A look back 20 years ago: Touring the Pima Air & Space Museum and the best aircraft salvaged from the Boneyard

This is a nice video taken in 1993, the first time my wife and I visited the Pima Air And Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona, and located just outside the military's aircraft retirement facility, affectionately referred to as the desert "boneyard."  Many of the aircraft uniquely included in this museum came from the boneyard, and were more than likely rolled across the street and into the hard packed desert, fenced in area of the museum.  Slowly, through the years, the museum restoration staff have restored many of these aircraft, including many of the planes you will see in this footage, that still have the white protective wrap on the winshields, intakes, etc.

This museum is a must see for any aviation and military aircraft enthusiast.  Click below for a short tour.

Pima Air and Space Museum Walking Tour

More information on the Pima Air and Space Museum pulled from the museum's website: The Pima Air & Space Museum is one of the largest aviation Museums in the world, and the largest non-government funded aviation Museum in the United States. The Museum maintains a collection of more than 300 aircraft and spacecraft from around the globe, including many rare and one-of-a-kind, and more than 125,000 artifacts. Here you will walk among the giants of our aviation heritage, including military, commercial, and civil aviation. Among them are a B-29 Superfortress, the SR-71 Blackbird, and a rare World War II German V-1 "buzz bomb."  The collection includes President John F. Kennedy's Air Force One, and presidential aircraft used by president's Nixon and Johnson. The Museum has five large hangars totaling more than 177,000 feet of exhibit space. In addition, the 390th Bombardment Group (Heavy) Memorial Museum is located on the Museum grounds. Pima Air & Space maintains its own aircraft restoration center, and is also proud to offer exclusive tours of the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG), also known as the "Boneyard," located across the street at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

Rare Jets: F-8 Crusader, F-104 Starfighter, and F-5 Freedom

Check out this video of a static display from a 1998 air show in Phoenix, Arizona including three classic fighter jets from the U.S. Navy and Air Force:  The F-8 Crusader, F-5 Freedom, and the F-104 Starfighter.  The F-104 and F-8 are privately owned and the F-5 was from an Aggressor Squadron.

Video of F-8, F-104, and F-5

Video: 30 Seconds Over Tokyo was alive again during the Doolittle Raiders 2012 Reunion

With the final surviving Doolittle Raiders traveling to Dayton, Ohio one more time in November to open their bottle of Hennessey and toast those who have gone before them, I thought I would break out the 2012 Doolittle Raiders Reunion video where over a dozen B-25's gathered in Urbana, Ohio and then eventually flew over to Dayton to commemorate the reunion.  Click below for the video:

2012 Doolittle Raiders Reunion with B-25's

Great Video of the USAF's F-15 Eagle Tactical Fighter demonstration: Raw power!

Video: Six Million Dollar Man Episode featuring the United States Air Force Thunderbirds

All Lee Majors fans take note!  Remember the all-time best episode of the Six Million Dollar Man?  No!  Not the Bigfoot episode.  NO!!  Not the bionic dog and bionic hot chick episode either. "The Thunderbird Connection," episode!

In The Thunderbird Connection, Steve Austin poses as a clandestine member of the United States Air Force Thunderbirds Jet Demonstration team to save a Prince in a made-up Middle Eastern country that is being overrun by an evil dictator. Geez... sounds a little like today, without the poisonous gas!

Anyway, my friend John Lapointe (Thunderbird #2 during the 1976 and 1977 seasons) is in this episode.  This, I guess, would be one of the many perks of being a Thunderbird. I didn't know John at the time of the airing, but he later helped us all produce an air show by managing the jet teams (like VIPs) when they visited our air show each year. What a great resource and God Bless his soul.

This clip is a collection of random scenes including John and the rest of the crew.  It looks like three of the five pilots are "real" members, as Steve Austin "covertly" slips into #3 position (with his shaggy 1970's haircut and all). I know "Jinx" and "Fig" Newton (who eventually raised to the rank of General) are the real deal for sure. I'm unsure about the rest. Enjoy this classic!