Fleet Air Arm Museum, Military aviation museum at HMAS Albatross base in Nowra, Australia
The Fleet Air Arm Museum is a military aviation museum on the grounds of the HMAS Albatross naval base, near Nowra in New South Wales. It displays aircraft and helicopters of the Royal Australian Navy inside a large hangar-style building that sits beside an active runway.
The museum's origins go back to 1974, when volunteers saved five retired Navy aircraft from being scrapped. It opened formally in 1990 and has kept adding to its collection ever since.
Personal items, uniforms, and equipment on display reflect the lives of those who served in Australian naval aviation. These objects show how the work shaped the people who carried it out.
The museum is wheelchair accessible and has facilities throughout the exhibition areas. Set aside several hours to walk through the full collection at a comfortable pace.
From the museum grounds, you can watch active military aircraft taking off and landing on the HMAS Albatross runway right next door. Few museums in the world give you the chance to see historic aircraft indoors and real flight operations outdoors at the same time.
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