Place Details:
If you are staying near Bogmalo, Goa, it’s worth taking a few hours to visit the Naval Aviation Museum. Located around 6 km from Vasco da Gama and less than 10 minutes and 4 km from Dabolim airport, the museum should definitely be on your list of places to visit if you are fascinated by fighter jets and other military aircraft. Partly an outdoor exhibition and partly a two-storey gallery indoors, the museum is nearly two decades old, opening in 1998. It is one of just two military aviation museums in the country, with the other one predictably in Delhi (the Indian Air Force Museum in Palam). Interestingly, this is also the only museum of its type in Asia. So you know you are in for a very rare experience here. ALSO READ: Churches of Goa: 5 Churches in and around Panaji to usher in the Yuletide spirit
The outdoor exhibition is the obvious highlight here. With Goa‘s gentle ocean breeze running through your hair, you can walk along and see the military aircraft that the Indian Navy has been using since before the 1940s. These include the single-seat Sea Harrier, a fighter jet capable of vertical take-off and landing and one of the most prominent fixtures of the Indian Navy since the 1980s. You can also find the only Short Sealand model in India here, and one of the only three remaining in the world. The Fairey Firefly, a British World War II-era fighter aircraft, is also on display. CHECK OUT: What to do in Goa: Here’s a 3 days-3 nights itinerary!
There is the Breguet Alizé, India’s first ever anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft based off an aircraft carrier. And you have the predecessor of the Sea Harrier, the Hawker Sea Hawk. The museum also has trainer aircraft and helicopters like the HAL Chetak, Westland Sea King, Kamov Ka-25 and the Hughes Hu-300. With a total of 13 aircraft on display and plenty of other memorabilia exhibited, the Naval Aviation Museum takes you closer to the history of the prestigious navy, which is an opportunity you should not miss.
BEST TIME TO VISIT GOA
The average minimum and maximum temperature of Goa is as given below. The best time to visit Goa is also specified.
