Vintage General Electric

Vintage General Electric

Vintage Lot 76 GE GENERAL ELECTRIC MAZDA Miniature AUTOMOBILE FLASHLIGHT Bulbs
Vintage Lot 76 GE GENERAL ELECTRIC MAZDA Miniature AUTOMOBILE FLASHLIGHT Bulbs
Paypal   US $20.00
vintage miniature eveready general electric tunsol bulbs
vintage miniature eveready general electric tunsol bulbs
Paypal   US $16.95
Vintage Amber Quilted Style Table Lamp with Pull On and Off Cord
Vintage Amber Quilted Style Table Lamp with Pull On and Off Cord
Paypal   US $12.99
Hollywood Regency Paul Hanson Faux Malachite Column Lamp VTG Neoclassical Empire
Hollywood Regency Paul Hanson Faux Malachite Column Lamp VTG Neoclassical Empire
Paypal   US $189.00
Vintage Lamp Socket Switch Canadian General Electric CGE Porcelain
Vintage Lamp Socket Switch Canadian General Electric CGE Porcelain
Paypal   US $6.00
6 pack GE Soft White 3way 100 200 300 Mogul Base vintage bulbs 6 pack
6 pack GE Soft White 3way 100 200 300 Mogul Base vintage bulbs 6 pack
Paypal   US $18.00
Vintage GE Electric Cord Inline Bakelite On Off Switch OLMH Switch
Vintage GE Electric Cord Inline Bakelite On Off Switch OLMH Switch
Paypal   US $9.99
Vintage GE NE 56 glow bulb in paper sleeve works old night light style bulb
Vintage GE NE 56 glow bulb in paper sleeve works old night light style bulb
Paypal   US $4.99
vintage GE sunlamp in original box with bulb suntan kit
vintage GE sunlamp in original box with bulb suntan kit
Paypal   US $30.00
1939 40 WESTINGHOUSE CATALOG LIGHTS INSULATORS TRAINS LIGHT BULBS X RAY EQUIP
1939 40 WESTINGHOUSE CATALOG LIGHTS INSULATORS TRAINS LIGHT BULBS X RAY EQUIP
Paypal   US $199.99
1896 GE General Electric T5 Automatic Time Switch Vintage
1896 GE General Electric T5 Automatic Time Switch Vintage
Paypal   US $59.99
Vintage GE Silver Bowl 100 Watt Light Bulb Lamp
Vintage GE Silver Bowl 100 Watt Light Bulb Lamp
Paypal   US $3.99
RARE Mint n Box Vintage GE General Electric Home Sentry Lamp Light Burglar Timer
RARE Mint n Box Vintage GE General Electric Home Sentry Lamp Light Burglar Timer
Paypal   US $4.00
Vintage General Electric Miniature lamp bulb for camera
Vintage General Electric Miniature lamp bulb for camera
Paypal   US $9.99
NE 30 GE AMERICAN Made NEON Vintage Indicator Pilot Lamp Bulb Light Free Ship
NE 30 GE AMERICAN Made NEON Vintage Indicator Pilot Lamp Bulb Light Free Ship
Paypal   US $30.00
Vintage Table Lamp Electric Numbered
Vintage Table Lamp Electric Numbered
Paypal   US $.99
GE AR 1 W1A ARGON UV Discharge Vintage Light Lamp Bulb
GE AR 1 W1A ARGON UV Discharge Vintage Light Lamp Bulb
Paypal   US $26.00
Vintage GE Infrared Lamp Sconce Deco Mid Century Modern
Vintage GE Infrared Lamp Sconce Deco Mid Century Modern
Paypal   US $55.99
Antique c1917 HUMPHREY Gas Lamp PENDANT LIGHT FIXTURE industrial w adv globe
Antique c1917 HUMPHREY Gas Lamp PENDANT LIGHT FIXTURE industrial w adv globe
Paypal   US $325.00
VINTAGE SUN LAMP MODEL NICE
VINTAGE SUN LAMP MODEL NICE
Paypal   US $54.50
Hollywood Regency Paul Hanson Celadon Glaze Ceramic Lamp Asian Oriental Vintage
Hollywood Regency Paul Hanson Celadon Glaze Ceramic Lamp Asian Oriental Vintage
Paypal   US $175.00
GE G 10 G10 COIL NEON AMERICAN Made 1 2w Pilot Lamp Bulb Nite Lite NOS Free Ship
GE G 10 G10 COIL NEON AMERICAN Made 1 2w Pilot Lamp Bulb Nite Lite NOS Free Ship
Paypal   US $56.00
EDISON LAMP WORKS Bulletin RETAIL STORE LIGHTING Fixtures Examples Photos 1925
EDISON LAMP WORKS Bulletin RETAIL STORE LIGHTING Fixtures Examples Photos 1925
Paypal   US $32.00
XXL14d Citrus Striped Pottery Lamp Mid Century Danish Modern Ceramic Retro VTG
XXL14d Citrus Striped Pottery Lamp Mid Century Danish Modern Ceramic Retro VTG
Paypal   US $245.00
LG 33h Pair Stiffel Brass Trophy Urn Lamps Hollywood Regency Vtg Neoclassical
LG 33h Pair Stiffel Brass Trophy Urn Lamps Hollywood Regency Vtg Neoclassical
Paypal   US $320.00
GE G 10 NEON AMERICAN Made 1 2 w Pilot Lamp Bulb Night Light Nite Lite Free Ship
GE G 10 NEON AMERICAN Made 1 2 w Pilot Lamp Bulb Night Light Nite Lite Free Ship
Paypal   US $48.00
46 PAIR Paul Hanson Italian Giltwood Column Lamps Hollywood Regency Mid Century
46 PAIR Paul Hanson Italian Giltwood Column Lamps Hollywood Regency Mid Century
Paypal   US $1,075.00
VINTAGE GE ELECTRIC PORTABLE LAMP FLOOD LIGHT WORKING ISSUE 50585
VINTAGE GE ELECTRIC PORTABLE LAMP FLOOD LIGHT WORKING ISSUE 50585
Paypal   US $16.99
RARE VINTAGE ANTIQUE GENERAL ELECTRIC ELECTRIC METER TABLE LAMP
RARE VINTAGE ANTIQUE GENERAL ELECTRIC ELECTRIC METER TABLE LAMP
Paypal   US $69.95
Vintage Ceramic Flower Bouquet Electric Lamp
Vintage Ceramic Flower Bouquet Electric Lamp
Paypal   US $11.99
Vintage Acme Mov e Lite With Vintage GE Westinghouse Bulbs RETRO Mid Century
Vintage Acme Mov e Lite With Vintage GE Westinghouse Bulbs RETRO Mid Century
Paypal   US $89.99
Lot of 4 Vintage Pull Chain Bulb Socket Adapters Bakelite Leviton Eagle 2 GE
Lot of 4 Vintage Pull Chain Bulb Socket Adapters Bakelite Leviton Eagle 2 GE
Paypal   US $12.00
Antique Art Nouveau Bronze Lady With the Torch Lamp Shade LK
Antique Art Nouveau Bronze Lady With the Torch Lamp Shade LK
Paypal   US $350.00
Antique Porcelain Victorian Woman with Dog Lamp LOOK
Antique Porcelain Victorian Woman with Dog Lamp LOOK
Paypal   US $125.00
Vintage 1973 GE Childrens Dog Nite Lite Night Light WORKS GREAT
Vintage 1973 GE Childrens Dog Nite Lite Night Light WORKS GREAT
Paypal   US $14.00
NE 32 L5A GE AMERICAN VINTAGE 1 w DCB NEON GLOW PILOT LAMP BULB Free Ship Ins
NE 32 L5A GE AMERICAN VINTAGE 1 w DCB NEON GLOW PILOT LAMP BULB Free Ship Ins
Paypal   US $30.00
GE AMERICAN Made 1 w NEON Vintage Nite Lite Night Light Lamp Bulb Free Ship
GE AMERICAN Made 1 w NEON Vintage Nite Lite Night Light Lamp Bulb Free Ship
Paypal   US $30.00
Vintage Re purposed Winged wheel No 350 Japan Kerosene Lantern Table Lamp Shade
Vintage Re purposed Winged wheel No 350 Japan Kerosene Lantern Table Lamp Shade
Paypal   US $44.99
22 Vtg PAIR Green Ginger Jar Ceramic Lamps Hollywood Regency Mid Century Retro
22 Vtg PAIR Green Ginger Jar Ceramic Lamps Hollywood Regency Mid Century Retro
Paypal   US $225.00
HAEGER Ceramic Lamp Drip Glaze Ginger Jar Mid Century Hollywood Regency Vtg 60s
HAEGER Ceramic Lamp Drip Glaze Ginger Jar Mid Century Hollywood Regency Vtg 60s
Paypal   US $125.00
VINTAGE LIGHT LAMP CAGES GUARDS 2 DESK LAMP BASE GENERAL ELECTRIC MACHINE AGE
VINTAGE LIGHT LAMP CAGES GUARDS 2 DESK LAMP BASE GENERAL ELECTRIC MACHINE AGE
Paypal   US $200.00
Vintage Gold Tone Metal Flower Feet Double Bulb
Vintage Gold Tone Metal Flower Feet Double Bulb
Paypal   US $22.50
Vintage GE Heat Applicator Lamp 15 watt 120 volt works
Vintage GE Heat Applicator Lamp 15 watt 120 volt works
Paypal   US $2.50
XL Vtg Fat Lava Drip Glaze Pottery Lamp Mid Century Danish Modern Ceramic Retro
XL Vtg Fat Lava Drip Glaze Pottery Lamp Mid Century Danish Modern Ceramic Retro
Paypal   US $269.00
Vintage GE 40w 120v 12 long Tubular Light Bulb used VFC
Vintage GE 40w 120v 12 long Tubular Light Bulb used VFC
Paypal   US $9.75
Vintage General Electric Infrared Gooseneck Lamp
Vintage General Electric Infrared Gooseneck Lamp
Paypal   US $77.77
VINTAGE 1982 GENERAL ELEC AUTOMATIC NIGHTLIGHT TRAIN
VINTAGE 1982 GENERAL ELEC AUTOMATIC NIGHTLIGHT TRAIN
Paypal   US $14.99
Monumental 46 Stiffel Candlestick Lamp Hollywood Regency Mid Century Parzinger
Monumental 46 Stiffel Candlestick Lamp Hollywood Regency Mid Century Parzinger
Paypal   US $195.00
1925 Price Mazda Lamps illustrated Mine Street Train
1925 Price Mazda Lamps illustrated Mine Street Train
Paypal   US $34.99
VTG Handpainted Milk Glass Electric Lamp Base w Hurricane Chimney Shade Pedestal
VTG Handpainted Milk Glass Electric Lamp Base w Hurricane Chimney Shade Pedestal
Paypal   US $39.52
ANTIQUE BRADLEY HUBBARD BH GENIE ALADDIN CAST IRON LAMP
ANTIQUE BRADLEY HUBBARD BH GENIE ALADDIN CAST IRON LAMP
Paypal   US $595.00
Vintage GE Compax Fluorescent Light Bulbs 3 15w FLB15 TL THREE BULBS
Vintage GE Compax Fluorescent Light Bulbs 3 15w FLB15 TL THREE BULBS
Paypal   US $68.78
Lot of 2 Night Lights 1989 Charlie Brown Mickey Mouse
Lot of 2 Night Lights 1989 Charlie Brown Mickey Mouse
Paypal   US $13.95
Made in USA by GE VINTAGE NEON ORANGE GLOW NITE LITE Light Lamp Bulb Free Ship
Made in USA by GE VINTAGE NEON ORANGE GLOW NITE LITE Light Lamp Bulb Free Ship
Paypal   US $14.00
VINTAGE 1950s GENERAL ELECTRIC HOME LIGHTING SLIDE RULE GE
VINTAGE 1950s GENERAL ELECTRIC HOME LIGHTING SLIDE RULE GE
Paypal   US $24.99
Vtg 1970s Hollywood Regency Brass Lamp with Shade Chinoiserie Asian Modern
Vtg 1970s Hollywood Regency Brass Lamp with Shade Chinoiserie Asian Modern
Paypal   US $129.00
VINTAGE ELECTRIC PORCELAIN TABLE LAMP PAISLEY SHADE
VINTAGE ELECTRIC PORCELAIN TABLE LAMP PAISLEY SHADE
Paypal   US $695.00
Vintage GE General Electric Infrared Lamp Light Industrial Style
Vintage GE General Electric Infrared Lamp Light Industrial Style
Paypal   US $109.95
RARE VINTAGE BENJAMIN INDUSTRIAL GAS STATION BARN LIGHT18 DIAMETER
RARE VINTAGE BENJAMIN INDUSTRIAL GAS STATION BARN LIGHT18 DIAMETER
Paypal   US $449.00
1930 GENERAL ELECTRIC MAGAZINE AD EDISON MAZDA LAMPS
1930 GENERAL ELECTRIC MAGAZINE AD EDISON MAZDA LAMPS
Paypal   US $9.99
1912 ELECTRICITY MAGAZINE STREET LIGHTS ELECTRIC SIGNS
1912 ELECTRICITY MAGAZINE STREET LIGHTS ELECTRIC SIGNS
Paypal   US $64.99
1966 General Electric Lightbulbs Chandelights Flair Ad
1966 General Electric Lightbulbs Chandelights Flair Ad
Paypal   US $12.50
1947 AD FOR GENERAL ELECTRIC SUN LAMPS FOR HOME USE
1947 AD FOR GENERAL ELECTRIC SUN LAMPS FOR HOME USE
Paypal   US $12.98
GE MAZDA LAMP Light Bulb EDISON REPRINT AD 1923 Vintage Electric Model Antique
GE MAZDA LAMP Light Bulb EDISON REPRINT AD 1923 Vintage Electric Model Antique
Paypal   US $8.95
Antique vintage street light glass globe 1920 acorn austin MN GE
Antique vintage street light glass globe 1920 acorn austin MN GE
   US $349.99
Vintage Klaro Lamp SHADE General Electric Texolite Box
Vintage Klaro Lamp SHADE General Electric Texolite Box
Paypal   US $24.99
NE 48 B9A GE NEON VINTAGE Circuit Component Test Lamp NOS Made in USA Free Ship
NE 48 B9A GE NEON VINTAGE Circuit Component Test Lamp NOS Made in USA Free Ship
Paypal   US $24.00
Lot of Vintage GE Eveready and Tung Sol Mini bulbs
Lot of Vintage GE Eveready and Tung Sol Mini bulbs
Paypal   US $19.99
VINTAGE SATIN WHITE VASELINE ELECTRIC LIGHT SHADE SET of FIVE LOT SHADES
VINTAGE SATIN WHITE VASELINE ELECTRIC LIGHT SHADE SET of FIVE LOT SHADES
Paypal   US $250.00
Rare Vintage GENERAL ELECTRIC UNDERBED SUNLAMP CAT NO PL3A1 2 With Timer
Rare Vintage GENERAL ELECTRIC UNDERBED SUNLAMP CAT NO PL3A1 2 With Timer
Paypal   US $49.99
VINTAGE GENERAL ELECTRIC MINI RADIO LAMPS in BOX
VINTAGE GENERAL ELECTRIC MINI RADIO LAMPS in BOX
Paypal   US $13.49
RARE VINTAGE ANTIQUE GENERAL ELECTRIC ELECTRIC METER TABLE LAMP WOOD BASE
RARE VINTAGE ANTIQUE GENERAL ELECTRIC ELECTRIC METER TABLE LAMP WOOD BASE
Paypal   US $87.50
VINTAGE GE CLOTH APPLIANCE POWER CORD
VINTAGE GE CLOTH APPLIANCE POWER CORD
Paypal   US $16.99
GE Made USA VINTAGE 1 w NEON GLOW NITE LITE CIRCUIT PILOT LAMP BULB FREE SHIP
GE Made USA VINTAGE 1 w NEON GLOW NITE LITE CIRCUIT PILOT LAMP BULB FREE SHIP
Paypal   US $30.00
VINTAGE G E SUN LAMP SUNTAN KIT with ADJUSTABLE HOLDER ORIGINAL BOX
VINTAGE G E SUN LAMP SUNTAN KIT with ADJUSTABLE HOLDER ORIGINAL BOX
Paypal   US $19.99

Aviation Sights of Virginia

Although Virginia, as an aviation destination, may seem a shadow of Washington with its world-reknowned National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, half of that magnificent facility actually sits in Virginia itself, and the state’s numerous other, although smaller, sights offer significant aviation focuses, from barnstorming airfields to space capsules.

The National Air and Space Museum’s second facility, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, is located in Chantilly, Virginia, next to Washington-Dulles International Airport.  Constructed to preserve and display the remaining 80 percent of the aerospace collection too large and too numerous for either the existing structure on the National Mall or the Paul E. Garber Preservation and Restoration Facility in Suitland, Maryland, the modern, hangar-appearing building, named after International Lease and Finance Corporation Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Steven F. Udvar-Hazy in recognition of his $65 million donation, had broken ground on October 25, 2000 when Hazy himself had turned the first shovel.  The project, ultimately costing $311 million for design, site infrastructure, and building, and requiring a 600-strong construction team, had required some three years to complete before the first of several opening ceremonies could be held.

The first of these, amid the season’s first snowstorm, had taken place on December 3, 2003 and had entailed a special, pre-public “Appreciation Day” held for its sponsors, donors, and National Air and Space Society members.  The event, precluded by a military ceremony of the Star Spangled Banner and a tributary speech by Museum Director General Jack Dailey, had entailed a day-long series of programs and the unveiling of many of the aircraft exhibited.

The other museum inaugurations, including the “Salute to Military Aviation Veterans,” the “Opening Celebration Gala,” and the “Museum Dedication,” had preceded the actual public opening, held on December 15, 2003, the centennial celebration of the Wright Brothers’ first powered, sustained, and controlled heavier-than-air flight at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Divided into two main areas, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center features a collection of 141 aircraft, 148 large space artifacts, and more than 1,500 smaller items.  The first area, the Boeing Aviation Hangar, measures 986 feet long, 248 feet wide, and 103 feet high, and displays aircraft on three levels, while the second, the James S. McDonnell Hangar, is comparatively 262 feet long, 180 feet wide, and 80 feet high.  The 164-foot-high Donald D. Engen Observation Tower overlooks Dulles International Airport and the 479-seat IMAX Theater completes the experience.

Exhibits are grouped in 16 broad categories: Vertical Flight, Sport Aviation, Business Aviation, Commercial Aviation, Pre-1920 Aviation, Korea and Vietnam, Cold War Aviation, Modern Military Aviation, Aerobatics, German World War II Aviation, Ultralights, Military Aviation: 1920-1940, Human Spaceflight, Space Science, Applications Satellites, and Rockets and Missiles.

Early aviation is represented by aircraft such as the Langley Aerodrome A, the Nieuport 28C-1, and the SPAD XVI, while World War II designs include the North American P-51C Mustang and the Boeing B-29 Superfortress “Enola Gay,” which had dropped the atomic bomb over Hiroshima, effectively ending the war.  Naval aviation is represented by aircraft such as the Vought F4U-1D Corsair and the Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat.  Among the pure-jet fighters are the Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star, the McDonnell F-4S Phantom II, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, and the Grumman A-6B Intruder. 

The museum’s transport category aircraft represent piston, pure-jet, subsonic, and supersonic designs, some of which are very rare, such as the German Focke-Wulfe Fw 190F, a quad-engined, tail-wheel aircraft which had application as an airliner; the German Junkers Ju 52/3m, with its three engines, corrugated metal airframe, and tail wheel; the Boeing B-307 Stratoliner “Flying Cloud,” the world’s first four-engined, pressurized passenger transport; the Lockheed L-1049H Constellation; the Boeing 367-80, the prototype of the Boeing 707; and the supersonic Concorde.

Supersonic military aviation is represented by the Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird.

The James S. McDonnell Hangar, whose centerpiece is the Space Shuttle Enterprise, features a rich collection of spacecraft, rockets, and satellites, among them the Gemini VII capsule, the Mariner 10, the Mercury Capsule 15B, a Redstone rocket, and the Mobile Quarantine Unit used after return of the Apollo 11 mission.

The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, together with the original National Air and Space Museum building on the National Mall, forms an integral part of the world’s largest aerospace museum.

The 200-acre Flying Circus Aerodrome, for instance, located in Bealeton, Virginia, and created in 1971, offers 1920s- and 1930s-era biplane air shows every Sunday from May to October reminiscent of the barnstorming days of aviation, billing itself as “the greatest show off earth.”  Its fleet, which is mostly hangared at the nearby Warrenton Airport and flown in on weekends, includes enclosed Piper Cubs and open-cockpit N2S-1 and –3 Stearman, Waco, and Fleet biplanes, and is available for both straight-and-level and acrobatic rides of between 15 and 30 minutes before and after the shows.

After paying at the entrance booth, cars park on the grass behind the public area, which includes bench-type seats, Fifi’s Air Show Café for light fare, and a tiny, gray barn gift shop.  A few hangars, located across the field and bearing red-and-white checkered roofs with names such as “Curtiss,” can also be visited.

The annual Air Show Program features many special event days, including antique cars, tractors, motorcycles, model airplanes, and hot air balloons.

Entrance immediately transports the visitor through a time portal to the barnstorming era.

A summer flight, aboard a Waco biplane, further returned me to this era.  Unleashing itself over the grass with a full, 1,900-rpm throttle application, the aircraft, propelled by its single, uncowled engine, lifted its tail wheel off of the now blurred carpet of green and surrendered its two, fabric-covered wings into the sky at 70 mph.

Banking right to a 030-degree heading at 300 feet, it had settled into a 200 foot-per-minute climb in the hot, flawlessly-blue August sky over central Virginia’s rolling green canvas.  Settling into its 600-foot aerial plateau, it cruised over light-green, velvet-appearing fields, bordered by dark green trees, which resembled modern geometric art patterns.  Silver hay silos had triumphantly risen from them.

Commencing a series of figure-eights over rectangles of dry, almost-golden fields, whose plow marks appeared like textural brushstrokes, the biplane assumed a westerly heading toward the soft green ridges of Shenandoah National Park ahead of the blurred propeller, before initiating a much-too-soon, power-reduced sideslip over the ever-enlarging trees toward the field and gently settling on to the grass with its two main wheels.

The Virginia Aviation Museum, located closer to the eastern seaboard at Richmond International Airport, entices visitors with its outdoor Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird and features 36 indoor historic, vintage, and reproduction aircraft, including the Wright Brothers’ kites, gliders, and 1903 Flyer; the Vultee V1-AD once owned by William Randolph Hearst; the Fairchild FC-2W2 Admiral Richard E. Byrd had used to overfly Antarctica; and a collection of piston and pure-jet engines.  A full-size Piper J-3 Cub, which had recently been relocated from Science Museum of Virginia affiliate, permits examination of the four forces of flight, while several simulators and interactive exhibits explore aerodynamics.

Early aviation, the collection’s principle focus, includes several pristine-condition mono- and biplanes, such as a 1918 Standard E-1 Advanced Trainer, a 1917 SPAD VII fighter, the only known existing Wright Model A-14D Speedwig, a purpose-designed mail-carrying Pitcairn PA-5 Mailwing from 1927, a 1927 Travel Air 2000, a 1930 Fleet Model 1 military basic trainer, and a 1918 Curtiss JN-4D Jenny.

Both piston and pure-jet engines include a Wright J-6 Whirlwind 5, a Curtiss OX-5, a 1914 Le Rhone 9C rotary engine, a Wright R-2600 Cyclone 14, a Pratt and Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major, a Continental A-65, a General Electric J-31, and a Pratt and Whitney J-58.

Dioramas depict World War II, the Tuskegee Airmen, and Women’s Airforce Service Pilots.  Educational programs, catering to student, scout, and senior citizen groups, include lessons such as “The Wright Math,” “The Wright Path,” “Paper Airplane Workshop,” “Balloons and the Civil War in Virginia,” and “Seniors Discover the World of Aviation.”

Further south, in Hampton Roads, its outdoor Air Power Park, dedicated in recognition of the contributions made by NASA and Langley Air Force Base to aerial and space development and for their interest in community endeavors, include several unique aircraft designs, inclusive of the Lockheed T-33A T-Bird, an A-7E Corsair II, an XV-6A Kestrel V/STOL, a North American F-86L Sabre, the later-developed North American Rockwell F-100D Super Sabre, a McDonnell F-101F Voodoo, a Northrop F-89J Scorpion, and a Republic Aviation F-105D Thunderchief.  Even rarer, perhaps, is its space-related collection, including an SM-78 Jupiter surface-to-surface intermediate-range ballistic missile, a Western Electric NIM-14 Nike-Hercules two-stage missile, a Jet Propulsion Lab M-2 Corporal Ballistic Missile, a North American Aviation Mercury/Little Joe Booster, and a Mercury Test Capsule.

The Virginia Air and Space Center, located in downtown Hampton on the waterfront, is a $30 million, 110,000 square foot, nine-story facility which had opened on April 5, 1992 and is characterized by its futuristic, interconnected, dual-building, gull wing roof-resembling architecture.  Its more than 30 historic air- and spacecraft, which represent more than 100 years of flight, are exhibited in the recently completed, $9 million Adventures in Flight Gallery and the Space Gallery, and include such designs as the Apollo 12 Command Module which had made the journey to the Moon, an AirTran DC-9-30, a B-24 Liberator nose section, an F.84 Thunderstreak, an F-4E Phantom II, an N2S-3 Stearman, a Lunar Orbiter, an F-104 Starfighter, an F-106 Delta Dart, a YF-16 Fighting Falcon, and a P-39Q Aircobra.  A new exhibit, “Space Quest: Exploring the Moon, Mars, and Beyond,” had recently been introduced in the Space Gallery.  Extensive, hands-on exhibits, featuring hot air balloons, noise abatement, a Boeing 717 glass cockpit fight simulator, aircraft flight surfaces, propeller efficiency comparatives, and Space Shuttle landing simulators, are complemented by the Riverside IMAX and Curtiss Jenny Century of Flight Theaters.

The Virginia Air and Space Center depicts a timeline of Virginia aviation achievements.  The first-ever captive balloon ascent from a ship, for example, a Union Army vessel anchored at Hampton Roads, had occurred in 1861, and Eugene Ely had become the first to take off from what had been considered the first aircraft carrier, the USS Birmingham, anchored nearby, in 1910.  The Langley Aeronautical Laboratory, the predecessor of NASA Langley, had been established.  In 1927, the USS Langley, a converted collier, had been commissioned as the US Navy’s first aircraft carrier.  In 1931, NACA Langley had opened the world’s first full-scale wind tunnel capable of testing full-size aircraft at speeds of up to 118 mph.  In 1934, the Newport News Shipyard had constructed the first purpose-built aircraft carrier, the USS Ranger.  The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) had become the National Air and Space Association (NASA) in 1958 and America’s first astronauts, the Mercury Seven, had trained at the NASA Langley Research Center.  The United States’ first transonic wind tunnel had opened at NASA Langley in 1982.

The museum also serves as both the Visitor Center for the NASA Langley Research Center and Langley Air Force Base.  Four miles north of the museum, the US Army had purchased land in December of 1916 in order to construct, in cooperation with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, an airfield.  The Army had subsequently trained crews and tested aircraft there during World War I.  In 1921, Brigadier General William “Billy” Mitchell had led bombing trials from Langley to demonstrate the feasibility of air patrol and its effectiveness in destroying battleships.  Major General Frank Andrews later led a combat air command, which became the forerunner of the Army Air Forces of WWII and ultimately evolved into today’s US Air Force.

Virginia, although initially perceived as a shadow of Washington with its Smithsonian Institution on the National Mall, is a relatively small state which offers a long, multi-faceted aviation journey.

About the Author

A graduate of Long Island University-C.W. Post Campus with a summa-cum-laude BA Degree in Comparative Languages and Journalism, I have subsequently earned the Continuing Community Education Teaching Certificate from the Nassau Association for Continuing Community Education (NACCE) at Molloy College, the Travel Career Development Certificate from the Institute of Certified Travel Agents (ICTA) at LIU, and the AAS Degree in Aerospace Technology at the State University of New York – College of Technology at Farmingdale. Having amassed almost three decades in the airline industry, I managed the New York-JFK and Washington-Dulles stations at Austrian Airlines, created the North American Station Training Program, served as an Aviation Advisor to Farmingdale State University of New York, and created and taught the Airline Management Certificate Program at the Long Island Educational Opportunity Center. A freelance author, I have written some 70 books of the short story, novel, nonfiction, essay, poetry, article, log, curriculum, training manual, and textbook genre in English, German, and Spanish, having principally focused on aviation and travel, and I have been published in book, magazine, newsletter, and electronic Web site form. I am a writer for Cole Palen’s Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome in New York.

Whats the best way to learn how to play the guitar?

I am a complete beginner. And I want to know how to play the guitar. I am going to pick up a Electric Guitar.

That includes • Black Body Design: Double Cut-Away Electric Guitar Package
• Unit Construction: All Wood Construction
• 22 Frets
• General Features: Precision Tuning Gears, Pick Guard, Tremolo-Style Tailpiece, Vintage Tremolo System
• Also Features: 3 Single-Coil Pickups, Volume Control, Tone Control Knob, Right Handed Orientation, 5-Position Selector Switch
• Accessories Included: Steel Strings, Instructional Booklet, Guitar Pick, Chord Chart, Tuning Pipe, Beginner Book, Amplifier, Cable, Gig Bag, CD
• Decorative Features: High-Gloss Lacquer Finish, Fretboard Inlay
• Amplifier Features: Tone Control Knobs, Gain, Portable, Overdrive, Headphone Jack, Carry Handle; 10 Watts
• Dimensions: 40" x 13" x 2.8"

I would suggest using that Beginner Book to your best advantage. After that, go out and buy music that you love (this will motivate you to play your favorite songs, and thus progress further) and buy a bunch of do it yourself books. If this doesn't work out, always opt for an instructror.

Vintage GE General Electric Green LED Alarm Clock Radio on eBay!

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