Pima Air Museum
Pima Air Museum
DESTINATIONS
Tucson, Arizona
MOTORCYCLES AND AIRPLANES are similar—freedom machines that seemingly defy the laws of physics—and they often attract similar people. This month's issue offers proof: Steve Thompson’s At Large column deals with an old flyer who rediscovers biking, and in “On the Trail of Marco
Polo,” you can read about the motorcycle exploits of one of America’s most famous fighter pilots, Robert Lee Scott.
If those stories pique your interest,
you’ll want to visit the Pima Air Museum the next time you’re in the Southwest. A good place to seek refuge from the long miles of Interstate 10, the museum consists of
about l 75 aircraft and is claimed to be the third-largest such collection in the world. The museum’s assortment includes various World War II-era planes as well as many of the jets that brought the U.S. into the supersonic age.
While a 20,000-square-foot hanger provides protection for the museum’s more fragile, fabric-covered aircraft, most of the airplanes reside on the museum’s 30 acres of desert terrain. Few of the airplanes outside are in fully restored condition and some look downright seedy, but at least you can get right up close for viewing and phototaking. That’s not quite as exciting as cinching down the safety harness and busting through the sound barrier, but if you’re a motorcyclist who also likes airplanes, it’s a trip worth making. —David Edwards
Information Address: Pima Air Museum 6000 E. Valencia Rd. Tucson, AZ 85706 Phone: (602) 574-0462 Price: Adults, $4; Seniors, groups, military, $3; Ages 10-17, $2; Under 10, free.
