Representatives of the Slovak Technical Museum, Aircraft Industries and the Aviation Museum in Kunovice signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding and cooperation on Thursday, March 21. "We want to advance our cooperation in terms of documentation, promotion and technical development in the field of aviation and the aviation industry, thus contributing to the preservation of the treasures of our common past," explains its purpose, STM Director General Zuzana Šullová.
The creation of a comprehensive collection mapping Czechoslovak aviation is one of the main goals of both museums involved. "We have been actively cooperating with colleagues in Slovakia in this regard for some time. The signing of the official memorandum is therefore a natural continuation of this successful cooperation," adds Martin Hrabec, director of the Kunovice Museum, to the agreement.
In the nearby factory, aviation history is still being written and they are quite proud of it. They have been helping the Museum with the rescue of rare aircraft practically since its inception in the seventies. But now they want to take the next step.
"Aircraft Industries is a company with more than 80 years of aircraft manufacturing tradition, and the signing of the memorandum of understanding and cooperation is for us a commitment to preserving and promoting the rich history of not only our company. We realize that we must care for this heritage and also share it. Airplanes produced in Kunovice have always stood out for their reliability and safety, which is why they are known and proven all over the world, which is the result of development, research and hard work of several generations. I am convinced that our agreement represents a step forward in the promotion and development of our aviation industry. The aim of this cooperation is not only to preserve the legacy of the past, but above all to inspire, educate and bring up other future aviation professionals through it. I hope that our cooperation will bring many positive results," says the chairman of the board of Aircraft Industries, Alena Medová.
The common agreement is not only about the past, but also about the future. The aim of the trio of institutions is also to educate young people to be interested in aviation - the museums mainly through their exhibitions and activities for the public, the factory also through its High School of Aviation, which transforms young aircraft lovers into aviation mechanics and technicians, the young blood of the aviation industry.
"We are of the opinion that the Czech and Slovak public deserves to know the achievements of the Czech-Slovak aviation industry, and one of the tools is the joint memorandum. Our common goal is to promote the high technical level of the aviation industry in the Czech and Slovak Republics from history to the present," Miroslav Hájek, director of the Aviation Museum, STM branch, summarizes the goals of the memorandum.
The Slovak Technical Museum is a state-funded organization of the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic. Its main mission is the comprehensive documentation, protection and presentation of the history and development of science and technology, production, transport and industry in Slovakia. The development of aviation and aviation technology is then mapped and presented by the branch Aviation Museum in Košice, which on an area of almost 20,000 m2 preserves and exhibits more than 1,500 collection items, including the so-called aircraft gallery, which contains an exclusive collection of gifts from the presidents and governments of European, Asian and US countries .
Joint-stock company Aicraft Industries, which is one of the most important companies in the Czech aviation industry, continues the tradition of aircraft maintenance and production in Kunovice dating back to the times of the first Czechoslovak Republic. In the production halls there, during the decades, popular domestic and international aircraft were created, such as the Ae-145, L-13 Blaník, L-29 Delfín, L-200 Morava and L-410 Turbolet, while the last-named type is manufactured by the company after many modernizations to this day.
The aviation museum in Kunovice is a branch association of the Slovak Aeroclub Kunovice and ranks among the longest-running aviation museums in the Czech Republic. He specializes primarily in the history of aviation in the Czech Republic and Czechoslovakia after the Second World War, including military aviation, with a particular emphasis on aircraft production in Kunovice. In its exposition, it has over two dozen aircraft, from gliders to fighter jets to jet transport aircraft.