With an eight hour layover in Atlanta, I at least figured I would have time to visit downtown Atlanta, have a bite to eat and soak in some southern hospitality.
I instead spent the day at the Delta Flight Museum. How did that happen? I created an itinerary of my short Atlanta trip with the museum being the first stop and just never left.
I took a cab from the airport which was a short ride via Uber. When you get to the gate, you have to present an ID. You are then given a pass for the grounds.
From there walk to the Delta Airlines Hanger. Here you purchase tickets to the museum. It also gives you access to the 747 located outside. I started the tour at the 747. For anyone wanting to learn about the mechanics of this aircraft, this is a great place to start. It breaks down the areas of the aircraft by name. It gives access to the cock. (Made me feel like a pilot for 20 mins) From there I toured the business class seats before heading downstairs to view the cargo hold.
Then it was outside to have a close up with the McDonnell Douglas DC-9. From there you walk across the lot back to the hanger where your tour continues. The Spirit of Delta resides inside the building. The Boeing 767 has films of its retirement ceremony, uniforms old and new alike as well as other memorabilia from throughout the years.
There are other airplanes and other interactive tools that give you the history of the airline. The American Express theatre exhibits insight into the company. The films on the airline and C.E Woolman and how they created the Delta difference. Who knew a crop dusting company would grow to be what it is today.
I thought the paper I wrote on Delta in grad school was efficient. Then I went to the museum and got blown away by all the information there to learn. I particularly like the room with all the model airplanes. I felt like a kid in a candy store.
Before I knew it, it was 4:30, which meant I had to leave. I quickly made my way to the gift shop and picked up some Delta swag. Fly Delta Jets t-shirts for when I travel, another model airplane for my desk and some pens, mugs, and water bottles.
From there I headed back to the airport to catch my flight with a bag full of goodies and a reminder of why I want to work for Delta.
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