Visit To Malta Aviation Museum

Malta Air Museum

Visited the museum last year on holiday. A couple of hours will cover it all in good detail. Quite easy to get to on the buses to Mdina and they run regularly. You will probably have to change buses on the way and they are a bit of an adventure – some of them are as old as the Spits and Hurricanes that flew there. There are some great bargains to be had in the museum shop and the Spit is very well done. When I visited the Hurri had no wings but stil looked really good. The staff are great and the young girl at the counter (aged about 8) knew more about Spits than I did!. Leave a big donation they need every penny. They are hoping to raise enough funds to purchase one of the remaining wartime hangars to expand the museum. The museum is well signposted from the bus stop at Ta Qali Crafts Village, which is located in the old domestic site Nissen Huts. Walking through the crafts village is like stepping back in time, you can almost smell the aviation fuel and hear the engines! Make sure you take plenty to drink – the buses are not air conditioned! Lastly, you will leave Malta with many friends, they are among the friendliest people I have ever come across.

Thank – you all for your help. It is very much appreciated, and I am looking forward to being there ina couple of weeks time.

Our first reaction was it will be nice when it’s finished. There appeared to be half-built houses everywhere. It was only when we bought the local paper that we found out that’s how they do it there, the builder puts the walls and roof up and the buyer is responsible for the rest.

Malta – masonry, masonry everywhere.

Despite one ‘wag’ saying that if an atom bomb hit it, £500 would cover the repair costs, Malta is still one of my very very favourite places.

I have already pencilled in the Merlins over Malta show in next year’s calender.

Mark

Hello,
Have been at Malta for work and hollidays years ago when the Tquali museum was not yet implemente.The small museum in Lavalette is very good(no remember the nick name of the gladiator the but I think it’s Charity.
There was thrre…one other nickname was “hope” and I forget the last.
I also by the way visit many time the small fisherman village of Marsasloxx,and by luck,discover a small bar for fishermen with the walls cover of original photos of the activity,planes and peoples of the RAF at the base of Tquali,a the maltese owner (old men,must be dead now) was worker on the base (Very nice black and white pictures).
I wish you a good sight seen in Malta,and I’m sure you will return there (one week is enough for seen all interests ponts in this small and hot island)

Regards.

I was there last year and had a great time, we also had a car for a couple of days and spent a lot of it trying to find signs of the Battle and remains of the old Airfields. We came across the remains of Safi by chance.

The guys at the Air Museum are superb and if asked will show you around their storage rooms, it’s a treasure trove of various parts from all sorts of aircraft and ever expanding.

Hope you enjoy your time there.

More details:
The trip to the Aviation Museum may last half an hour. The distance isn´t that far but the busses are generally driving along the labyrinth like narrow streets and roads. If you lucky you´ll find a direct way from the craft´s villiage (old hangars) to the museum (follow the signs). The Hurricane is a beauty and may have even it´s new wings, the Spitfire is nice and there are some other interesting planes, so think about half to one hour walkthrough.
In Valetta you find the War Museum in St. Elmos at the far end of the city. There´s one of the three famous Gladiators.
Near the entrance of Valetta on the right side there are the “Lascaris War Rooms”. The former headquarter of the RAF and Royal Navy.
Try to get a copy of “The Malta Story” with Alec Guiness as a PR Spitfire pilot. You get an idea about what happened with Malta during the war and nice shots of Spitfires and original shots of the air raids. You also see the Lascaris War Rooms in action
Herbert

Hello Ian St
Good you ask! It´s not that easy to get to the museum and a lot of people don´t know that it even exists! You know, the people living in the southern countries don´t care that much about their valuable sights.
From Valetta take any bus going to Sliema ferry (62,64,68,667,671,…).
Take the 65 going from Sliema ferry (there are the most of the hotels) to Rabat/Mdina. Get out at Crafts Villiage in Ta´Qali. Then follow the brown signs to the Aviation Museum. It´s near the big National Stadium. During the hot season it can be adventurous to walk there (heat, sand,…)
Good luck! 😀
Herbert (had been seven times in Malta)

Sorry Guys

The boat is there for one day only. 15 hours on the island or I’m swimming home!!!

Get the boat to pick you up on its way back!!! 😀

Valetta is worthy of a day! There is a smallish museum in Valetta as well as the underground war rooms! The Museum in Valetta (can’t recall its name 😮 ) has remains of one of the Gladiators.

Once youve spent your Day in Valetta jump on one of the Buses and get out to the Museum! Its fantastic with lots of friendly people there too. Their Hurricane is making superb progress…

Enjoy!

I’m sure somebody more helpful will leap in, I haven’t been there for years. I adore the place but circumstances etc…
ALL buses on Malta start from Valetta so wherever you want to go, you’re in the right place.
The RAF Memorial between Valetta and Floriana is very imposing and moving.
We hired a car and did 400 miles in a week, which is quite good going, considering the size of the island.