Lomography

Manila Aerospace Museum
written by halfawakehaiku on May 11th, 2009 , 4 comments (3 votes)

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When I was a kid, I dreamt of having the power of flight. In my head I would soar through the air and glide above waters before heading of to school. Twenty years and quite a few pounds later I’m no Nathan Petrelli. But I did end up living near the airport. I guess that should count for something right? Fine. It’s lame, I know. I’ll shut up now.

The Philippine Aerospace Museum located near the newly opened Air Terminal 3 is shaped like a giant paper airplane. It’s blue glass façade and sharp clean lines invite passers by to take a peek into the short history of flight here in the country. Here you will wind the history of the local Air Force and antiques & paraphernalia used during war time eras. I saw me a couple of swanky looking TLR’s and Motion picture cameras on display at the second floor of this two story building. Enthusiasts and even kids can enjoy operating decommissioned anti-aircraft gun turrets and getting into cockpits of former planes. There’s also a nifty flight simulator that was once used to train pilots that you can try out.

Behind the Museum is a small park where decommissioned aircraft are available to the public. Planes like the P-51 Mustangs, F5’s, T-28 Trojans and a Couple of Sikorsky helicopters dominate the lawn where picnic tables are set up for families and friends who want to watch planes nearby. Tickets cost a little over a dollar, this goes to the maintenance of the building. You can also purchase souvenir items at the museum store or a quick bite you can bring into the picnic area. Relive those days of flight inside your head. Just remember to take extra care when you fall to the ground.