Misawa Aviation and Science Museum

The four little rascals during the 2nd grade field trip from Sollars Elementary School


Hands-on Helicopter simulator


Playground


Model Planes


My son and his classmate were strapped to a "device" that creates the sensation of inertia


Miss Veedol replica


Japan Air Commuter Plane


Outside the museum- aircrafts display

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Last Thursday, March 19, 2009 the 2nd grade students from *Sollars Elementary School on base had their field trip in Misawa Aviation and Science Museum. It is probably a 15-minute drive from Misawa Air Base.

I volunteered for this field trip to see the museum and also this was my son's request, I was assigned to watch over the 4 kids including my son. It was fun but tiring to chase the kids who were very excited to see and experience the hands-on exhibits. Volunteering really needs patience :-)

Displayed inside the museum is a Miss Veedol replica, a single-engine Bellanca aircraft that made the first trans-Pacific by Hugh Herdon and Clyde Pangborn from Misawa's Sabishiro's beach in 1931 which ended 41 hours later in Wenatchee, Washington.

The museum is very educational. Children and adults can take controls of airplane and helicopter simulators, ride a chair demonstrating the moon's weightlessness or float on a 26-foot free-fall ride. They even have a display that uses smoke to demonstrate how torandoes are formed. There was also a 30 minute-science experiment about Liquid Nitrogen which students enjoyed most.

Admission fee:

500 yen for adults
300 yen for children ages 15-18
free for children 15 and under

* Sollars Elementary School is under DoDDS- Department of Defense Dependent Schools

The Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DoDDS) are a network of schools, both primary and secondary, that serve dependents of United States military - and other non-US - personnel outside the United States. The schools themselves are operated by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA).