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| Aviation History And Aircraft Photography |
USS Midway CVB-41
San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum
San Diego, California
| The Carrier: |
The USS Midway was put to
sea just as WWII came to an end. She was the largest carrier ever
built to that time. Midway tested the use of helicopters for search
and rescue, and even hosted the launch of a captured German V-2
rocket. Midway was refit with an angled deck in the late 1950s.
She saw heavy action in Vietnam, and became famous during the
evacuation of Saigon when sailors had to push helicopters overboard
to make room for more incoming aircraft to land. Midway also took
part in Operation Desert Storm just prior to being retired.
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| The Museum: |
The Midway is located at 910 North Harbor
Drive alongside Navy Pier. There is a pay parking lot available at the
Midway, and the ship is easily accessible by public transportation including
light rail. The cost is a little more than the other carrier museums at $18
per person (as of my visit in 2011), but this includes the audio tour, which
is very well done. Docets were available in several parts of the ship,
including in the engine room, which also added to the tour experience. The
island tour is lead by a docet. The line gets long quickly, so plan to visit
the island early in the day. Being the largest carrier that is open for
tours, the effort to visit the Midway is well worth it.
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