Air and Space Museum – Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace

(Last Update: 04.03.2024) Does the sky fascinate you too? So, are you interested in airplanes, spacecraft, aviation? If I ask, are you interested in technology and the boundaries of the universe? So here you go; One of the most beautiful museums you can see in Paris. Air and Space Museum Yani Air and Space MuseumI want to tell you about…

Air and Space Museum, About 10 km northeast of Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport Another airport nearby Paris-Le Bourget Airport It is a huge museum within its premises. Le Bourget, Paris's first civilian airport It has the feature of being . Nowadays, it is not used for daily commercial passenger flights except for cargo, security and special flights. A significant part of this airport is also used as a museum.

I heard about this place a long time ago, but it never came. Finally, on a Sunday in May 2015, we created the opportunity and did some unity We got in the car and went. It is also possible to go to the museum, which we reach in about 15 minutes, by public transportation. For this, either M7 numbered metro The last stop of the line in the north The CourneuveYou can get off at and take bus number 152 from there or take the M12 metro to your destination. Porte de la ChapelleYou can reach bus number 350 from . From both buses Air and Space Museum Just get off at the stop. Before I forget, let me remind you that this place is in the 3rd zone, municipal bus a your ticket You should take it accordingly.

When you enter from the main entrance on the left side of the parking lot, it is immediately on your right. museum shop There are safes on the left. Let's get to the good news: This museum is free! Yes, it is possible with You can visit the Air and Space Museum – Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace for free But you still need to buy additional tickets for some attractions. For example, "Planète Pilote", which teaches piloting to children aged 6-12, "Planétearium", which shows our place in the Milky Way Galaxy in an interactive way, again mainly for children, "Simulateurs", which has flight simulators for the age group of 7-14, and what really caught my attention. There are different attractions such as “Forfait Avions” where you can visit the interior of Concorde and Boeing 747 planes. With this option, it was possible to enter Dakota and Super Fleron, but they were closed due to work when we went. Since Concorde was what really interested me, I didn't mind this too much. There is also another attraction called "Cockpits Secrets" where you can have a cockpit experience, but that section was also temporarily closed when we went. Before I forget, let me add; The planes exhibited in the museum or the way they are displayed may have changed after I visited. Therefore, please take into account that the route I explained in this article may have been updated. My aim is to give you an idea about this museum; You can always find up-to-date information on the official web page link at the end of the article.

You enter the museum by choosing one or more of these options and paying an additional fee accordingly. Or, if you wish, you can visit the entire museum and see the planes I mentioned, even from outside, without paying any fee. The choice is up to you. My problem ConcordSince we wanted to see , we bought a single option ticket and immediately started visiting the Air and Space Museum. As soon as we entered from the left, we saw a magnificent space hall. Missiles, rockets, satellites, space equipment, astronaut suits and many more. It was fascinating to be faced with so many impressive objects in a dark and dim environment. I could spend half a day in this hall... The video work on the giant screen showing the formation of the world is also a must-watch.

Then we entered the hall on one side, where the old planes are located. This is an impressive hall to see where aviation has come from, what people were dealing with when we were a hundred years ago, and how it has progressed. There is no shortage of pleasure to wander among the old planes, go upstairs and look at them from above and admire them.

And let's get to my main purpose for coming here: Concord… This plane has impressed me greatly since the day I first heard about Concorde. Flying faster than soundThis amazing plane, which resembles a paper plane in origami format, was the dream of my childhood. Although my dream was to fly with this plane, unfortunately it was not possible to fly with Concorde, which was put into service in 1976 and was removed from flights in 2003. My destiny was to visit and see this museum...

With a speed of 2.145 km/h While preparing this article, I learned that Concorde, which achieved incredible success, was not very economical due to its excessive fuel consumption, despite its ability. For this reason, flights were extremely expensive. However, I wish its technology had been improved and it was still used today, but three years after the Concorde disaster in 2000, Concorde was erased from aviation history on the grounds that it was not economical and reliable. Of course, it has never been erased from my heart.

With the ticket we bought, we entered the hangar where Concorde was located. There were two people in the hangar, nose to nose. Concord, there is one in the corner The Mirage, There was a warplane. We showed the ticket to the attendant at the entrance of Concorde on the right, went up the stairs and were now inside Concorde... To be honest, I wasn't as fascinated as I imagined, but still, being inside Concorde was a dream come true. I thought we could also enter the cockpit, but we only had the chance to look through the door. The interior of the first plane was already bare; In other words, one does not even realize that one is on a plane, but fortunately, from here one moves on to the next plane, and the rear part of that plane is preserved in its original form; So you can feel like you are on a real Concorde. After getting halfway through the second plane, you exit the door on the right and see that giant triangular wing in all its majesty. It is impossible for me to describe this feeling...

We got off Concorde and continued our trip by circling around it many times. We were running towards the Boeing 747, but at that moment we realized that we had missed the helicopter hangar on the right. We visited there in one go. Although this is a small place compared to other halls, I think it has extremely interesting helicopter models; I advise you not to skip it, it may be overlooked.

After having had enough of helicopters, again Boeing 747Unfortunately, the hangar on the left as we were heading towards was closed. As I always say, "leave something to do next time", we will have plenty of reasons to come here again.

Then again on the left Ariane 1 ve Ariane 5 We saw their rockets. It was such an impressive sight that I cannot describe it. My heart sank when I saw the flags of the countries that were partners in the project. How I wish Turkey was among all the flags. I felt the same bitterness that I felt when visiting Cern in Switzerland a few years ago.

And finally, who unexpectedly turns into an object of desire. Boeing 747We reached . This time, since the plane was not in a hangar but in the open air, and next door was Le Bourget Airport, I felt like I was going on a journey. Of course, one becomes aware of the situation when we go up the stairs and are greeted by the ticket attendant rather than the hostess :)

When you enter, you first see the nose of the plane. The interesting thing is that there are passenger seats here, not the cockpit. Because the cockpit is upstairs! Naturally, the biggest pleasure is going up the circular staircase to the upper floor. You see the cockpit section -unfortunately again- from the door. on this floor lounge It reflects the luxury of the period, but today it remains quite bland. Still, you see how VIP passengers - and I find the CIP definition more accurate - enjoyed the flight at that time.

As you go down again and move towards the back of the giant plane, you reach the part that shows that it is more than just a plane, or rather, that a plane is actually something much more than what we see.

In this section, the plane's decorative coverings have been removed and the plane is shown in its "naked" state. Lots of cables, metal construction, tons of junk lying around; It makes people feel better rather than giving them confidence. You shudder as you think about what would happen to you in the air if something happened to one of these visible and invisible parts :)

In this section, you also have the chance to go down to the cargo section below. It's also nice to see that there is a Renault Twingo here. After all, while we are flying in a -relatively- comfortable environment upstairs, it is interesting to see what is happening below; One's eyes are strangely looking for the missing suitcase... When you climb the stairs to the passenger section, you see the protected aircraft atmosphere at the back, which cannot be entered, and you realize again that we are on an airplane as we know it, and you complete your trip.

Naturally, we went downstairs from the back door and got into a lunch rush, thinking that we had finished our trip. fortunately The Air and Space Museum's cafe and restaurant very satisfactory. Especially in an airport environment, eating while watching a Boeing creates strange feelings. It's as if you were going from Istanbul to Ankara by bus, and you took a break at the rest facilities on Mount Bolu, eating your meal and watching your bus, or rather your plane :)

Now we come to the funny part: Just as our trip was over and we were thinking about where to go in Paris from here, when we turned to the section where the cash registers were to exit, we accidentally saw that there was a corridor to the left (that is, on the right when entering / on the left when leaving) and we thought, "I wonder where this place goes?" ?” When we turned there, we discovered that the museum had so many more places to visit! It turns out that the section where the old planes are located is here. It's really unbelievable...

Beautiful buildings from the first and second world wars airplanes, aircraft construction workshops, materials, equipment, costumes and accessories You can visit the endless halls that follow each other. Since the building itself is a part of the old airport, the place you wander around reinforces the sense of reality.

Since we discovered this part of the Air and Space Museum by accident, I must say that we had the feeling of "it never ends" as we progressed through the halls. It was also impressive for me to see real-size model airplanes that we made from paper and wooden slats as a child.

In addition, flight suits from the past period and mannequins dressed in the clothing of the passengers of the period successfully reflected the elegance of those times. The beauty of the workshops, the aesthetics of the materials, everything was pleasing to both the eyes and the heart.

As if all this wasn't enough balloons and zeppelins I remember saying "enough is enough" when it came to the part that told his story. After a while, one gets tired of walking so much and being exposed to so much beauty.

People have had the passion for flying for centuries, but science and technology had to develop in order to realize this, or let's say this passion developed science and technology. Our story about flying is Hazarfen Ahmet Çelebi limited to; also Vecihi Hürkuş I know there is. Isn't free thought and a free science environment important for progress and development? After that, providing research opportunities, education, determination, ambition and desire to learn. I think we still have a long way to go...

Shouldn't we - unfortunately - quickly visit the section where the balloons are located and then come across the section with the models? Throughout history, almost all models of airplanes, balloons, zeppelins and even aircraft carriers; Whatever you are looking for is in this showcase section where models are exhibited. You don't know what to do anymore, out of admiration and fatigue.

However, each model is interesting and special. Aside from being small copies of the originals, it is a different excitement to encounter aircraft and helicopter models that you have never seen before. Among thousands of models, big and small, you sometimes feel like a child and sometimes like an aviation expert.

After wandering around this hall, we now visit the museum - for real this time. with pride of having finished We ended our trip and headed for the exit. Located at the exit, that is, at the entrance museum shopIt was a different pleasure to wander around. People want to buy something for their loved ones, but when they have so many loved ones, they get confused about who to buy what for :)

Air and Space Museum – Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace is open every day of the week except Mondays. Of course, I should also mention that it is closed on January 1 and December 25. Let me also add the following information, with the reminder of Murat Bey, who contributed to our article with his valuable comment below: One of the world's largest space and aviation fairs is held here every year in June. SIAE (Salon International de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace) i.e. Paris Air Show being edited. Of course, certain sections of the museum are closed during this period.. You can get detailed information about the Paris Air Show from the official website of the fair, from the link at the end of the article, and if you wish, you can also purchase your ticket from that link.

In my opinion, the Air and Space Museum is a must-see place, perhaps not for those who come to Paris for the first time, but for those who come to this city for the second or third time. Especially if you are interested in aviation and space, it is a blessing; Even if it is your first visit, you can easily add it to your tour itinerary.

Even though I visited the Air and Space Museum in Washington DC about 15 years ago, I was always saddened that so little remained in my mind. Because at that time, we could not write blogs and record our memories with pictures. Thanks to this article, I think I have prepared a good summary that I will remember by going back and reading about this Air and Space Museum in Paris, even if I accidentally forget it. I hope you read it with interest.

Pleasant trips, pleasant discoveries

Web address: museeairespace.fr

Paris Air Show: siae.fr

Address: 93350 Le Bourget