Tucked away in a folder called “Places in Florida I haven’t been yet (but want to go)” are scraps of paper with scribbled notes, flyers, cards and brochures.
The DeLand Naval Air Station sits in that folder. Think about it. Florida soars high with a rich aviation history. Up, up and away. Blasting rockets off into space at Kennedy Space Center gets prime time attention. But there is more, much more.
In downtown historic DeLand (see Painted History chapter in my book 50 Great Walks in Florida) there is a mural of WW II airplanes in the sky painted on the side of a building. A sailor stands guard with a rifle, painted next to the sidewalk. Naturally people get their pictures taken right there.
WWII fighter mural, downtown DeLand. Photo by Lucy Beebe Tobias
Aviation history part of DeLand’s Past
And that peeked my interest. Aviators came here? Where? Why? Answers: To be trained how to fly during World War II. Hundreds of them came.
The history is collected in the DeLand Naval Air Museum – nowhere near downtown, which is why so many people never find it.
Program your GPS to 910 Biscayne Boulevard, DeLand. Surprise – the small DNAS museum is housed in a former officer’s quarters built right next to the current airport runways. Once 82 planes were lined up here, the practice planes for future aviators.
Admission is free. Donations appreciated.
Hours are M-F from 9-5, Sat. and Sun. from 10-5.
Volunteers keep the flight-training legacy alive. So much memorabilia is lovingly packed into a small space including an aviators treasured brown leather jacket, a sign of “making it” as an aviator.
DNAS Museum, DeLand. Photo by Lucy Beebe Tobias
And outside, even bigger memories are parked. Looking ready to fly in the front yard is a TV2/T-33 Shooting Star, a jet trainer from the early 1960’s. Curiously, there is also a huge anchor. Perhaps it is there if needed to hold the Shooting Star from blasting into the sky.
While in the back yard volunteers are restoring a TBF Avenger, a WWII torpedo bomber hauled up from the bottom of Lake Michigan where it sank during a 1942 training run.
The story goes that they found the pilot from that day, brought him to DeLand. He looked inside the old plane at all those manual levers and marveled that they were ever able to get such a complicated machine off the ground. Agreed.
Pensacola soars with aviation history
In Pensacola, 432 miles from DeLand, the National Naval Aviation Museum (another historic training ground for aviators) celebrates its 50th anniversary all year long in 2013.
National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola
Admission is free. Hours are M-F from 9-5 and Sat. and Sun. from 10-5.
And the big 50th anniversary occasion gets even bigger – a blue ribbon cutting with the Grand Opening on Nov. 8, 2013, of the Blue Angels 4D Theater.
On Veteran’s Day (11/11/2013) visitors ride free with the purchase of a “Magic of Flight” IMAX® ticket (general admission IMAX® tickets are $8.75).
The NNAM has hangers full of airplanes, hanging from the ceiling, on the ground – an amazing collection to gladden the heart of any serious aviation buff.
Did you notice that both these museums are free?
For more on following the path of Florida’s aviation history see the excellent travel article for aviation enthusiasts in the Orlando Sentinel about seven aviation museums around the state.
As for me, I can pull the Deland Naval Air Museum scrap of paper out of the file.
On to the next adventure . . .
HOLIDAY BOOK SALE
University Press of Florida in Gainesville, the publisher of my bestselling book 50 Great Walks in Florida, is having a holiday sale with discounted prices and shipping through Dec. 17, 2013.
Visit www.upf.com/holidaysale2013 and fill your stockings. Enter code XM13 to receive discount prices. Example: 50 Great Walks in Florida by Lucy Beebe Tobias retails for $24.95. The price for this holiday book sale is reduced to $16. What a great gift!
For domestic orders placed on or before Dec. 17, 2013, they will ship UPS for just $1 per book.
GO FOR IT!