In Mladá Boleslav, the largest aviation museum in the Czech Republic was opened today

Mladá Boleslav - Today, the largest aviation museum in the country was opened in Mladá Boleslav. It is named after the designer and aviator Metoděj Vlach, who built the first Czech aircraft powered by a car engine in Mladá Boleslav in 1912. The construction of the museum cost the Central Bohemian Region more than 170 million crowns and took three years. The exhibit consists of more than 25 historical aircraft, various flight simulators, and other attractions.
    The exhibition features aircraft from World War I, the interwar period, and World War II. The exhibits come from the Metoděj Vlach Aircraft Foundation, private collections, and other museums. The museum is divided into two parts: one contains non-flying aircraft, while the other houses operational aircraft. Museum director Vladimír Handlík told ČTK today that there is no museum of similar scale in the Czech Republic. “Among the larger museums in Europe is the Austrian Hangar No. 7 in Salzburg,” Handlík noted. In terms of the number of exhibits, the largest aviation museum in Europe is the Kbely Aviation Museum, which has 275 aircraft in its collection, of which 85 are displayed in four covered halls, while others are in storage and outdoor spaces.
    Handlík expects an attendance of at least 40,000 people annually. “This new generation accustomed to video games will be most pleased with the simulators,” he said. There will be three employees at the museum from Monday, and a total of seven people should work there. The program will also include model-making clubs for children and themed evenings for adults. Historical aircraft are expected to be presented to the public regularly, for example every month, possibly even in the air. “We want people to return,” Handlík added.
    At the museum, visitors can already see, for example, a German fighter plane from World War I, an American sport plane from the 1930s, or one of the most famous Czech sports training aircraft, the Trenér. “The unique museum will certainly attract many tourists from around the world to the region,” said Central Bohemian Governor Miloš Petera.
    “We must attract and engage young people more with technology,” said Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka at the grand opening. Interest in studying technical fields among young people in the Czech Republic is lower than the demand from companies for such qualified employees. According to Sobotka, modern museums, including modern exhibitions and various events, help stimulate interest in technical fields among the youngest generation. “Perhaps this will lead to future aeronautical engineers or engineers who find their opportunities here at Škoda in Mladá Boleslav,” the Prime Minister stated.
    As part of the museum, which was opened on the occasion of Aviation and Space Day, there will also be a restaurant, a club room with a library, a viewing tower, and a lecture hall. The annual operating costs are expected to be around four million crowns, with about two million crowns coming from the regional contribution and another two million to be collected from admission fees. The basic admission price will be one hundred crowns. “That means we would need about 20,000 to 30,000 visitors annually from an economic perspective,” said regional councilor for culture Zdeněk Štefek to ČTK. However, he believes that annual attendance could exceed 50,000 people.
    Part of the funds for the museum's construction was initially to be obtained by the Central Bohemian Region through European subsidies, which did not succeed. Nevertheless, the museum's construction began. This case was investigated by the police, but ultimately the case was shelved. The region only received funding for the interior equipment, amounting to 15 million crowns. The region will cover the remaining costs of the museum's construction this year.