A while back, my wife and I went on a field trip for one of her extra, ongoing, lifetime, college courses to the Hiller Aviation Institute, Museum, Education and Research Center. The Hiller Air Museum is located at 601 Skyway Road, San Carlos, CA 94070. The hours of operation are from 10am to 5pm, 7days a week. Admission as of this writing is Adults – $11.00, Seniors (Age 65+) $7.00, Youths (5-17) $7.00, and Children (4 and under) free with paid adult.

This is a really fun place to take in the sights and sounds of aviation history. There are a large number of exhibits to take in. There is even a Boeing 747-136 forward section of the fuselage with the cockpit on full display that is available for viewing and even sit down in the pilot’s or copilot’s seat to move a knob or two on the avionics control panels.

There were some really cool old airplanes of yesteryear to view above your head. And there were indeed some wild looking contraptions that never got off the ground.

This is definitely a fun place to spend a half a day, or more, if you are really into the history of aviation.

Here are a few more pictures of things to view at the Hiller Air Museum.

The 1929 Stinson

Pictured above is the 1909 Wright Engine. “This is one of two airworthy copies of the 1909 Wright engine built by John Palmer. One will be used to power a replica of Robert Fowler’s 1911 Model ‘B’ airplane. The airplane will be displayed here with an original 1911 engine. This engine was built in 1998 at Campbell, CA, with the assistance of William Renaud. 30 horsepower, 170 lb. dry weight.

In addition to this being a place for adults to spend some leisurely activity, it is a great place for field trips for school students of all ages. The staff is quite knowledgeable and provides various types of guided tours and hands on activities. For more information, visit www.hiller.org for the details published online.

Have Fun!