We boarded a large plane that had flown “over the hump” (the Himalayas) during WWII in an attempt to resupply Chinese forces and American air units fighting Japan. Their cargo included gasoline, weapons, ammunition, and other war equipment. The hump was roughly 500 miles long crossing peaks of 16,000 to 20,000 feet.
They had an exhibit dedicated to women flyers. Elinor Smith was missing! The docent promised to look into the omission. Elinor fell in love with flying at the age of six in 1918. At the age of ten she took flying lessons with blocks attached to her feet to reach the rudder pedals. At sixteen Elinor became the youngest woman to earn her flying license. Among her many record breaking achievements, one stunt (flying under New York bridges) made her famous in her day. No one has done it since. We had a great time at the air museum!
The Commemorative Air Force Southern California Wing, WWII Aviation Museum is located a few miles from Ellen’s home in Oxnard, California. The museum is attached to the Camarillo Airport.
On their website they have lots of videos explaining the in’s and out’s about the planes that helped to win World War II. According to its website, the museum is comprised of two fifteen thousand sq. ft. hangars and a newer 32,800 sq. ft. hangar. These serve as a museum, maintenance, and restoration hangars. They even host events such as weddings and parties.
We got lucky and had a very knowledgeable docent give us a private tour. Such a deal! We started out by visiting the hangars that where volunteers were working on restoration. You’ll see a few panoramic shots. It’s hard to get such large places into a photographic frame.
