The Aviation Museum in Istanbul Yeşilköy is also the Air Force Museum. You can have a good time by learning and enjoying the museum exhibiting all kinds of samples from the oldest aircraft models of Turkish aviation history. The idea of establishing an aviation museum in Turkey was first put forward in the 1960s and from that date different German aircraft models and enemy troop aircraft used during the First World War were searched and exhibited for this museum.
The Aviation Museum was first opened on May 15, 1971 in Cumaovası, Izmir. Despite the great interest in the opening of the museum, a new museum has been searched for in a different place due to limited access to the region and insufficient conditions. As a result, it was decided to build a museum on the back side of Yeşilköy Railway Station in Istanbul with a space of 15,000 square meters. After a careful study, it was opened as a modern museum by the Air Force Commander General Halil Sözer on October 16, 1985 and took its place today. The museum serves as the Commander of the Turkish Air Force.
The museum exhibits all types of airplanes, helicopter models and original models from the oldest airplanes of the Turkish air history to balloons and zeppelins.
There are a total of 8 exhibition halls in the museum with an area of 3000 square meters. Young people participating in the model competition airplane competition held in October between young people sit in the cafeteria of the museum and exchange ideas with each other. The museum also has a cinema hall (conference hall) with a capacity of 56 people. There is a step-by-step display of the evolution of the aviation history in the museum, which houses a library that is available for research. In these displays, a collection of models from the first motor vehicles to warplanes, even to the space fader, is on display. Hezarfen is one of the most interested visitors to the showcase of his flight to Üsküdar from Galata Tower with wings he built by Ahmet Çelebi himself.
Turkish Air Force uniform, medals, various tables, other important elements of the museum. If you want to see a total of 43 airplanes up to the first used airplane of Turkish Airlines, you must definitely visit this museum. You can also buy permanent gifts for yourself or your loved ones from the souvenir shop in the museum.