CNN list top 14 Aviation Museums in the World

Yeah ! They didn’t even include Old Rheinbeck !

Sorry but anything CNN does over here is suspect,, their credibility is a joke.

I might have helped a little there, j_jza80 😉

I’m glad that Duxford got such a prominent place. There is something very special about the place, that goes beyond the aircraft on display.

Not sure that it is entirely about being PC.

CNN contacted a number of people ‘in the business’ or associated with it. They all scored against lists of museums and some of us were asked for comments.

I imagine they then correlated the results somehow and came up with this list. Probably not entirely scientific, but it really is just a piece of journalism and the ratings are purely subjective and mean diddly-squat, really.

It is the sort of stuff journos do.

Agree that it is a weak list, politically correct, and to keep the general public happy. They did get the majors on there. I have not been to all, so I will also defer from commenting on those, but surely Planes of Fame Chino and a few others belong on a “top 14” over some that I have been to listed here.

Surely though to qualify the museums need to have aircraft of world significance in terms of provenance ? A museum having flying aircraft is all very well but the aircraft can quickly be containered to somewhere else ! Having a Concorde and Tu-144 is ok – however surely the aircraft should be significant in terms of their contribution to the advancement of flight?

Wot…no chopper museums?!

Don’t know too much about the Ukraine Museum, so cannot comment there.

I’ve visited a couple of times…..

Photos here (scroll down a bit) and here.

I could also do Monino & Beijing if you want….

Ken

why 14?? seems an odd number

can understand 5, 10 even 20 but 14??

No says my top 14 ever!

I had some involvement with this, as did Michael Oakey.

The original list was much longer and neither Michael nor I have any idea, really, how the final list was compiled. All I can tell you is that there several museums on the original CNN list that didn’t make the final cut.

Surely the RAF Museum at Hendon and Cosford should be there, along with the frequently overlooked amazing Brussels collection too. Aviation collections in Germany could qualify for world status too with Concorde and Tu-144 exhibited. There is the Air Force Museum in Madrid too to consider. Totally agree with Krakow being included.

While on the other side of the coin is Palm Springs a world class aviation museum, ahead of say the USS Intrepid museum or Lone Star Museum., or EAA Museum or CAF (sorry old title) Museum? Does the entry for Washington, attached to the Boeing plant tours at Washington even count as a museum based on their short write-up, let alone placed 4th? Don’t know too much about the Ukraine Museum, so cannot comment there.

How few of these Museums have active historic aircraft flying from the attached airfield. How fortunate we are with Duxford.

An interesting thought provoking listing for a cold, wet, grey day (well is here). Bet there will be more opinion to follow, this one will run and run … with interesting comment too, I hope.

Looks more like a politically correct ‘Let’s try not to leave anyone out’ sort of list.

That was my first impression too.

I guess they didn’t know there is the Science museum in London with a quite famous Vimy!!

I wouldn’t include the Science Museum in South Ken because unless it’s changed since my last visit it’s far too dark and while it might be very arty some of the exhibits are too high to see properly.

Looks more like a politically correct ‘Let’s try not to leave anyone out’ sort of a list. Some outstanding museums I have been to didn’t make it on that list, but I haven’t been to all those that did, so I won’t comment further.

I guess they didn’t know there is the Science museum in London with a quite famous Vimy!!

Yes, that’s good to see but I expect you’ll now get endless wrangling because everyone will have their own “14 best”. That’s the problem with “best-of” lists……..