M&A - Indonesian Air Force Museum - 2020

Indonesian Air Force Museum
2020

Yogyakarta AB - TNI-AU museum Indonesia

The Indonesian Air Force museum, “what a gem”.

On a recent visit to Indonesia, I decided to visit this museum and was so glad that I did. It is not the easiest museum to get to in that its location at Yogyakarta is likely to mean a special visit. It is not on the usual tourist trail, however, there are flights to Yogyakarta from most of the reasonably large airports and they are relatively cheap. Once you arrive at the airport, you will need a taxi to take you to the museum. You could walk but a taxi would be far more comfortable and will take 10-15 minutes.

The museum is on an air base. On arrival, you will have to hand your passport in at the checkpoint and collect it when you leave. Your taxi driver will then drive you the last few hundred yards to the museum itself. On the way, you’ll pass a couple of preserved aircraft on your left (an AS202 Bravo and a Cessna 172).

There are around 50 aircraft in the collection. About 40% are outside and 60% in the large hangar. The museum is very popular with locals and with school groups but a little patience will enable exhibits to be photographed without the public in the picture if that is what you prefer. The exhibits range in size from an MD369 to a Tu-16.

A few of the exhibits outside are under a protective shelter, which can make photography a bit difficult but the others outside are easy to photograph and those in the hangar are really quite well spaced out. On my visit, on entering the hangar I was asked to sign the register and to pay the admittance fee (the equivalent of about 80p), you then move through a couple of halls with memorabilia and they lead to the large area where the aircraft are preserved. They are laid out in such a way that the treats, for that is what they are, just keep unfolding. As you enter, you have a P-51 on your right and a B-25 to your left, a T-6 in front and a couple of gliders above you, once you have the small group to your right, you move down the hangar with exhibits to your left and right and you reach the rear of the hangar where many more are located. To your left are MiG’s of several varieties and a Mil-4, in front of you will be a T-33 and an F-86 and to your right some unusual local types, half a DC-3 and, at the far end, a real treat; a Lockheed Jetstar in full Indonesian Air Force colours.

Once you exit the hangar, if you have not already done so, the external exhibits can be looked at again and if you go over to the IL-14, there are three benefits. One is that, looking towards the hangar, in your almost three o’clock will be a small admin office and in front of that is another S-58 and the SM-1 (Polish built Mil-1). Secondly, if you look behind you, in your six o’clock, you are looking at the runway threshold a few hundred yards away. Anything that lands or takes off will be seen quite easily and I was able to watch some of the locally based Air Force KT-1 “WongBees” flying as well as some airliner traffic – small to medium size. The third advantage of being by the IL-14 is that it can offer a little shade if it is hot or shelter if it rains! which it does, though usually quite briefly, if heavy.

Just beyond the Tu-16 are a few shops where souvenirs but, perhaps more helpfully, a goodly range of drinks and foods can be bought and there is some seating quite close near the Catalina, also under a canopy.

If you get the chance, do go, this museum is quite special. The Air Force has done a great job in preserving these elements of its heritage and the staff I met and spoke with were so helpful.

The photos now follow and at the end of the Air Force collection, I had to include a few taken at the Navy base at Surabaya, where a handful of withdrawn Navy aircraft have been put on public display, not a museum, but dotted around near the airport for all to see. Again, much appreciated that the heritage is preserved. No doubt many airbases have preserved some of their aircraft and it would be intriguing to visit Indonesia again to see what else can be found in this very welcoming country.

Author & photography

Peter Nelson.