Ok, this is a totally unofficial gathering, highly impromptu, not planned, etc. Maybe it shouldn't even be called a mini-DO, but whatever. With that said: In the thread about the 747 having been installed on the Air & Space museum in DC (the one on the mall, i.e. close to DCA, NOT Udvar-Hazy which is out by IAD.), the idea of a get-together was brought up. It sounded like a good idea, and Dec 7-9 sounded like a good weekend.

NWA seems to have reasonable fares to DCA that weekend (wanted $350 r/t from SFO), CO also has great fares that weekend ($218 r/t from SFO in T class - 50% EQM, but good enough for me.)

Currently planning on meeting up at air & space afternoonish on Sat 12/8.

All are welcome, let's use this thread as coordination and RSVP thread.

I'm in!

Can't DO that weekend.

One week later, yes; one week earlier, quite possibly.

For those visiting the Air & Space Museum for the first time, note that the collection is in 2 locations. One building is on the Mall near the other Smithsonian museums, but the best parts of the collection are at Dulles. Buses are available.

I believe (not sure) that this is at Dulles?

Yes it is called the Udvar-Hazy (sp?) center. AFAIK there is a bus of some sort that goes between IAD and there as well as between the museum on the mall and there. Schedules are posted on the Smithsonian's website.

Which means that those flying in Sat. a.m. to meet up with others might be better off flying into IAD (Dulles) rather than DCA if they can.

It's easy to get from DCA to the Mall on the subway.

Methinks this impromptu DO would benefit from some really quick planning & analysis of the logistics.

If you're going to hit the collection at Dulles, we might make the trip down there.

Thanks for the heads-up on the alternate location.

" For directions, hours and more information on the Air and Space Museum, call 202-633-1000 or visit nasm.si.edu "
Website seems to be down this morning.
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EDIT: Rant deleted ~ we're back in
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The NW 747 nose is at the downtown one. Being local (and in town that weekend amazingly enough) I definitely down for an event.

Yup, read thru the entire article twice on our flight this morning. No explicit reference to location in the article but a photo captions shows 747 sections being unloaded "on the Mall". A couple planes in the background seem vaguely family from our visit there (Mall, couldn't make Dulles) a couple years ago.

The Dulles site would be worth the bus ride. Among other things, it contains the only remaining airworthy 307 Stratoliner, re-re-furbished after its swim in Elliot Bay.

What dates are being considered?

I think they cancelled the bus from the Mall out to the U-H museum near IAD. There is a bus that runs from IAD to that museum though.

OP - you might want to ask a mod to edit your title to include a date and remove the DCA reference - maybe DC instead would be clearer

Did anyone find out which museum?

It was installed on the wall near the planetarium, at the air & space museum on the mall.

As for the weekends under "consideration" - this is not a well-planned out event. It was more of a spur of the moment thing. It's happening the weekend of 12/8 (most probably, sometime afternoonish on 12/8, to give people coming in from the west coast time to make it.) Not really much "consideration". If you want consideration, planning, and a real DO, I would suggest monitoring the thread in the NW WorldPerks forum, where a real DO is being planned sometime in '08 that will be infinitely cooler. I probably shouldn't even have called this a mini-DO - it's more like someone posted "Hey, this is cool, let's check it out", and me saying "Yes, let's do it. Anyone else who wants to tag along is welcome."

As it is on the mall, DCA is highly recommended over IAD. Udvar-hazy is cool, and is by IAD, but the mini-DO and the nose cone are at the site on the mall, not at Udvar-Hazy.

Sorry to those who can't make it, there will inevitably be some, but this is not at all a full-out DO. It's more like "Hey, something cool was featured in NWA World Traveler this month. Let's go check it out." If you can make it, that's great, if you can't, you're not really missing a huge event. It's some people from FT getting together in a reasonably spur-of-the-moment fashion to look at a piece of a 747, and maybe grab dinner afterwards.

More information about the bus service between IAD and the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center is here.

The current bus schedules are here (see the "Air and Space Museum SHUTTLE" links).

And the Smithsonian's original Air and Space Museum building on the National Mall is a short walk from the Maryland Avenue exit of the L'Enfant Plaza Metrorail station.

Guys,

I've amended the title so that the date is included in it, and was suggested amended DCA to DC to try and limit confusion. If I haven't done this correctly, then please let me know and I'll re-amend.

Cheers

Jenbel
Co-moderator, Communitybuzz!