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Three Airports That Will Give You a Tour, Without Having to Buy a Plane Ticket

March 24, 2011 at 11:18 AM | by | Comments (0)

We realize that going to the airport isn’t exactly as exciting as flying out of the airport—like when you’re the only one that can drop-off grandma on a Thursday afternoon. Sometimes it just isn’t in the cards, so why not just take an airport tour? Here’s three airports that offer up free field trips to everywhere but the sky:

· John Wayne Airport
The tour of Orange County’s airport might not be as exhilarating as the area’s other attractions—uh, Disneyland—but it’s still better than watching repeats of Real Housewives. The Thomas F. Riley Terminal is open to one and all, as volunteer tour guides are eager to take you for a spin around the airport.

Learn about how planes fly, the architecture of the terminal, all kinds of airplane history, and even sneak a peek at what’s up behind the scenes with the skycaps. The highlight of the trip is getting a good seat alongside the airfield where you can see the planes coming and going, but just don’t get too close, as the TSA isn’t cool with participants entering the secure area. Tours are totally free, but you do have to schedule a week or so in advance. Give the airport a call—(949) 252-5168—for all the details, and be sure to visit during the week.

· Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International
Things have slowed at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in the last few years, as Delta has shifted some of their planes and routes elsewhere. However, the airport still has plenty of flights each and every day, and they welcome curious travelers to check things out even when they aren’t scheduled for a flight.

Here there are actually four different tours from which to choose. They’ve got Landscaping and Gardening, Art Deco Murals, Airport Discovery, and Environmental Science. Some of these sound pretty science-y, so you might need to bring your kid—or your friend’s kid—along to explain the more difficult concepts. Most of the plane stuff is covered in the Airport Discovery tour which includes a trip to the Fire Department and Airfield Maintenance Garage. Just call them like two weeks in advance—(859) 767-3144—and they’ll schedule you for a freebie tour.

· Savannah Hilton Head International Airport
If southern charm and great beaches overstays their welcome just head back to the airport for a little bit of aeronautical education. It might not be the biggest airport in the world, but even those uncomfortable regional jets are pretty interesting when you’re not stuck in one of their seats.

The tours here reveal an atypical look at the baggage claim, gate areas, and security checkpoint. They’ll let you go to secure areas here, but you need to get your name on the list ahead of time—and probably do that whole TSA thing. They want at least three weeks notice if you’re coming to visit, but you can let them know you’re interested right online. Be sure to send us some pictures if you see anything cool!

Related Stories:
· SNA Tour Programs [Official Site]
· CVG Airport Tours [Official Site]
· SAV Airport Tour Program [Official Site]
· Airport News coverage [Jaunted]

[Photos of SNA and CVG: tracie7779 and rick]

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