NEW DELHI: India could soon have a unique aviation museum that showcases not just the country’s air travel journey but also uses a mix of VR and aircraft parts to show how some crashes happened in the past. And what was learnt from them to make flying safer in the future. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has proposed to set this museum at a hangar at an airport like the upcoming one Greater Noida’s Jewar, that will be open to both passengers and the general public.It is in discussion with the Union aviation ministry to finetune the plan and implement the same.
“AAIB proposes to set up its investigation facility at a wide body hangar by leasing the same at an airport like Noida’s Jewar. As of now the bureau does not have any such dedicated facility. While half of the hangar will be used as an investigation lab, the plan is to use the other half as a unique museum,” said sources.
But won’t displaying parts of crashed planes scare the public? “On the contrary, the idea is to showcase how aviation has learnt from past mistakes and made flying safer for the future. AAIB, which is expanding its role, also plans to use this facility to train crew. There is a saying that an accident is not new, only the person is new,” said sources. AAIB investigates aircraft accidents and serious incidents.
“That will be one aspect of the proposed museum. The plan is to showcase how aviation has grown in India; the learnings from 5-6 accidents using VR and having some vintage aircraft,” sources add. In the absence of a dedicated facility, AAIB returned aircraft parts to airlines concerned after probes are completed.
Many countries have dedicated aviation museums, including some within an airport like at San Francisco International.
