Päijänne Tavastia Aviation Museum

Päijänne Tavastia Aviation Museum ("Päijät-Hämeen ilmailumuseo" in Finnish) is an aviation museum in Asikkala, near Lahti, Finland. It opened in its current form on 19 May 2006. The museum was known for a long time as Vesivehmaan varastohalli (the Vesivehma storage hall).

The museum displays mainly aircraft of the Finnish Air Force. In 1948, the Finnish Air Force began separating and storing some of the aircraft that had been taken out of service. The aircraft were stored at a place called Vesivehmaan varastohalli. They also had a large number of older aircraft in storage. By the end of the 1940s, many of the WWII-era aircraft were sold as scrap.

The museum is run by "Lahden ilmasilta" (LIS), a guild association, which was founded on 15 November 1962. The association wanted to preserve the aircraft that remained, which numbered about 20. The museum has about 2,000 visitors per year.

On display

Former aircraft of the Finnish Air Force
*Blackburn Ripon IIF - the only complete Ripon left
*Folland Gnat Mk.1
*Fouga Magister CM 170
*MiG-15 UTI
*MiG-21bis
*Mil Mi-8P
*Saab 35 Draken

Finnish Air Force aircraft, which have not been restored
*Aero A-32
*Caudron C.59
*Caudron-Renault CR.714
*Vampire Mk.55
*I.V.L. D.26 Haukka I
*VL E.30 Kotka II

Civil aircraft, which have not been restored
*I.V.L. K.1 Kurki
*Republic RC-3 Seabee
*Kassel 12A

Gallery

External links

* [http://www.lahdenilmasilta.com/ Lahden Ilmasilta]
* [http://www.lahdenilmasilta.com/tapahtumia.html From the opening of the museum 19 May 2006]