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The Israeli Air Force Museum was opened to
the public in June 1991. Since then there has been an ongoing process in
it's development, building, paving and organisation of exhibitions.
The IAF museum is located adjacent to the
Hatzerim Air Force Base, just outside Beer Sheba.Visitors to the museum
are taken around by one of the soldier-guides, who speak not only Hebrew
and English, but a wide variety of other languages, including Russian and
Amharic. The visit also includes a video program in an adapted Air Force
Boeing 707.
There are signs directing visitors to the
museum from the center of Beersheba and there are regular buses from the
Beer Sheba Central Bus Station. Because the museum is a regular army base,
it is closed on Shabbat and religious holidays. It is open Sunday through
Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Friday and holiday eves until 1 p.m.
Admission on March 09, 1998 (this is the date of my visit to IAF Museum)
was NIS 22 for adults.
Today, more than 100 different planes can
be found in the museum, some of them are airworthy, which are flown by
veteran pilots at national events and festivals.
In the AIF Museum you can see very interesting
planes: "Spitfire", "Mustang", "Mezek" (Czech version of "Messerschmitt"
Bf 109), "Avenger", Gloster "Meteor", "Ouragan", "Mystere", "Super Mystere"
B-2, "Mirage", "Kfir", "Nesher", "Vautour", "Phantom", "Skyhawk", "Lavi"
and many others. Helicopter's collection includes "Huey Cobra", "Gazelle",
"Defender", "Super Frelon" etc. Among the planes there are also captured
enemy planes - such as the MiG-15, MiG-17, MiG-21, MiG-23, "Vampire", "Hunter".
Aircraft and anti-aircraft weapons, missiles
and radar systems are also exhibited in the museum.
It's impossible to list all those on display
in this fantastic place. You'll just have to go and see for yourself. Be
warned however - take plenty of film (as for me, I wasted 5 films and didn't
cover one half of exhibits I wanted to photograph)! And don't forget to
take water to drink, sunglasses and a cap - Negev desert is a very sunny
and hot place.
But if you don't want to spend a whole day
on hot Israel's sun you can make a short virtual tour to IAF Museum on
this site. Let's go!
Serge Batoussov.
September 26, 1998