Air Force, Army and Archaeology
At the northern extreme of Vyškov, a small military city near Brno, you’ll find the Museum of Air and Land Technology. The museum is a good sized collection of post-war aircraft and land vehicles that have served in the Czech, and former Czechoslovak air force and army. The primary exhibit area is outdoors and is well organised and logically laid out.
The museum also features collections of aircraft engines and aviation archaeology.
In scope and number of exhibits, it’s one of the largest museums of its sort in the Czech Republic
Things With Wings
The largest section of the museum’s collection is given to aircraft; nearly 40 different aircraft types, both fixed wing and helicopter, can be viewed at the museum. In many instances, successive members of the same aircraft family can be viewed next to each other. Examples of most major aircraft types used by air force of the former Czechoslovakia in the post World War Two period are included in the collection.
On Wheels and Treads
Sharing the outdoor section of the museum with the aircraft is a selection of around 40 ground vehicles ranging from airport support trucks, anti-aircraft artillery, field artillery and armored combat vehicles.
Vehicles in the collection represent early post war machines of German design to the Soviet designed equipment of the Socialist era along with a good representation of domestically produced gear from the likes of Praga, Škoda and Tatra among others.
The Power to Fly
In a semi-sheltered section of the museum, you can take in the details of around 15 different types of aircraft engine, mostly jet based, which powered the various fighters, transports and helicopters of the Czech military over the years.
The centrepiece of the engine collection is the large Kuznetsov NK-8 turbofan, four of which powered the Ilyushin Il-62 transport used by both the Czechoslovak military and Czechoslovak Airlines.
Surrounding the NK-8, you can find the powerful Tumansky and Lyulka jet engines which were at the heart of the MiG and Sukhoi fighters which defended the land in years past.
Aviation Archaeology
Of course, being situated in the heart of Europe, the Czech lands had a good amount of the Second World War happen on and above them. As such, there have been many WWII aircraft crash sites excavated in the country with doubtless many more still to be found.
The indoor section of the museum hosts an exhibit of aviation archaeology which features many remnants of both Allied and German aircraft which crashed or were shot down over the area during the conflict; it’s both fascinating and moving.
Visiting the Museum
Accessing this museum without a car is a bit of a trick, but not impossible. Vyškov does have a limited public transport service which can get you to within an approximate 10 minute walk from the museum. The walk begins on paved walkways, but becomes a bit of a trek when the pavement ends.
The main road past the Museum gates, Sochorova Street, is not really set up for pedestrians or cyclists, so one must be particularly watchful for traffic if they are traveling to the museum by either of those means.
The museum website is mostly in Czech but does have a translation function to make it workable in English and a selection of other languages.
Pickled Wings 