🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1j8lpoINNf2d@mirror.digex.com> bote@access.digex.com (John Boteler) writes:
>crh@wam.umd.edu (Craig Hinners) writes:
>>I think you can schedule a tour of Silver Hill (in PG cnty) but
>>there's a really long waiting list.
>
>I'm sure there is, especially after its roof was torn off
>in the storm last month!


What??  Which building?  I was there last week, and there were no obvious signs
of any extra activity.  I wasn't taking a tour, so there could have been damage
that I did not see, but I was in two of the buildings and they were not 
damaged, and noone mentioned anything amiss.

Tours can be had by calling and reserving about three weeks in advance.  When I
went on a tour last time, there were only about 20-25 people there.  I plan to
go back again because each tour guide knows some different stuff and has 
different interests.

The Enola Gay is in the process of restoration, and during our tour we got to
_touch_ her!!  They are doing wear testing on the coating, and wanted us to 
touch several prepared spots on the fuselage so they can decide which coating
is the best to put on the whole plane.

The SR-71, the _Enterprise_, and a bunch of other cool planes are at Dulles. 
I don't think they have tours.  :(

BTW,  I was only at the Paul Garber Facility in Silver Hill last Wednesday 
thanks to the kind soul who posted the information here about the _American
Aviation Historical Society_ meeting there.  It was great!  I plan to join.


Kevin O'Brien
gryphon@access.digex.com