Roberto Yáñez and Alex Rodríguez visit Spain’s national aeronautical museum
A profound transformation is going on at the Museo de Aeronáutica y Astronáutica de Madrid, considered to be one of the most important aeronautical collections in Europe.
It is located a short distance southwest of the Spanish capital and occupies part of the historic Cuatro Vientos airfield.
Popularly known as the Museo del Aire (MdA), its creation can be traced to the birth of the Spanish Air Force (Ejército del Aire – EdA). The Spanish Civil War left the country without the resources, and probably the will, to secure the nation’s military aviation heritage. Many aircraft that took part in the battles were scrapped to obtain much-needed metal to make tools and utensils.
It was not until June 16, 1966 that the MdA was officially instigated and the search began for a home. Several sites around Madrid were studied, including the airfield at Barajas (Adolfo Suárez Madrid– Barajas Airport) and the imposing air ministry building (today the EdA headquarters). All were rejected due to lack of space.
It was decided the museum should be located at an airfield to provide plenty of room and to assist in the arrival of exhibits. Fortunatel…
