USS Midway Experience
Report by Isabel S.
A great place to visit is the USS Midway Museum in San Diego. It is located on harbor drive and the whole museum is actually on the Aircraft Carrier Ship. The carrier is over 50 years old and there are many exciting things to see on board. The crew is really friendly and as soon as you enter the carrier you are welcomed aboard.
Planes…
When you enter, a picture of you is taken in front of a green screen which you can look at later on and even purchase. The first thing we did was visit the deck, because the later the day, the hotter it gets up there. Many restored aircrafts are exhibited on the deck including EKA-3 Skywarrior, the F9F Panther, the E-2 Hawkeye or the C-1 Trader. Many of them you can even enter and see what it was like to fly one of these jets and what it would feel like to be a “passenger” in it.
Exploring on deck…
On deck there is the entry to the guided tour which will lead you through the entire tower of the aircraft. You can see the primary flight control and the bridge where you have a terrific view over the harbor and Coronado Island. If you want to explore the aircraft carrier on your own you can use the complementary self-guided audio tour which will tell you something about all the information points you will reach. You’ll get to explore the whole carrier including the post office, the sleeping quarters, the engine room, the laundry room, the cantina, the captain’s cabins and many more interesting places within the ship. You can learn a lot about navigation, the Navy and the aircraft carrier’s history itself.
Prices and Extras…
If you have some extra money with you, you can ride the flight simulator on board. It is a really realistic machine in which you will get to know the feeling of flying a real fighter jet. You even have the possibility to speak to a World War II veteran, who will be able to tell you a lot of interesting stories about that time. You can also visit the jail on board and there are many rooms with video presentations with original movie material from the time. The prices are really convenient: as a student it is only 13 USD. What will be more expensive is parking next to the carrier which is 10 USD, so better gather all your friends in one car and share the price.
