M&A - March Museum - March 2020

March Museum

March Field Air Museum – Riverside, California, USA 2020

I visited the March Field Air Museum during March 2020 as part of an organised aviation road trip. The museum is situated to the western side of the current March Air Force Reserve Base, off Interstate 215, Van Buren Boulevard. If you have any interest in American military aviation, this museum is a ‘must visit’ if you get the chance such is the array of aircraft on display. 

There are approximately 80 airframes on display at the museum, including helicopters, military transports, training aircraft, bombers and fighters. Most of the aircraft are outside in a large expanse of land where photography of airframes is more than reasonable in comparison with other museums where exhibits are more tightly packed in. Airframes include three different marks of F4 Phantom, YF-14 Tomcat, two different F-105 Thunderchief marks, EB-57B Canberra, B-52G Stratofortress, B-29A Superfortress, B-47E Stratojet and a KC-97L Stratofreighter! The list goes on.

That all said, when it’s raining, there are exhibits indoors, including a SR-71A ‘Blackbird’ which has the double cockpit open for external viewing. 

It is impossible to list all of the aircraft types at the museum, but it is safe to say that the opportunity to walk around such a wonderful array of aircraft types synonymous with American military aviation is inspiring. Up close, personal… with great opportunities to photograph the exhibits. 

It isn’t all American either, with a fine array of ex-Soviet era fighters including Mig-15, Mig-17, Mig-19 and Mig-21. There is even an ex Indian Air Force operated Folland Gnat.

Very much worth a visit, and if you are really lucky, you may get to see some of the Air Force Reserve fleet of C-17A Globemasters and KC-135s operating from the active base adjacent to the museum.

Author & photography
David Bray
Share by: