Valiant Air Command Museum - Space Coast of Florida

[CharlieOneSix]

Just been in contact with an old Fleet Air Arm mate by email and I thought this paragraph may be of interest to anyone visiting the area.

I still volunteer as a guide at the Valiant Air Command museum, where we have over 57 aircraft 15 of them flyable including a C47 and the only flying P82 twin Mustang in the world. We get quite a few Brits visiting as TUI flies charters to Melbourne just south of us. In addition the Cape Canaveral Space Base is now very busy with over 100 launches last year. A short stroll to the waterfront and you can see several of the launch pads so you get a good view. Those recovering to land are visible until tree top and when the two side boosters of the Falcon Heavy land within 5 seconds it is quite impressive.

https://www.valiantaircommand.com/

[Archer]

They are worth a visit. I went to their airshow a long time ago (2002) but didn't get a chance to visit the museum itself unfortunately. Titusville is indeed very close to the Cape Canaveral/KSC complex so you could easily combine the two. Mind you, I needed a full day to enjoy everything the KSC visitor centre had to offer, and that was before they had a real Space Shuttle on display!

[G~Man]

I lived in Titusville for a year and was based at the Space Coast Airport. One of th epilots I worked with is now a pilot at the museum there. Well worth a visit---if anyone ends up going, lett me know---I can prolly get you "back stage" passes.....

Interestingly, Titusville is known as "Scace City USA". My neighbor at the time was an astronaut. We did a show and tell together at the local High School, (Astronaut Highschool of all names), for career day. Our booths were next to each other---he had a full space shuttle space suit and a moon rock, I flew a helicopter and was parked right there. Next to us was the local Ford dealership with a convertable Mustang---guess who had all the students hanging around their booth????

I used to fly US Fish & Wildlife helicopter all over the launch facility, (which is actually on Merrit Island Wild Life efuge and leased from the park service). You can see my helipad on Google Earth, just West of the departure end of the landing runway:

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