Mig 19

[MAP]

Thanks Michael for sharing, a rich documentation and beautiful photos.

And this was just a small portion of what was at this airfield / museum. All open to the element and rusting away. There were hundreds of planes. I don't remember the name of the place but it was a 3+ hour drive from Beijing. It was not a place where western tourist go at all. I was the only westerner at the place and drew a lot of attention lol. We were constantly followed by groups of locals with cameras. My boys and I had the "pleasure" of being "asked" to pose for more photos with locals then I can remember due in part I think to my blond hair {what is left of it and not grey} and blue eyes as well as my boys who are mixed. Later we went to another place and we're pulled off a tram and my boys were asked to pose for hundreds of photos with locals...mostly school girls and ....yes even soldiers. Now we know how the movie stars feel. Smiling gets tiring lol. We take diversity for granted here in the NYC subway system but in other parts of world it is not common. For full disclosure, while tiring it was a great cultural exchange and the locals where extremely nice. Exactly the reasons why we travel and stay away from touristy locations...

but I derailed your thread with my great memories of visiting China and meeting the nice people there..

[OldSteel]

And this was just a small portion of what was at this airfield / museum. All open to the element and rusting away. There were hundreds of planes. I don't remember the name of the place but it was a 3+ hour drive from Beijing. It was not a place where western tourist go at all. I was the only westerner at the place and drew a lot of attention lol. We were constantly followed by groups of locals with cameras. My boys and I had the "pleasure" of being "asked" to pose for more photos with locals then I can remember due in part I think to my blond hair {what is left of it and not grey} and blue eyes as well as my boys who are mixed. Later we went to another place and we're pulled off a tram and my boys were asked to pose for hundreds of photos with locals...mostly school girls and ....yes even soldiers. Now we know how the movie stars feel. Smiling gets tiring lol. We take diversity for granted here in the NYC subway system but in other parts of world it is not common. For full disclosure, while tiring it was a great cultural exchange and the locals where extremely nice. Exactly the reasons why we travel and stay away from touristy locations...

but I derailed your thread with my great memories of visiting China and meeting the nice people there..

You did well to tell this beautiful experience that you lived with your Family, I have never been to China and I did not know this, probably the inhabitants of the big cities have come very close to Western culture, but in the territories of the provinces, this passage is still completed; sooner or later I have to visit China, it must be very interesting.
Returning to us ..... I had no doubt that even in those parts you had managed to find something military !!

[MAP]

I have a good sister in law who found this place. Every year when we go on vacation she tries to find something for me

[OldSteel]

I have a good sister in law who found this place. Every year when we go on vacation she tries to find something for me

I congratulate your sister in law, you're really lucky; even it happens to me that good friends and relatives know what are the things that I like, and try to do something for me.
Recently some friends who are farmers and who live in the areas where between 1848 and 1866 were fought a series of great battles between the Italians and the Austrians have found these "souvenir" and gave them to me ..... a beautiful thought!

[MAP]

Sorry Roberto....my photos brought me down memory lane....a few more...you can see the attention that my kids had to deal with ( you can see the recruits lining up for photos) and also some of the planes/equipment going to pot in the weeks.......

We told the boys to keep smiling...but in the 2nd to last photo you could see my oldest was getting quite tired of the endless photo taking...

[OldSteel]

A nice memory Michael, I think your kids will remember this experience even when they are adults.
Beautiful also the friendliness and hospitality shown by the local population, a journey that certainly deserves to be done, and thank you for sharing.

See you soon
Roberto