FROM TAKE OFF TO LIFT OFF
Within the museum some 150 aircraft are on display including the mythical aircraft flown during World War I which visitors can admire from above. A Dakota, two Concordes and a Boeing 747, can be boarded and you can also admire models of the great European rocket launchers Ariane 1 and Ariane 5. And the visitor can go back in time as well to the permanent exhibition of the Pioneers of the Air and view the first airships of the 19th century and the baskets of these early flying machines conserved by the museum along with posters, paintings, objects and jewelry of the times. Additional items showcase the ascension of the first hot air balloons.
Throughout the museum the history of the magnificent men and their flying machines is recounted from the Montgolfier brothers who invented the first hot air balloons in the 18th century to Otto Lilienthal and Octave Chanute who experimented with gliders at the end of the 19th century. There are objects revolving around the legendary French aviator and pioneer, Louis Blériot the first airplane pilot to successfully cross the English Channel from France in 1909. Meanwhile among the intriguing items on display are a 19th century experimental model for a helicopter and a 19th century hyperbaric chamber. And especially geared for children ages 6-12 is Planète Pilote with more than 40 interactive activities on the theme of aeronautics and space.
This fall the museum is giving carte blanche to the artist and photographer Axel Ruhomaully for a discovery or re-discovery of its collection in an intriguing manner. Displayed within the context of the exhibition "Bijoux de mécanique" (Mechanical Jewels), these photographs revolve around the aeronautical heritage conserved at the museum. Using a special lighting technique he dubbed "light stenciling", the photographer sculpts materials to reveal the stories behind these exceptional pieces ranging from collector airplanes to clock mechanisms. Axel Ruhomaully was a cabin crew member for an airline company and today is specialized in photographing industrial heritage.
Aéroport de Paris-le Bourget 3 esplanade de l'air et de l'espace 93350 Le Bourget, 01 49 92 70 00 www.museeairespace.fr