The jet base at ATL.

The Delta Air Lines Museum, ATL, 10/1/16. Built in the 1940's and providing 68,000 square feet of space, these are the airlines original maintenance facilities. Hangar #1 is to the right and hangar #2 is the larger facility on the left.

Wes and Rand, 2005, DTW, 752

On 10/1/16, Wes Lundquist (ANE, NCA, REP, NWA, DAL) and I non-reved from MHT to ATL to experience the Delta Air Lines Flight Museum and attend the Atlanta Airline Collectible Show. We also went to visit with ship 6301, an icon of commercial aviation history.

Leaving MHT on flight 1888 to ATL.

We got the last two seats on the airplane.

Sam is the ATL based MD88 captain who flew flight 1888.

The WORLD Headquarters.

One of the two hangars that created the museum. Note the supports for the roof over the walkway.

The collectible show was arranged around "The Spirit of Delta" and supported some 50 vendors or so. We spent time rummaging through some very interesting artifacts and then concentrated on the Museum itself.

Just a sampling of the many vendors.

The centerpiece of the museum is this B-767-232, N102DA, that just barely fits into hangar #2. Named the SPIRIT OF DELTA, this 767 was a gift to the company by its employees in 1982. Three flight attendants perceived and pursued this incredible idea and raised the $30 million necessary to make it happen. Pretty impressive.

Presented to the company in 1983, she retired from line service in 2006.

Beneath the 767 on the main hangar floor.

The Spirit of Delta's cockpit.

The nose section of Convair 880, serial #1 that flew at TWA from 1964 to 1973. The DAL sign in the background is from the old Pan American World Port at Idlewild, later JFK, built in 1960 and razed in 2013.

This was also the Convair flight test airplane. Delta operated a fleet of 17 880's retiring the last one in 1974.

Rand, Mike Castle and his son Christian aboard the Spirit of Delta.

Mike Williams, Rand, Jim Robertson, Randy Reed and Wes Lundquist next to the Spirit of Delta.

Wes and Ron Maracle in the coach section of Spirit of Delta.

Dale Hartsfield, author of WHAT'S IN A NAME? on the #2 hangar floor.

Meeting old friends and finding new ones at the Delta Museum. PIC1: Met NWA/DAL, 737NG captain Mike Castle and his son Christian aboard the Spirit of Delta. Mike flew 727 FO many times for me years ago. PIC2: Met retired,DAL 777 captain Mike Williams, and ran into longtime NWA/DAL 747-400 captains, Jim Robertson, Randy Reed and Wes Lundquist. I flew with Jim as a 727 FE and with Randy as a DC-9 FO.PIC3: Wes with NWO, NCA, REP, NWA and DAL Senior Maintenance Controller for all fleets, Ron Maracle aboard the Spirit of Delta. PIC4: Dale Hartsfield, author of What's In a Name? a history of the Hartsfield Jackson Int'l Airport.

DC-3, Ship #41, NC28341, the second DC-3 delivered to DAL in 1940 has been completely restored to flying condition.

Wes and Rand standing by ship #41 in hangar #1. This was DAL's first passenger DC-3 and flew there from 1940 until 1958 when sold to North Central Airlines. (Now part of DAL) Found in Puerto Rico flying freight, she came home to ATL for her 5 year, award winning restoration.

Stinson Reliant used at Northeast Airlines as an instrument trainer in '41 and '42 when the CAA required all airline pilots to be instrument rated.

Curtis Wright Travel Air Sedan, type that flew DAL's 1st passenger flight in 1929.

Curtis Wright Travel Air in front of a replica of DAL's Monroe, Lousiana station.

Spirit of Delta from the balcony.

The "Spirits" empennage and a fully functional, 737-200, flight simulator. Yes, you can purchase sim time.

Standing by the nose section of the Lockheed L1011 prototype. This was the test flight airplane but never flown by an airline.

A variety of displays throughout the two hangars.

Captain John Williams, (Captain Mike Williams father) who flew the first DC-9 passenger flight, 1965, ATL-MEM-MCI.

I never thought "flight bags" would be nostalgic!

If you're younger than 40 you probably have no idea what this is.

Oh yes, of course we always wore our airline caps during flight.

We also carried our pipe while giving walk around inspection training.

NWA flight attendant uniform from 1989 or so.

Let's step outside for a while and visit a couple of airplanes.

To the left /above is former NWA DC-9-51, N675MC, ship #9880, MSN 47651, mfg 6/75 for Austrian Airlines. She also flew at Muse Air, TranStar, Eastern, Continental, Northwest and Delta retiring here in 2014.

This is 747-400 N661US, ship #6301, MSN 23719, mfg 1988. NWA was the launch customer for the type.

Retired NWA/DAL 744A Captain Randy Reed and present (NWA)/DAL 744A Captain Wes Lundquist visiting ship 6301 at the Delta Flight Museum on 10/1/16.

6301 was the first -400 built but the second -400 delivered to NWA in 1989, remaining at Boeing as a test airplane for many months. Ship 6302 was the 2nd -400 built but the first delivered to NWA.

Captain Randy Reed, 747-451.

Captain Wes Lundquist, 747-451, ship# 6315.

A trip to ATL just wouldn't be complete without BBQ.
​So we visited the PIT BOSS BBQ for lunch and got an education too.

The place was mobbed! Guess why.

Wade, the owner with his Pit Boss gave me the grand tour

My lunch. I haven't had BBQ in a very long time.

Wes and Randy discussing the finer points of BBQ.

We had a wonderful day at the Delta Flight Museum, it was well worth the roundtrip flight from Manchester, NH. We encountered many old friends, met new friends, enjoyed the history and lunch at the PIT BOSS BBQ. And please do as the sign above suggests... my pension relies upon it!

Before we leave let's take a look at ship 6301 when she flew with NWA colors. ABOVE: 6/10/07 in DTW arriving from Narita. RIGHT: Ship 6301's cockpit in DTW, 9/1/08 preparing to leave for Narita.

Would you like to learn more about The Spirit of Delta, Ship 102? It's simple, just click the pic.