking back on those younger years, he told me the best thing for kids to do is to face what's happened in our history head on.
"I see a lot of kids coming in here from the schools on trips and stuff and that's good for them to learn the history of past wars," Mark said.
As a non-profit, this museum is a place for learning and teaching the children of Tucson and the surrounding area.
"We'll do anywhere from 30,000 to 50,000 free visits for kids annually and so that's one of the ways we give back," Brad said.
Preservation is the key as time marches on so that the people who piloted and maintained these aircraft, who may be gone, are not forgotten.
"Our mission really is to preserve history and to share that with the community"
Check out Pima Air & Space Museum "Night Ops"
Dates: 6/28, 7/12, and 7/26
Time: 5:00 - 8:30 pm
Cost: $15, Free for kids 0-12
Admission includes both Pima Air & Space and Tucson Military Vehicle Museums!
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Dan Spindle co-anchors Good Morning Tucson on KGUN 9 and is an award-winning storyteller whose work has earned him honors from the Rocky Mountain Southwest Emmys, the Associated Press and the Utah Society of Professional Journalists for both anchoring and reporting. Dan is passionate about history and loves to explore the Grand Canyon State. Share your story ideas with Dan by emailing dan.spindle@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, or X.
