Ankara Aviation Museum

The establishment of the Air Force Museum began in 1997 under the directive of the 21st Commander of the Turkish Air Force (Ret.) Gen. Ahmet Çörekçi. The museum was officially opened to the public on 18 September 1998 by the 22nd Commander of the Turkish Air Force (Ret.) Gen. İlhan Kılıç, with the attendance of Atatürk’s adopted daughter and Turkey’s first female pilot, Sabiha Gökçen.

Located on the 12th kilometer of the Istanbul Highway, next to the 11th Air Transport Main Base Command, the Air Force Museum covers 62,321 m² of open space and 2,000 m² of indoor exhibition area. The museum consists of two main sections: open-air and indoor galleries.

In the open-air exhibition area, visitors can explore jet fighters, training aircraft, transport planes, and a helicopter that served in the Turkish Air Force for many years. The collection also includes aircraft donated by friendly nations: a MIG-21 from the Hungarian Air Force, a MIG-19 from the Pakistan Air Force, and a MIG-17 from the Bulgarian Air Force. Additionally, two full-scale aircraft replicas are on display, along with F-5 and T-33 cockpit sections where visitors can step inside and experience the pilot’s view of the “blue world.”