commemorative air force museum

The volunteer guides were so knowledgeable and when I left I had even more respect for those who served in the war, crawling through the B17 was unreal-and so much to look at in the museum itself.

I took my 86 year old father to the air museum on a Saturday. The parking lot was full and they were encouraging us to park across the street at the Wal Mart and then walk across, something that was not in the cards for my elderly Dad. All of the handicap spots were taken too. They did have a person at the front of the lot warning you about the problem which saved a lot of time and aggravation. Fortunately, we found a spot in the lot when somebody left. The docents were friendly and helpful. They have wheelchairs and scooters for the elderly and disabled which was nice. As far as the museum itself, they had a relatively small number of planes there when compared to other aviation museums that I have been to. They do have a number of gems, namely airplanes that have been restored to flying condition on which you can fly, including a B-17 from WWII. The prices to fly on the smaller planes seemed reasonable but the flight on the B-17 was way too pricey for my blood. All in all it was worth the $5.00 per person that they charged and it was fun for the hour and a half we spent there.

Excellent way to spend a couple of hours. The people working there are dedicated and knowledgeable. They were working on a B 17 and getting it ready for a flight next week..

The Commemorative Air Force was started in Texas by a group of pilots that wanted to save the American aircraft that won World war II. Since that time, the CAF has grown into a large international organization with dozens of aircraft ranging from huge bombers to small spotter aircraft.Falcon Field is home to one of the groups B-17s. Of the 12,000 built, about 50 survive worldwide and 10 fly. Sentimental Journey is one of those 10.Aside from the aircraft...the B-17, a B-25, as well as trainers and fighters, the nice facility also houses various displays.The entry fee will allow you the rare chance to examine the planes up close, trained guides are available to answer any question.It's important to show young people these artifacts and to learn about the contribution made by average Americans to defeat the Nazis and Japanese.There is also a nice gift shop and restrooms.If you have a couple of hours free in the Phoenix area, please stop by. Kids will enjoy it and hopefully, they...and their elders, will learn something and appreciate the sacrifices made by "The greatest generation" 70 years ago.

This was a very interesting place for us to take guests from out of town. Very informative and educational.

Staff were very informative and exhibits professionally done with attention to historical details and accuracy. We were able to walk/crawl through a B-17 Flying Fortress. learned where the expression the "whole 9 yards" came from. Flights are available if you wish. A bit expensive for us, but the history lessons will never be forgotten. Credit given to men and women who served in the air force. Unfortunately the women were only recently recognized for their bravery and service.

First, the disclaimer: I personally am not in the category mentioned above. That being said, this quality of this museum is excellent. The aircraft on display, inside and outside, is in pristine condition and the historical displays very informative and well done. It's all on one level and very accessible. The volunteers present were knowledgeable and did a super job. There is a nice gift shop on site.

I am an avid museum visitor, and particularly when it comes to airplanes. This is a small, but worthwhile air museum to visit. This is a museum where a lot of restoration work is done. There were three planes under restoration when I was there and had several planes on the apron. If you have similar likes, put this museum on your list of places to visit. You will be glad you did.

What a great piece of primarily WWII history of aviation. This museum is run by volunteers that really care, are knowledgeable and want to share the information with you. The planes are impressive. You can climb inside a WWII bomber. What an experience. Many replicas inside and outside the building. We are not airplane history buffs but we were so glad we didn't miss this amazing collection.

There are so many planes here including the B-17 that you can tour. You can also take rides on several of the old planes. We loved the tour and we loved all the history loaded into this building. Fantastic!

Went to this Museum this morning and was very impressed with the planes and the knowledge of the people who volunteered there except for on individual who made the whole experience less than pleasant. We had toured the planes which were awesome and the history of the flyers. You could take a flight on some of the older fighter planes although a bit on the pricey side. The only negative was just before we were leaving I happened to overhear a conversation by a volunteer who was chatting with other volunteers about that mornings visitors. He made some not very nice comments about the school kids and the Canadians who were at the museum that morning. I took offence as looking through their sign in book there were a lot of Canadian visitors that go to the museum and pay money to support it. Also one of the volunteers who we had spoken to upon entry was also a Canadian. Maybe this individual should keep his comments to himself as it stopped me from making a donation and purchasing anything from the gift shop. The museum itself is worth while seeing if you would like to learn about history and airplanes and to see what conditions the young pilots had to put up with during the war.

As an aviation buff and historian, I can say that this is an excellent example of a living museum. Many of the aircraft on display are maintained in flying condition, and rides are offered in some of these. The consequence is that the museum's exhibits are constantly changing, making this a museum to visit on more than one occasion over time. Also, if there is one particular aircraft you wish to see, you'd best call ahead to make sure it is there. The 'fixed' exhibits are professionally done and give good insight into certain aspects of military aviation and particularly WWII military aviation. My visit coincided with a pleasure flight by the B-25, so I got to see it start up, take off and land - a nice bonus! The C-47 was also being run up, so a nice double bonus! Perhaps another thing to call ahead about, if you want to see, or indeed, fly in these aircraft.Aside from the display hangar, there is the conservation hangar where a variety of aircraft are being worked on for overhaul or restoration. At the time of this visit, this included the B-17, which was undergoing her winter overhaul. In addition, the museum offers a nice little gift shop, restrooms and vending machines. Be sure to ask for the AAA discount if you are a member, and I am sure there's a vet's discount as well. Well worth a visit, though be aware that there is little else to do in the area for those not of the aviation history inclination.

Me and a buddy took a trip over to the air museum to see what it was all about. The place is awesome with beautiful displays of planes and related material. In the shop the volunteers were actually overhauling a huge plane, motors were off and they were replacing sheet metal. Flights can actually be booked in these vintage airplanes when they are available. I took a flight in a bi-wing trainer and boy was that fun. I always wanted to fly in a bi-wing plane so now I can say I have done that. Fun Day!

If you enjoy history and airplanes, this is the place. All run by volunteers, you will be impressed.

These guys have a fantastic collection of private and military aircraft and engines that are a must see if you have any interest in aviation. They also have a restoration hangar where you can see their painstaking work rebuilding vintage and WW2 aircraft.