Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus
How to find us:
- Street
- Fichtestr. 1
- Zip, City
- 03046 Cottbus
- Country
- Germany
- Phone
- 0355 - 32004
- Fax
- 0355 - 32004
- Web
- http://www.flugplatzmuseumcottbus.de
Description
The Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus is located in the southern area of the former Cottbus airfield; it is operated by the Verein Flugplatzmuseum Cottbus e. V. and places local aviation history at the centre of its work.
The association was founded in 1990 to research the region's aviation history and, after the political transition, to preserve aviation equipment from the GDR that was no longer in use. To this end the association acquired operational areas in the southern part of the airfield; parts of the collection have been open to visitors since 1994.
The former Cottbus airfield served the NVA during the GDR period; until 1982 JG-1 and until 1990 KHG-3 were stationed there. A large portion of the types displayed on roughly 20,000 m² of outdoor space comes from the stocks of the LSK/LV. The exhibition has since been supplemented by occasional former NATO military aircraft, including loans from the Museum Berlin-Gatow. Complementary collection areas document ground support equipment, air-dropped weapons and motor vehicles. In a historical section, equipment, aircraft models and armament are presented and the development of aviation in the region is explained.
A workshop area is used for the maintenance of weather-protected exhibits; for example, an An-2T and a MiG-15UTI are being overhauled there. The collection currently comprises around 40 airplanes and helicopters; more recent additions include a Z-42M previously stationed at Neuhausen airfield, a Let L-200, a PZL-104 and an Aero L-60. In 2017 the largest aircraft to date, a Tu-134A, was acquired. The aircraft, which had been withdrawn from civilian service after a hard landing at Erfurt airport, was transported via Berlin-Schönefeld by air and subsequently by road to Wartin and used there as a training object by the Ministry for State Security; after the political change its planned use as a restaurant could not be realized. The Flugplatzmuseum acquired the aircraft in 2017 with the aim of restoring it and plans an exhibition in the cabin.
The museum regularly organises model exhibitions and guided tours with the opportunity to view cockpits; the site is also available for private events. Visitor numbers rose from around 9,000 in 2012 to approximately 17,000 in 2019.