AVIATION MUSEUMS

From Zeppelins to biplanes, visit these five museums that explore the history of flight.

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1 BROOKLANDS MUSEUM WEYBRIDGE, UK

First opening in 1907, Brooklands was a famous British motor racing circuit. The site soon expanded to include an aerodrome and later an aircraft factory. During the First World War it became the largest producer of aircraft in Britain and is now considered the birthplace of the British aviation industry. Now, while the racecourse and factory have long since been abandoned, a museum is based on the site. Visitors can enjoy the 'factory experience', which recreates the environment of the factory floor. The highlight of the Brooklands Museum is undoubtedly the Concorde: the museum operates the 'Concorde Experience', where for an additional fee visitors are provided with a boarding pass and can experience a 'virtual' flight inside a real Concorde. Due to Brooklands history with motor racing, there are also numerous exhibits devoted to the automobile industry, and the museum is split between aviation and automobiles.

The Brooklands Museum is open seven days a week from 10am to 5pm. Entry prices vary.

2 MUSEUM OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS

MADRID, SPAIN

Established in 1966, the Museum of Aeronautics and Astronautics in Madrid celebrates the history of Spanish air and space exploration. The museum encompasses seven hangers full of exhibits and artefacts telling the story of the Spanish Air Force. There are also a number of aircraft relating to the Spanish Civil War, including an example of the dual biplane the de Havilland Dragon Rapide, one of which was used to fly Francisco Franco to Tetuán, the capital of Spanish Morocco, on 19 July 1936. Once there he assumed command of the armies located there and began the conflict.