Aviation history

Balloons had seen some occasional usage for reconnaissance during the 19th century. Austrian troops bombed Venice from the air in 1849 and the American Civil War saw reconnaissance balloons, which were however hampered by the lack of efficient long distance communication like radio. Aviation was however dismissed as a tool by many military experts even after the first practicable airplanes emerged. Aviation played a small role in the Great War but became a major contributor (and strategic component) in World War II. World War I produced the first "flying aces", pilots who were celebrated for their prowess in air to air combat and there was much mythology around the supposed chivalry of aerial combat compared to the increasingly brutal, senseless and industrialized slaughter in the trenches — however, most of those stories have little basis in fact.

An aerial attack on Pearl Harbor was a key step in the escalation of the Pacific War, while bombing of cities and civilian populations was widespread in World War II in Europe. Cities like Coventry, Guernica, Rotterdam (bombed after the Netherlands had already surrendered) and later Hamburg, Dresden or Berlin were leveled almost entirely by aerial bombardment and bear the scars of this new type of warfare to this day. Timber framed houses and a densely built old town used to be hallmarks of most cities in central Europe, but the bombing (and subsequent short-sighted urban planning) ensured that they would become a rarity in major cities. Aviation also revolutionized military logistics. While earlier an army had to choose between moving along supply lines or keeping to a deliberate pace while supply lines in their rear were ensured or "living off the land", by the time of World War II it became conceivable to supply an army by air and as the Soviets had to learn during the 1940s Berlin blockade, the same applied to entire civilian cities. While the common image of the "raisin bomber" has them delivering mostly food, as a matter of fact coal was the single most common delivery item and the planes even flew in an entire power plant for West-Berlin which had until then depended partially on the surrounding area for its power needs. In Southeast Asia, the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter would gain a fearsome reputation, as the outdated aircraft left behind by the British to defend their colonies were no match for the more advanced Japanese fighters. The tide of the war would eventually begin to turn against Japan in the Battle of Midway, June 1942, when the Americans sank Japan's four largest aircraft carriers and were thus able to gain aerial superiority for the rest of the war.

Commercial heavier than air air travel was born in the years between the two world wars, and saw flying become a viable transport option for travelling long distance. Some of today's global aviation icons, including Australia's Qantas, the Netherlands' KLM and Air France were founded during that period. Delta Air Lines can also trace its origins back to several companies founded in the 1920s. In the interwar period, Germany, which had been forbidden to develop military aviation under the Versailles Treaty developed a "civil" aviation program that just "happened to" include airplanes that were virtually identical in form, performance, payload capability, range and speed to then-current military models. In that era the first incarnation of Deutsche Luft-Hansa was founded, but the current company of that name is legally distinct from the modern day Lufthansa, which Lufthansa likes to point out when their 1932 PR flights for Hitler or wartime crimes are the topic of conversation, but likes to forget when old interwar airplanes are flown around in the name of tradition.

Numerous factors, not least of which military considerations and the fact that many high-ranking Nazis personally disliked Zeppelins (Göring had been a military pilot in World War I) as well as the fact that the US did not wish to deliver helium to Nazi Germany, causing Zeppelins to continue to be filled with flammable Hydrogen, led to a chain of events that ended the only notable passenger Zeppelin program. While airships of some forms continue to have certain military applications and are still used for their novelty value in sightseeing and advertising, overall the "golden era" of the rigid airship went up in smoke in Lakehurst in 1937.

The 1950s and 1960s became known as the "Golden Age of Air Travel", when flying was a privilege only for the filthy rich, and airlines competed with each other to offer the most luxurious onboard service with the most attractive stewardesses. The introduction of the first jet airliner, the de Havilland Comet, in 1952 ushered in the jet age, which allowed aircraft to cover distances more quickly than ever before. Some icons of that era include Pan American World Airways (Pan Am) and Trans World Airlines (TWA) of the United States, which closed down in 1991 and 2001 respectively, and British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), which was merged into British Airways in 1974. Among the most prestigious airline routes from that era are the London-New York and London-Sydney routes, which continue to be operated as the flagship routes of British Airways and Qantas Respectively.

1 Aviation Heritage Centre, Darwin, ☏ +61 8 8947 2145. Has an impressive collection of aircraft and displays depicting the Territory’s involvement in aviation from the early pioneers to the jet age. The prize exhibit is a B-52 bomber on permanent loan from the United States Air Force, one of only two on public display outside the U.S. The centre is 8 km from Darwin city and is on the site of fierce air combat that took place overhead during World War II.

2 Sir Charles Kingsford Smith Memorial, Brisbane Airport. Little memorial, dedicated to aviator Charles Kingsford Smith, in short distance to the airport. Its exhibit, the "Southern Cross", a preserved monoplane for which he used for the trans-Tasman flight, is displayed here.

3 Qantas Founders' Museum, Longreach Airport (on the highway, east of town). It's not affiliated with Qantas, but it celebrates their early years in the town that they started from. A range of history and static exhibits. Offers expensive but interesting tours of an ex-Qantas 707 and 747-200 including wing walks and access to the under carriage. A worthy pilgrimage site for air enthusiasts. $21+. (updated Mar 2017)

4 Brazilian Aerospace Museum (Museu Aeroespacial), Av. Marechal Fontenelle - Sulacap (Rio de Janeiro/Zona Norte), ☏ +55 21 2108-8954. Tu-F 9AM-3PM, weekends 9:30AM-4PM. Opened as Campo dos Afonsos airfield, it is the "cradle of Brazilian military aviation" and site of the first aeronautical organization created in Brazil: the Aeroclube do Brasil (Flying club of Brazil), on October 1911. Nowadays, the area is one of the Brazilian Air Force's main airbases, with the adjacent museum, that houses a good collection of planes, engines, etc. including replicas of Santos-Dumont's main machines, the 14-bis and the Demoiselle.

5 Cabangu Museum (Santos-Dumont's birthplace) (16 km from Santos Dumont, Minas Gerais). The house where Alberto Santos-Dumont was born, in his family's coffee farm, is now a museum dedicated to his childhood. (updated Oct 2016)

6 Santos Dumont's house (A Encantada), Rua do Encanto, 22 (Petrópolis), ☏ +55 24 2247 5222. Tu-Su 09:00-17:30 (ticket until 17:00). Nicknamed "The Enchanted", this chalet in Alpine style was Alberto Santos Dumont's summer residence. Having purchased a seemingly useless hillside lot, he smartly designed the house himself, allegedly to win a bet with his friends, who doubted it could be done; nowadays it's a museum showing his objects, books, letters and furniture, as well as some famous domestic inventions of his: an alcohol-fueled hot shower, and an entrance staircase with paddle-shaped steps, which can only be used starting with the right foot. There's also the Centro Cultural 14a, attached to the house, where you can watch a short film about him. The space has tactile models and accessibility for visitors with special needs. R$ 8 (full price), R$ 4 (half price). (updated Sep 2015)

7 National Air Force Museum of Canada (formerly known as the RCAF Memorial Museum), 220 RCAF Road, CFB Trenton (8 Wing) (Trenton, Ontario), ☏ +1 613-965-RCAF (7223), toll-free: +1-866-701-7223. 10AM-5PM. Dedicated to preserving the history of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). Opened April 1, 1984 on the RCAF's 60th anniversary. Home to a large collection of RCAF aircraft and artifacts, including North America's only Halifax Bomber. Free.

8 Gander International Airport, 1000 James Boulevard (Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador), ☏ +1 709-256-6677. Once the main stopover point for trans-Atlantic flights between North America and Europe, it has since declined drastically in importance because advances in technology have led to longer range aircraft that can fly nonstop between the major European and North American cities. However, the 1950s terminal building survives, and Gander's air traffic control continues to play a crucial role in trans-Atlantic flights. On September 11, 2001 many flights were re-routed through the airport and the locals accommodated them in a great spirit of kindness that was celebrated in the news the world over as one piece of good news on a terrible day. Lufthansa (which is in the habit of naming planes after German cities) even named a plane after Gander in honor of the town and its citizens. Free.

9 Alberta Aviation Museum, 11410 Kingsway NW (Edmonton, Alberta). The site of Canada's first municipally-owned airport, and a major hub of American aviation during the Second World War. (updated Feb 2023)

10 Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum & RCAF WWII Memorial Wall, 300 Commonwealth Way (Brandon, Manitoba). Preserves of the history of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan during WWII. (updated Feb 2023)

11 Bomber Command Museum of Canada, 1659 - 21st Ave, Hwy 2 (Nanton, Alberta). (updated Feb 2023)

12 Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame, 4629 McCall Way NE (Calgary, Alberta). First opened in 1974, it relocated in 2022 to the Hanger Flight Museum in Calgary, Alberta. (updated Feb 2023)

The China Aviation Museum in Beijing has been closed since 2025. It will reopen at a new location in Changchun, Jilin Province in 2027.

13 Shen-Air Museum (沈飞航空博览园) (Shenyang, Liaoning Province). Beiling Airport is the site where China produced its first modern jet aircraft in the early 1950s. The first ones were copies of Soviet MIG fighters but gradually Chinese designs were developed. A strong focus is placed on comparing Chinese and American aircraft, in particular those involved in the Korean War of the 1950s. They also tell the history of Chinese missile development and other technologies. Civilian aircraft were also produced here and feature in the exhibits. The tour finishes with the modern J-11 fighter, China's new passenger aircraft (ACAC ARJ21 Xiangfeng or Flying Phoenix) and Chinese space flights.

14 Suomen Ilmailumuseo (Finnish Aviation museum), Tietotie 3 (Vantaa), ☏ +358 9 870-0870, info@suomenilmailumuseo.fi. 10:00–17:00. Near Helsinki-Vantaa airport. A museum with over 70 planes (both civilian and military) as well as plane parts, equipment and photos. €9/6.

15 The Aviation Museum of Central Finland, Tikkakoskentie 125 (Tikkakoski district, 20 km from Jyväskylä to north). Small army airplanes and equipment inside a museum building, especially from World War II. Simulator hours (Saturdays; Messerschmitt Bf 109) must be booked in advance. €10/5; simulator €40–70.

16 Musée de l’air et de l’espace (Le Bourget airport) (11 km from Paris). Le Bourget, London's Croydon and Berlin's Tempelhof were "the trio of Classic European airports" whose design influenced all others that came later. It's famous as the landing site for Charles Lindbergh's historic solo transatlantic crossing in 1927, and as the departure point two weeks earlier for the French biplane The White Bird (L'Oiseau Blanc), which took off in its own attempt at a trans-Atlantic flight but then mysteriously disappeared (the only known remaining piece — the jettisoned main landing gear — is kept here). Now, besides hosting the biannual Paris Air Show, it's France's main state-owned aviation museum. Its highlights include a Concorde prototype, and remnants of the unarmed P-38 flown by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry on his last mission, recovered from the Mediterranean Sea. (updated Apr 2019)

17 Bagatelle field (Paris/16th arrondissement). Site of Santos-Dumont's first flight. A monument was built to commemorate this achievement. (updated Oct 2016)

Germany was among the forefront of lighter than air flying for the first third of the 20th century and the name of Count Zeppelin still stands for a rigid, skeleton based airship (as opposed to frameless blimps). Germany also saw aviation pioneer Otto Lilienthal conduct more and more audacious experiments until one finally killed him, in part due the then insufficiently understood phenomenon of stall. After Germany lost World War I, the Treaty of Versailles stipulated tight limits on armament, among them the prohibition of an air force. However, even during Weimar times, the government tried to avoid following the rules and the aid to private and civil aviation during the 1920s and 1930s was one way the various governments circumvented those prohibitions. This led both to passenger airlines of high repute (Lufthansa in its first incarnation among them) and an air force (Luftwaffe) in good fighting shape come World War II. Together with new and improved tanks, the latter revolutionized warfare, at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives. When the Nazis got in power they also encouraged gliding as a hobby to build a stock of young men familiar with aerodynamics and the basics of flying "on the cheap" and again circumventing prohibitions of the Versailles Treaty. Today the remnants of the companies that pioneered German aviation form the core of Airbus, one of the two largest plane manufacturers in the world and even the Zeppelin company is still around building small semi-rigid airships (basically blimps with a keel) as a side venture.

18 Dornier Museum, Claude-Dornier-Platz 1 (close to the Friedrichshafen airport). May-Oct (summer): daily 09:00-17:00. Nov-Apr (winter): Tu-Su 10:00-17:00, M closed. Everybody can be a pioneer – this is the central message of the Dornier Museum Friedrichshafen, opened in the summer of 2009, offering a 100 years of aviation and aerospace history as a fascinating experience. The extraordinary architecture accommodates almost 400 exhibits on 5000 m², including 12 original aircraft, 7 exhibits from space travel and a full-size model. €9 adults, €4.50 children, €7 concessions. (updated Sep 2016)

19 Zeppelin Museum, Seestraße 22 (Friedrichshafen). Situated in the historic harbour station building, this museum presents the world‘s largest collection on the subject of airship history, construction and travel. Under the same roof you can visit an important collection of art dating from the late Middle Ages to the present day. The main attraction is the 33 m long reconstruction of part of the LZ 129 Hindenburg in its original size, which visitors can board just as the original passengers did in the 1930s. The authentically fitted passenger rooms give an impression of how people travelled during the period of the “silver giants”. Two entire storeys of the Zeppelin Museum are dedicated to different aspects of Zeppelin history and technology. In addition to the permanent exhibition the museum organizes special events and temporary exhibitions. The Zeppelin company also offers tours with a modern airship produced by Zeppelin albeit not a Zeppelin in the technological sense (i.e. the structure is not held up by an interior skeleton although it does have a keel) starting at €200 a pop. €8 adults, €4 concessions.

28 Indian Air Force Museum (adjacent to the Palam Air Force Station in New Delhi). The display gallery contains historic photographs, memorabilia, uniforms and personal weapons of the Indian Air Force, from its inception in 1932. This gallery leads to a hangar exhibiting small aircraft and Air Force assets like anti-aircraft guns, vehicles and ordnance. Larger aircraft are exhibited outside the hangar, along with several war trophies, radar equipment and captured enemy vehicles. (updated Oct 2016)

29 Naval Aviation Museum (Vasco da Gama, adjacent to the Dabolim airport). Tu-Su 10AM–5PM. This museum contains exhibits that showcase the evolution of the Indian Naval Air Arm over decades. It's divided into two main parts, an outdoor exhibit and a two-storeyed indoor gallery. This is a great place to see vintage aircraft like the Sealands, Doves, Alizes, Seahawks, Vampires, a Super Constellation and Hughes helicopters, along with the relatively newer Sea Harriers. It claims to be the only one of its kind in Asia. Admission is free.

30 Italian Air Force Museum (Museo Storico Aeronautica Militare), Vigna Di Valle (on the southernmost point of Lake Bracciano, between Bracciano and Anguillara), ☏ +39 0699887509, musexpo@tiscali.it. Tu-Su 09:30-16:30 in winter and 09:30-17:30 in summer. A superb collection of planes housed in the hangars of Italy's first seaplane base. Exhibits range from the pioneers of flight and World War I fighters up to Italian military planes of the present day. This is one of the largest collections of its type in the world, really well displayed. Free.

31 Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science and Technology (Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia), S.Vittore Street (Milan/West, reachable by bus or subway, line MM2 Sant'Ambrogio Station). Hosted in a former monastery, San Vittore al Corpo. The Air Transport section exhibits several airplanes, including a Farman 1909 replica and an original Macchi MC 205 V used during World War II. There are also modern military aircraft, like an Italian Fiat G.91, a North American F-86K and a Republic F-84F Thunderstreak.

32 Gianni Caproni Aeronautical Museum (Museo dell’Aeronautica Gianni Caproni), Via Lidorno, 3 (Trento, adjacent to the airport), ☏ +39 461-944 888. Italy's oldest aviation museum, and the country's oldest corporate museum, established in 1927. Just outside the museum and airport, a Lockheed F-104G Starfighter is pointed to the sky, and stands as a gate guardian.

33 Museum of Aeronautical Science (航空科学博物館 kōkū kagaku hakubutsukan) (Narita, about 15min by bus from Narita Airport (JR/Keisei Station).), ☏ +81 479 78-0557. Tu-Su 10AM-5PM., Closed year end and new years holidays. The Museum of Aeronautical Science displays relevant artifacts to the aviation history of Japan, including aircraft. Also of note is the observation deck on the fifth floor, with views over Narita Airport. From here you can watch aircraft landing and departing, log numbers, and take photographs.

34 Tokorozawa Aviation Museum (所沢航空発祥記念館), 1-13 Namiki (Tokorozawa), ☏ +81 4-2996-2225, fax: +81 4-2996-2531. 9:30AM-5PM. Japan's first airfield, which started operations in 1911 with a flight by Yoshitoshi Tokugawa. The original single runway is still visible and has been incorporated into the larger multifunction Tokorozawa Aviation Memorial Park, adjacent to the museum. It contains aircraft and other displays (many of which interactive), and an IMAX theatre.

35 Riga Aviation Museum (At Riga-Spilve International Airport). 09:00-18:00. Bored at the airport? Check out the Riga Aviation museum, which contains several rare aircraft. €5.

36 Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre, 79 Aerodrome Rd, Blenheim (New Zealand) (beside Omaka Aerodrome (not Blenheim Airport) 5 km from town, route sign-posted off SH6), ☏ +64 3 579 1305, info@omaka.org.nz. Daily 10AM-5PM (last entry 4PM) except 25–26 Dec. Collection of World War I planes lovingly restored and captured in realistic settings. Part of the attraction is the association of Peter Jackson (of Lord of the Rings fame) and Weta Workshop with the display. His team has turned what could be just a collection of planes into a drama enjoyed by even those with little interest in aviation or military history. Worth it. Has a cafe. Adult $25, child (5–14) $10, concessions available.

37 Polish Aviation Museum (Muzeum Lotnictwa), al. Jana Pawła II 39 (Czyżyny district, Kraków/East), ☏ +48 12 640 99 60. Tu-Su 09:00 - 17:00. A museum consisting of a new pavilion (good contemporary architecture) and few hangars filled with over two hundred historic gliders, aircraft, helicopters and more. Among them is a collection of 22 extremely rare antique planes that once belonged to Hermann Göring. The museum stands on the grounds of the Rakowice-Czyżyny airfield, one of the oldest military airfields in Europe. Tuesdays free.

38 Earhart Light (Howland Island). This is a day beacon, an unlit navigational landmark, named in honour of Amelia Earhart, the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic. In 1937, she set out eastwards from Oakland, California with an intention to become the first female pilot to complete a circumnavigational flight of the globe. She was to land at Howland Island for resupplying before proceeding to Honolulu, Hawaii, her final planned stop en route to Oakland. But that never happened — she was close enough that the personnel stationed on the island could receive her radio transmission but she apparently wasn't able to pick up the response and her plane couldn't be visually observed from the island — and she was declared dead about two years later. The building stands understandably dilapidated on this remote, uninhabited Pacific island.

39 Museum of the Great Patriotic War (Центральный музей Великой Отечественной войны), Ploschad Pobedy (Площадь Победы), 3 (Moscow/Outskirts, M: Park Pobedy). Tu-Su 10:00-19:00, Th 10:00-20:00. Impressive museum, features an external section with displays of vintage Soviet aircraft flown in World War II. - Adults RUB200, Seniors, students RUB100.

40 Memorial Museum of Astronautics (Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics or Memorial Museum of Space Exploration,), Prospekt Mira (просп. Мира), 111 (Moscow/Outskirts, M:VDNkH (ВДНХ)), ☏ +7 (495) 683-7968, cosmomuseum@yandex.ru. Tu-Su 11:00-19:00. A museum in Moscow, dedicated to space exploration.- The museum contains a wide variety of space-related exhibits and models which explore the history of flight; astronomy; space exploration; space technology; and space in the arts. The museum's collection holds approximately 85,000 different items.

41 Central Air Force Museum (Центральный музей Военно-воздушных сил РФ) (Monino, East Moscow Oblast, about 40 km east of Moscow. Take a local train from the Yaroslavl Station in Moscow.). W-F 09:30-13:30, 14:15-17:00, Sa Su 09:00-14:00. 173 Russian and Soviet military planes and 127 engines, including rarities and prototypes, are on display in the Central Air Force museum. In addition you can see uniforms, weapons and other air force equipment. Descriptions of exhibits are for the most part in Russian only, with some English translations available. The museum is on a military base, so there's identity check on entry (foreigners no longer need a special permit). Check if the museum is open before visiting, it was planned to close for an unspecified time in the summer 2016 but it has still received reviews in September 2016. (updated Oct 2016)

42 Kallang Airport, 9 Kallang Airport Way. Singapore's first purpose-built civil aviation airport, opened in 1937 and regarded as one of the finest in the British Empire at the time of its opening. It was a major stop on the "Kangaroo Route" between London and Sydney for both Qantas and BOAC. Malayan Airways, the precursor of today's award-winning Singapore Airlines, was founded here in 1947. It was closed in 1955 after the completion of a new airport at Paya Lebar, though the Art Deco terminal building still stands, and the former runway survives in part as a public road known as Old Airport Road. British Airways and Qantas continue to operate their London-Sydney flights with a stop in Singapore, albeit using the much bigger and more modern Changi Airport. free.

43 National Aviation Museum of Korea (국립항공박물관), Haneul-gil 177 (Gonghang-dong 1373-5). Gangseo-gu (Ride a shuttle bus at the Gimpo Airport Domestic Terminal.). Tu-Su 10AM-6PM. Closed on Mondays, Lunar New Year, and Chuseok.. Opened in 2020, this museum shows the history of general and Korean aviation, current and future of the aviation industry. It houses not only retired airplanes from historic F-51, F-86, but also Korean-built T-50 and KC-100. There are many exhibits about civilian aviation industry as well. Free. (updated Aug 2022)

44 Scandinavian Airlines Collection, Kabinvägen, Hangar 4 airside (Stockholm Arlanda Airport), ☏ +46 8-593 600 33. Tu Th 10:00-15:00, or by appointment. Aircraft, uniforms and furnishing from early Scandinavian aviation.

45 Swedish Air Force Museum (Flygvapenmuseum), Carl Cederströms gata 2 (Linköping), ☏ +46 13-495 97 00. The museum in the suburb of Malmen features over a hundred aircraft from the early 20th century to the modern age.

46 Ukrainian State Aviation Museum (Державний музей авіації України (Жуляни)), Medovaya str., 1 (Kyiv, inside the old Zhulyany Airport), ☏ +380 44 241-2583, +380 44 461-6485, +380 44 451-8314, info@aviamuseum.com.ua. Many impressive Soviet civil and military aircraft on display, including an An-2, Tu-104, Il-62, Il-76, an Il-86 and constantly improving. The museum is opposite to the airport terminal, which is an industrial zone. To get there, you can either take Trolleybus #9 from the main train station - Kyiv Passazhyrskyi (South exit)/Vokzalna metro stop or #22 from Shuliavska (Шулявська) metro station, both until Sevastopolska Square. From there, take the minibus 220 that will take you straight to the museum (last stop). Walking in the surrounding area after dark is not advisable as the area is poorly lit and stray dogs are present. 50 грн. (updated Jun 2016)

47 Royal Air Force Museum London (former RAF Hendon airfield), Grahame Park Way, London NW9 5LL, ☏ +44 20 8205-2266. A nationally important collection of military aircraft, including a few that served with the RAF's foes. Free (but parking charges apply). (updated Sep 2016)

48 Imperial War Museum Duxford (RAF Duxford) (near Cambridge). This World War II airfield, the main filming location for the famous Battle of Britain movie with Michael Caine, nowadays houses the Imperial War Museum's aircraft collection, and is the largest aviation museum in Europe, featuring a fleet of lovingly maintained Spitfires and Tiger Moths that fly almost daily. As well as military aircraft, it houses a large collection of non-military aircraft including a Concorde. There is also a land warfare museum attached that has many examples of armoured vehicles from the First World War onwards. A proper visit needs a full day. Bus Citi 7 takes about an hour to get there from the city centre or the bus station. Make sure that you board the Citi 7 bus that says Duxford as the Citi 7 bus also goes to two other places. Also note the time of the last bus to leave the museum as later buses go to the village of Duxford but not out to the museum. Flight shows are sometimes held; these days will be very busy.

49 Farnborough Air Sciences Trust Museum (FAST), Trenchard House, 85 Farnborough Road, GU14 6TF (Farnborough, Hampshire), ☏ +44 1252 375050. Sa Su bank holiday M 10AM-4PM. The birthplace of British aviation, Farnborough was used for research and development of balloon technology as early as the 1880s. After the first powered flight in Britain in 1908, the town became heavily involved in the aerospace industry, and saw many landmark moments throughout the 20th century, including one of the claimants for first jet aircraft, and the development of Anglo-French supersonic airliner Concorde. The FAST Museum charts this history, and you can also visit other sites and monuments connected to the industry around town. Free. (updated Jan 2017)

The Shuttleworth Collection (near Biggleswade). Collection of vintage aircraft. (updated Oct 2016)

50 National Museum of Flight Scotland, East Fortune Airfield EH39 5LF (off A1 near Haddington east of Edinburgh). Apr-Oct daily 10:00-17:00, Nov-Mar Sa Su 10:00-16:00. 4 hangars of aircraft, including Concorde G-BOAA. Adult £12. (updated Jan 2019)

The United States has many sites and museums where a traveller can learn about aviation history. See Wikivoyage's Aviation history in the United States article for aviation history in the United States.

Ever since there has been aviation, there have been skilled model-makers creating scale representations, with many flying models engineered to the same exacting precision of their full-scale counterparts. Reportedly, 'model' flying machines -such as kites in China- got airborne centuries before manned flight first took place. Whilst a number of the museums mentioned above may have aviation models on show, those noted in this section are specifically scale model collections.

National Model Aviation Museum, 5151 East Memorial Drive Muncie, Indiana (Indiana, USA), ☏ +1 765 287-1256 ext 504. $5. (updated Dec 2016)

The Stanzel Model Aircraft Museum, 311 Baumgarten Street, Schulenburg, Texas (Schulenburg, USA), ☏ +1 979-743-6559. (updated Dec 2016)

Here are some notable air shows around the world, but there are many more. As there are many in the United States, where there are often several taking place around the country each summer weekend, see Aviation history in the United States for a list in the United States.

1 Abbotsford International Air Show, Abbotsford International Airport (Trans-Canada Highway 1 to exit 87 (Clearbrook), follow signs for airshow to King Road.). Held the second weekend in August, it attracts visitors from all over the world. Flight demonstrations primarily by Canadian and US craft. Static displays of aircraft, Canadian Forces units, and local police and RCMP detachments.

2 Aero India, Bengaluru. Held in the second week of February every alternate year (the next one is in 2021), this is Asia's premier air show. Spanning 5 days but open to the public only on the last 3 days (F-Su), the show at Yelahanka Air Force Base in the northern part of Bengaluru comprises a defence exhibition and air show. Fighter jets from around the world are on flying and on static display. Normally, there are two air shows every day - one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Tickets can be purchased online or at select outlets - scan the newspapers for more information. (Purchasing a ticket at outlets requires you to show a photo identification, and tickets are non-transferable.)

3 Africa Aerospace and Defence Expo, Air Force Base Waterkloof, Pretoria. A combined airshow and trade exhibition, also open to the public, taking place biannually in September. There are planes on display, aerobatics and parachuting shows and hands-on activities for kids. (updated May 2020)

4 Australian International Airshow (Avalon Airshow), Avalon Airport. Described by the organizers as the biggest airshow in the Southern Hemisphere (and the 2017 show had more than 200,000 visitors), it takes place biannually in odd years. Military aircraft from different countries' airforces as far as from the UK and USA, are often on display and performing. Manufacturers display new military planes and helicopters, but also civilian planes. (updated May 2020)

5 China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition (中国国际航空航天博览会) (near the Zhuhai Airport), ☏ +86 756 3375602, fax: +86 756 3376415, zhuhai@airshow.com.cn. Held every two years, it's the biggest airshow in China, attracting thousands of people and companies around the world including well-known Boeing, Airbus and Ilyushin. Chinese-made military aircraft, which can be rare to spot, may also show up. This show has already become the top card of Zhuhai.