Enjoying My Vacation

Some pics from the Chanute Air Museum in Rantoul, IL today.

I've been to this airport several times over the years for the World Free Fall Convention, and enjoyed this Air Museum.
Shame is that due to lack of funding it is closing it's doors in December.

This is the airport, the museum is hidden behind my midsection.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...ombi-plane.jpg


A7 Corsair
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...psalx22abd.jpg
F15 Eagle
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...psqwk92wrv.jpg
The last XB-47 bomber in existence, of course there were only two made.
This was the early experimental predecessor to the B-47 Stratojet.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...psk7ikff5g.jpg

F100 Super Sabre
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...ps7jji0ukv.jpg
F86 Sabre
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...pshigdsm2l.jpg
This B24 Mitchell was actually on the Doolittle Tokyo Raid.
It is still in the restoration process.
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...pshc9becmg.jpg
P51H-Mustang
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...psfqothvzu.jpg

Staying in the middle of Illinois Amish land, thats Arthur, Il, with my Mom/StepDad, haven't seen them in a few years.
Kids are loving it, as the Grands.
My little sister and BiL are fun to hang out with.
Amish homecooked dinner with an Amish family, buggy rides & farm tours, sitting on the front porch listening toi the clip, clop, clip, clop of the buggies.
Great small town atmosphere, great shopping for the wife in other towns.
And best of all, no work for me, and I've made my wife do all the driving.

Concert tomorrow night in Indianapolis, my wife is dragging me to see an old 80/90s hair band, Europe.
Tuesday is off to St. Louis and the Arch.
Home on Wednesday and then we do another Concert at the Wharf on Fri, Boston & Kansas.

Life isn't half bad sometimes.

If you're in the STL the Budweiser factory tour is free and fun and includes the Clydesdales' barn...which isn't much like a barn at all. I think the zoo and Grant's Farm there is free as well and pretty nice. I love going to the Cardinals' games, probably one of the best family atmospheres at a sporting venue, they want everyone to have fun but don't tolerate a lot of bad behavior.

You wouldn't catch me hanging from a perfectly good airplane.

Hope that someone acquires these planes for a museum. I'd hate to see them scrapped.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by midwestexile

Hope that someone acquires these planes for a museum. I'd hate to see them scrapped.

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Actually a majority are on loan from United States Air Force Musuem so they will find new homes in other museums. Evidently the city stopped paying for their utilities and rent and the cost is just too much for the area (like 60k a month). The musuem is in the middle of nowhere Illinois and is a good 2.5-3 hours from Chicago.