Dane Penland, Smithsonian

Udvar-Hazy Center

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in D.C. may get the nod in movies but the Udvar-Hazy Center has the attractions people really want to see. Built as an annex, the Chantilly location holds the majority of the Smithsonian’s aeronautical offerings including the Discovery space shuttle, the Enola Gay and a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. Onlookers can watch from a glassed-in mezzanine as restoration specialists work on preserving well over a hundred aircraft, parts, instruments and equipment. –RCS / airandspace.si.edu

(August 2015)