A hidden treasure of a museum - and nobody knows it

[Skybird]

Pic
http://www.tagesspiegel.de/medien/he...e1,298411.html


Text
http://www.tagesspiegel.de/berlin/Te...art270,2891978


the article claims that after fusion of East- and WestGerman airforces and the British giving up Gatow, the small airfield in the West of Berlin has become the biggest collection of old fighterplanes and fighterbombers in the world. Don't know if that is true or a reporter's exaggeration, but nevertheless it seems to be a pretty precious collection of planes from the WWII era, and a huge collection of planes from the cold war era, both Eatern and Western models. Over 220 types are on display, they say.

And nobody knows that this official museum of the German Luftwaffe exists.

Entrance is free.

The pieces are rotting while exposed to weather, rain and sunlight.

tourism bureaus do not list it, or lead people to a wrong adress, the postal adress of the office 5 km east of it.

It would be a good idea to move this huge collection of planes (220, 65 from cold war era, the rest from WWII) to Tempelhof which is no longer active since some months. But no - the communist-socialist big coalition in Berlin, led by an extremely narcissistic, arrogant and incompetent mayor with ambitions in federal politics (poor germany), decided - or better the mayor all alone decided - that there should be a yearly fashion show, and eventually one of the hangars becomes home to a local icehockey club.

To do justice, one should say the defence ministry's enthusiams to move the museum also is minimal.

What a waste of space, place and reputation in Tempelhof.

If you visit berlin, check the museum out. But you must find out yourselve where it is, must be the old British airfield at Gatow. I can't tell you, because I did not know myself that it has been installed there. Just follow the map shopwing the old airfield. Do not follow the postal adresses for the office in the centre of the city.

I know head to Google Earth to check if I can see something.

[Jimbuna]

Nice find but It's a pity it wasn't a previously unknown tank/armoured vehicle museum

Edit: I'm struggling to even identify two aircraft hangars in the area on Google Earth

[Schroeder]

Yes, the museum in Gatow is huge (by German standards). The planes inside the hangars are all well preserved while the ones standing outside are in a poor condition.
BTW there are also many WWI replicas (some even flyable) in one of the hangars and there are also radar stations and SAMs on display.
It is definitely worth a visit especially since it is for free (although I would gladly pay 5€ and see the planes outside be restored to their former beauty...but I guess that is what the frequently ignored donation box is for).

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Nice find but It's a pity it wasn't a previously unknown tank/armoured vehicle museum

Edit: I'm struggling to even identify two aircraft hangars in the area on Google Earth

coordinates at the bottom of the pic

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Skybird

coordinates at the bottom of the pic

Cheers Sky

[Task Force]

wow... wish we had one of those here.

[XabbaRus]

I know lets requisition it in the name of subsim and then somehow restore the planes to flying condition and let the loltwaffles fly.

[Oberon]

My god, that IS a hidden gem, MiGs, Hinds, Canberras, F-104s, Su-22s, Percival Pembroke, and missiles too, SA-2, SA-3, SA-5, Hawks, Pershing I.

That's made my list of places to visit in Germany, right up there with the Fulda gap