Come fly with me

Grace and I visited Aviation Day at the Kent State University airport today.  Driving there, we didn't know what to expect but were pleasantly surprised by many small airplanes (we see these flying over the lake and the streets in our area all the time),

...a life-flight helicopter from the Cleveland Clinic,

...and some military planes.  The biggest one carried 48 paratroopers in Vietnam, and is now a flying museum.

For my dad, who will probably ask, it is a C-123 flying boxcar.  The retired soldier inside said they put seats inside and the soldiers would sit until it was time to parachute out.  Then they hooked themselves to cables (sort of like laundry lines hanging the length of the plane) so they could put their parachutes on standing up.  When they jumped the cord would open their parachute for them. 

Grace took a peek inside the cockpit.
She said there were a lot of  "clocks" in there.

This other plane had 7 guns - three in the front and four on the sides.  Grace was amazed at how big the propellers and tires were.  There was a man inside but she couldn't find the door.  (It was underneath and you had to use a ladder to climb up).

That's a huge propeller, mom. 

I am NOT sharing my popcorn!