Hill Air Force Museum

Every time we drive home from St. George or Salt Lake, we pass the Hill Air Force Base and see all of the old war planes.  Every time the boys ask if we can go see the airplanes and every time we say next time.  Well next time finally came and Friday we were able to spend the day at the Hill Air Force Museum seeing all of the awesome war planes and war memorabilia.

The museum was really cool and we were able to see all sorts of different planes from all parts of the world and from different eras.  Including a replica of the Wright Brothers planes all the way down to planes used today.  It was amazing to see the progress.

Inside the first part of the museum we saw a lot of planes and replicas of planes and vehicles used during WWII.  It was interesting to see where all of the gunners sat in the planes to shoot at other airplanes.

This is a picture of one of the first ambulances used in the war.  We had to take a picture of it.

This helicopter was one to the first "Life Flight" helicopters used in the war.  It reminded me of  the helicopter used in M*A*S*H*.  It was really crazy how the doctors and medics strapped the gurney to the outside of the helicopter and just flew away.  A little too scary for me I think!  

Next we went to another part for the museum which had more modern day war planes.

While looking at one of the Stealth planes, we were able to talk to an actual Veteran that had flown in a plane just like the one we were looking at.  It was awesome to talk to him and hear his stories.  He told a very touching story about how his life and the lives of his company were saved by Divine Intervention.  He had no other way to describe it than someone was watching out for them.  His little company of about 200 men were about to be taken over by a much larger group of enemy troops when all of a sudden, the enemy group decided to turn a different way and missed the little group completely.  I was in tears listening to his stories.  

Before heading outside, we got in on a craft class they were doing at the museum.  The youth leaders showed us how to make paper rockets.  When we were finished, we got to go outside and shoot them off.  This was so fun!  Our rockets flew so high and far!  Logan's rocket flew clear to the parking lot and landed on a car.  Luckily it was just a paper rocket so there was no damage.  We spent the next little while blasting off our rockets and having fun chasing them.  Emily lost her rocket in the bushes but happily we were able to find it at the end.

Finally we made it outside to see all of the planes in the yard of the museum.

Theses planes were so huge!  I still don't understand the whole aerodynamics thing about planes but I am amazed that something so big and heavy can fly and fly super fast too!  It is crazy but somehow it works.

We had a great time seeing all of the airplanes at the museum.  The kids were able to pick out their favorite planes and they each loved a different one.  I am glad we finally got to check them all out.  Now every time we drive passed, the boys say "Remember when we saw all of the planes?!"  I love making fun memories.