PIMA Air and Space Museum

                        As most of you already know I haven’t found an Air and Space Museum that I didn’t like, so my visit to the PIMA Air and Space Museum, and a glowing review will come as no surprise!

                        Yes, it’s a collection of old planes and ephemera from the aviation days of yore, and some of it could be classified as certified “junk”, but thankfully a whole bunch of “someone’s” had the foresight to save some of these junked artifacts and preserve them for future generations. I saw many a little kid yesterday accompanied by parents (but mostly grandparents😊) touring the facility, getting their young appetites whetted, hopefully ensuring that future generations can, and will, appreciate the stories and history that accompany these ghosts of the air.

                        I am a card-carrying member of the “Don’t Throw It Away Because It’s Old” Club. If I had my way, no Old Buildings, Old Cars, Old Books (!) Old Anything’s, would be discarded for fear losing any Historical Content and not being able to replace it.

                        I am also a closet member of Practical Solutions Anonymous, knowing that just because it’s old does not give it automatic elevatory status to ecclesiastical levels needed for preservation because…..  Someone has to pay for these things!

                        So, decisions need to be made.

                        Sometimes its ok to dispose of items.

                        If the value of something was determined strictly by age, then we would never grind up granite into chips and stones because granite is the oldest igneous rock in the world at around 300 million years old.

                        By now your eyes are glazing over and you are wondering where this is going. I am just trying to illustrate the biggest quandary facing these types of institutions, whatever they may be. I will show you photos of PIMA’s back lot, filled with “junked” artifacts, some of which may find their way to the front yard, others will not.

                                    I guess we just try and do our collective “best” when it comes to these decisions and hope that someone in the future  appreciates “our” efforts.

                                    On with the Tour!

                                    What is a PIMA, and why is it named that?

                        That’s an easy one as Pima is the name of the County in which Tucson is located and it was the County and its citizens that embraced the idea of an aviation museum back in the ‘60’s.

Davis-Monthan Air Force Base has been here since the early ‘20’s so aviation has old and long roots around here. The Arizona Air National Guard is based here flying F-16’s.

                        This place is huge at over 130 acres, 80 of which are currently used for the museum buildings and outdoor displays. It is adjacent to Davis-Monthan AFB which gives it some advantages when looking for expended aircraft and the use of a few runways. These would be needed to fly some aircraft in if they are still airworthy and do not need to be trucked in over the road.

                        It is also spotless! You can tell immediately if an institution is well-run or not just by the condition of its facilities and grounds. Even their foodservice was top-notch! One of the advantages that PIMA enjoys is its location in the desert. It’s no accident that the Aviation Boneyard(s) are located here. No rain, no rust, no nothing, (‘cept sun!) Being baked is better for metal when compared to rust!  UV’s do not harm metal!

                        I spent about four hours there while Paula was having a very needed Spa Day after the last four post-surgery, bronchitis, et al, inflicted weeks. Mid-week visits are great as the facility was not crowed at all. Being able to photograph these wonderful airplanes sans hordes of onlookers was quite extraordinary and well-appreciated.

                                    I asked about getting into that Aviation Boneyard across town and was told that those offerings were discontinued permanently. Due to the vastness of those collections and for security reasons, the Bus Tours operated by the Air Force have been discontinued with no plans for a future revival.

                                                Oh well.

                                                I’ll just peer through the fence!