The outside glass structure of the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum, Ashland, NE
The outside glass structure of the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum, Ashland, NE

Taking a little time for myself,  I spent a couple of hours, camera in hand, at the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum in Ashland, NE. Having served in the USAF for over 11 years with a growing enjoyment of history I always find these types of museums to be interesting.

Front of the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum, Ashland, NE
Front of the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum, Ashland, NE

The roles and forces which have comprised the Strategic Air Command (SAC) have evolved over the years as the worlds’ political and military environment have changed.  Major points in its’ history include:

  • Established as Continental Air Forces on 13 December 1944;
  • Redesignated: Strategic Air Command on 21 March 1946;
  • Replaced as a specified command by a new unified combatant command, United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), on 1 June 1992; concurrently disestablished as a USAF major command (MAJCOM) same date; and
  • SAC’s USAF MAJCOM role was re-activated and re-designated as Air Force Global Strike Command in 2009.

SR-71 Blackbird suspended in the lobby of the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum, Ashland, NE
SR-71 Blackbird suspended in the lobby of the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum, Ashland, NE

SAC’s central headquarters complex is located at nearby Offutt AFB, NE.  Its lineage gets complicated and those who might want to dig deeper may do so here.

B-17 Flying Fortress displayed at the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum, Ashland, NE
B-17 Flying Fortress displayed at the Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum, Ashland, NE

For photographers these types of museums are both a dream and a nightmare. As a dream, there are so many interesting details just steps apart that you can totally get lost in the photographic process. I’ll post a few of the details I noticed and captured a little later on.

Noise cone, B-17 Flying Fortress, Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum, Ashland, NE
Noise cone, B-17 Flying Fortress, Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum, Ashland, NE

 

As for the nightmare, there are so many planes. And with large planes and displays packed into the available space with such poor lighting you struggle to get single shots of any specific plane. And there are always parts of other planes that show up in the background.

A Space Shuttle trainer, Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum, Ashland, NE
A Space Shuttle trainer, Strategic Air Command and Aerospace Museum, Ashland, NE

This particular museum is interesting and well worth seeing. However, I don’t believe it compares as well to the National Museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, northeast of Dayton, Ohio.

 

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Monte Stevens
9 years ago

I spent time at the SAC base in Blytheville, Arkansas during part of my 4 years of duty. At the time it was B-52s and KC-135s, ready to be airborne in a matter of minutes. I think I’d would enjoy this museum.

Tom Dills
9 years ago

What is the plane behind the B-17, Brooks? It looks like a B-52 except it doesn’t seem big enough. That looks like an interesting museum, and a rare opportunity to see all those planes in one place.

Paul
9 years ago

I’ve never spent time in the military, but your acronyms reminded me A LOT of working on military projects for Texas Instruments and Raytheon. Oh, boy. My days were filled to the brim with acronyms! There were meetings where I wasn’t sure if a complete word was spoken, only a seemingly unending scream of acronyms. On and on it went.

I love these museums, but as you said, they are the blessing and the curse because things are packed so tightly, lighting is so dim, but there are many things of interest to see.