National Air and Space Museum - Bailey Denzy

Last Friday, the seven of us took a trip to the National Air and Space Museum, where we got a tour from an ex-air force pilot named Mark. It was great to learn about the history of aviation and space flight from such an experienced man. Throughout the tour, Mark talked about his personal inspiration for becoming a pilot and shared some interesting stories about his encounters with a few of the many famous pilots and astronauts that have visited the museum.

One of the first planes that Mark showed us, the Voyager, completed the first non-stop flight around the world. If you see it, you’ll be shocked to believe that a man and his traveling companion/girlfriend were crammed in the tiny cabin for 9 days straight! Also on display is the original 1903 Wright Flyer that Wilbur and Orville Wright constructed to complete the world’s first successful flight.

Personally, I thought the most exciting part of the trip was being able to see all of the original spacecraft used in the United States’ first trips to the moon and around the universe. When Mark learned that we were from Ohio State, he made sure to take us to see the Friendship 7 spacecraft that John Glenn traveled in to become the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962. As a current John Glenn fellow, it was cool to feel like I had a connection to this American hero. We are hoping to meet John Glenn and his wife later this spring.  

This turned out to be my favorite Smithsonian museum so far and I would definitely recommend it. Like a lot of things in DC, it’s also free! So check out the most visited museum in the country next time you’re in DC. Get there early because it does fill up quick (but don’t arrive before they open on a cold day or you’ll be stuck huddling for warmth outside the doors until they officially open!)  With over 60,000 objects in their collection (from this picture I took you can see an original space suit worn by John Glenn), you could easy spend half a day, but I would definitely recommend giving yourself a few hours to check out all the awesome history the museum has to offer.