Honduran Aviation Museum

History

The museum originated from the Honduran Air Force (FAH), which had stored and preserved aircraft and exhibits from the 1930s, some of which remained airworthy into the 1980s, such as a North American NA-16, Chance-Vought F4U Corsair and a North American AT-6. In 1986 representatives of the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, gave the Honduran public chats and conferences and realized that the Honduran Institute of Culture Interamericana-IHCI had the potential for creating a museum of national aviation, It is so the initiative gives his first steps inside the command and active personnel of her FAH which interfere to such a degree of founding and organizing the " Museum of the Air of Honduras " the second step was the disposition to donate 12 aircraft in the Officials' Club of the FAH at the end of the 80s what determines the second stage in road surface for the organization of so important project. Later, in June, 2000 the first meeting with persons deepened formally into the project leads to the conclusion of a " Committee organizes Pro-museum of the Air ", summoned all for the Commander at the time colonel Gerardo E. Carvajal (R.I.P.), And with participation of volunteers and other persons been interested in the aeronautical conservation of the historical heritage of the country. The committee presents and signs the document of Record of Constitution of the " Foundation Museum of the Aíre of Honduras " on August 30, 2000, in the facilities of the FAH sedate in the Airport Toncontín in the cardinal city of Tegucigalpa, M.D.C. the creation of the foundation it possesses the legal instruments of: Juridical Legal status with record Not. 102-2002; and, the Decree issued by the sovereign one National Congress of Honduras Down Not. 144-2003. The organized foundation possesses twenty-two voluntary members, which in the main received in the year 2003 training museumgraphic on the part of her Pedagogic National University Francisco Morazán.

Collection of Aircraft

The foundation and museum possesses twenty-five aircraft which were penetrated to the organization by means of Decree Not. 144-2003 issued by the National Congress and by means of private donations. In the main the copies belonged actively by force Air Honduran and the rest were donated by private persons. Besides others in process of restoration and technical maintenance for experts, some of these copies so much helicopters and planes can work perfectly and fly due to the professional maintenance, between other devices they are, the following models:

Irreplaceable pieces

The museum possesses the most ancient aircraft in the country there is registered in the year 1937, a NA-16 that would be the only piece in the world and of another only piece and that possesses a world record, the plane Chance Vought Corssair F4U-5N, registered FAH-609, being the most famous for being the last plane of engine and propeller in entering combat the history, during her War of the Football between the republics of El Salvador and Honduras 1969 and that the captain was piloted by the hero and ace of the air Fernando Soto Henríquez "The Weak spot ".

Area of the Museum

The area of the museum is of about five hectares of area located in the Air Honduran Force in Toncontín, Tegucigalpa, M.D.C. Hired by a term of hundred years with the State of Honduras and contract authorized by means of the Decree Not. 144-2003 issued by the National Congress. The infrastructure, it possesses a room of exhibitions and an outdoor exposure of the collection of the aircraft, besides appliances and historical pieces, photographs, documents, and some historical videoes, the above-mentioned to being catalogued in the future project of Aeronautical File of Honduras, dependence to being created by the F.M.A.H. Office of the administration, a book-keeper, and other one of exhibition, maintenance and restoration of planes and integrated by technical personnel in specialized maintenance of planes. A shop found in Toncontín's international Airport and other one in the building of exhibitions in order to achieve economic self-sufficiency. The Aeronautical Park was opened the public in September 2002 and he attends to the general public on Saturday and Sunday with schedules from 10.00 to 17.00 hours; the days of week previous appointment is attended to groups as being technical institutions, Universities, colleges, schools, and public in general

Memberships of the museum

The foundation Museum of the Aíre of Honduras forms a part of the Company Latin American of Historians of Aviation (L.A.A.H.S), the Latin-American Federation of Air - spatial Studies, and the Association of Aeronautical Museums of Latin America.