McChord Air Museum & Heritage Hill Air Park — a Washington State gem
McChord Air Museum and Heritage Hill Air Park — a Washington State gem
47° 07′ 18″ N / 122° 29′ 40″ W [McChord Air Museum]
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47° 07′ 56″ N / 122° 28′ 57″ W [Heritage Hill Air Park]
McChord Air Museum (its retired control tower lends a pleasant view and is highly recommended) — photo by Joseph May
This museum is a gem and absolutely should be visited when in the Seattle-Tacoma area. Two main parts comprise the facility: McChord Air Museum and Heritage Hill Air Park. McChord Air Museum is both intimate and dense with its artifacts, relics and displays. Their two largest exhibits are the B-25 Mitchell nose which is positioned just below eye level (easily viewing the bombardier’s work space) and the cockpit simulator of the Delta Dart known formerly as the F-106 Aircrew Training Device (ATD). Displays, artifacts and models abound showing the variety of history witnessed, and made, at what is now known as Joint Base Lewis-McChord (a merging of Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base). For example, the Doolittle Raider force began here when volunteers were called for a dangerous mission of no description — and the request only need to be made that single instance! There is also a charming display to this brave unit as there are many other displays ranging from NCOs to Project Firewall.
Especially rewarding are the museum staff. While it is rare to meet a docent who is not good, the two met during our visit, Randy Getz and Greg Christian, were wonderfully able to deliver a stream of information but had the experience to instead have a nicely rambling conversation. Some visitors want information and some want to tease out details — Getz and Christian can switch modes without batting and eye, making a visit rewarding as well as memorable 🙂
The Heritage Hill Air Park is artful and delightful — not the usual rowed arrangement of aircraft. Instead, the fifteen aircraft (some historic and some nearly rare) are arranged along a slightly rambling lawn walk with each aircraft on a custom shaped pad (the purposeful omission of easily poured right angles is harder work but much more aesthetically pleasing to the eye). All the aircraft are in mint condition and are sitting on wheel mounts, as well, so the tires do not get destroyed by the weight of the aircraft. A large picnic area and aircraft set in the middle of slightly rolling green landscape — definitely a visit worth making with water and snacks to enjoy the aircraft as well as the environment.
Visiting the McChord Air Museum and Heritage Hill Air Park is easy but go to the base visitation link to ensure entry. The visitor center is accessed from the left lane on the main gate approach and make sure to bring in ID, vehicle registration and proof of insurance — we also noticed that mobile phone use by drivers were allowed but only when hands-free. More posts are forthcoming but please enjoy these images for the present 🙂 There are eateries on base (a Burger King sits opposite the museum) but policies regarding serving civilians on military bases often change so check first or make use of the closely neighboring towns. The museum is for children as well as adults and has restroom facilities, of course.
McChord Air Museum interior is on the small (many more artifacts are in storage so the displays are periodically refreshed) but rich, note the B-25 Mitchell nose and captured Iraqi towed ZPU-1 type 14.7mm antiaircraft machine gun — photo by Joseph May
The F-106 Air Crew Training Device (ATD) cockpit section at the McChord Air Museum which enhanced cockpit procedures, though not a moving simulator the ATD technical staff could make pilots sweat all the same — photo by Joseph May
The F-106 ATD cockpit is as real as it gets. Note the targeting radar at top, the situation screen below and the double grip joy stick. Also observe the distinctive absence of nearly all forward visibility. All are encouraged to have a seat! — photo by Joseph May
The double grip joy stick features a left grip gimbal so that it could be moved and twisted to control the direction of the F-106’s radar dish — photo by Joseph May
Replica of the bomb site used on the B-25 Mitchell bombers assigned to the Doolittle Tokyo Raid. Volunteers were sought at the B-25 unit assigned at McChord at the time and note several of them have signed the replica — photo by Joseph May
Model of a B-17 “Dumbo” search and rescue aircraft with the parachute deployed lifeboat attached on the belly — photo by Joseph May
C-124 Globemaster II model of the paradigm setting aircraft also known as “Old Shakey” — photo by Joseph May
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Douglas C-124 Globemaster II and Lockheed C-141 Starlifter at the McChord Air Museum Heritage Hill Air Park — photo by Joseph May
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McChord Air Museum and Heritage Hill Air Park Aircraft |
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| Consolidated SA-10 Catalina | Douglas C-124C Globemaster II | Lockheed C-141B Starlifter | |
| Douglas B-18A Bolo | Douglas B-23 Dragon | Douglas TC-47D Skytrain | |
| Convair F-102A Delta Dagger | Convair F-106A Delta Dart | Beechcraft C-45H Expeditor | |
| Fairchild C-82A Packet | Fairchild A-10A Thunderbolt II | Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star | |
| North American F-86D Sabre | McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle | McDonnell CF-101F Voodoo | |
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Coming Soon from the Restoration Hangar |
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| Lockheed C-130 Hercules | Kaman HH-43 Huskie | ||
Cargo aircraft as well as fighter aircraft are exhibited at the Heritage Hill Air Park — photo by Joseph May
Modern and retired aircraft at the Heritage Hill Air Park — photo by Joseph May
Retired fighter types at Heritage Hill Air Park — photo by Joseph May
Watch for posts on the aircraft displays during the coming weeks!
Travel for Aircraft 
Looks like that museum has come a long way since I visited McChord in 1987!
I remember seeing that C-124 in a hangar undergoing restoration at the time. it’s one of the more ungainly looking aircraft I’ve ever seen.
The C-141 in the high visibility scheme looks sharp. At the time I visited the base, the Starlifters stationed there were all in the wraparound “Lizard” camouflage.
Hello! I’d like to have seen the lizard like paint — I’ll have to look that one up. McChord’s museum have their aircraft looking in mint conditions — even the B-18 and the B-23 (the aircraft I was especially trying to photograph). I was lucky since I arrived around noon which is usually not a good time to photograph unless it is cloudy, but I learned that the higher latitudes mean lower sun angles so noon isn’t the wrong time after all.
It’s not difficult to find pictures of the C-141 in the “Lizard” paint scheme. Mind you, that was an unofficial nickname for the scheme; I think the official name for it was “European ” or similar. It was pretty standard for a lot of USAF aircraft through the 1980s.
In early ’70 I was on the flight that delivered a Gemini capsule from Andrews AFB. (I have the picture.) In looking through your web site I am unable to find it. Can you tell me where it has gone?
Thanks,
John Styer
Hello John,
I searched my files, as well as the posts, using your name as well as the term “Gemini” but have come up with zip. I can post the picture you mentioned and its story if you can email an image file, though–and be happy to do so. Thanks, Joe