Freeze Frame

Air time

Local museum traces the history of Thai aviation

Did You Know : In 1964, Joan Merriam Smith flew 27,750 miles around the world, becoming the first person to fly around the equator.

Some of the aircraft on display at the Royal Thai Aircraft Museum.

The bright yellow Tachikawa plane.

The royal helicopter is also on show at the museum.

If you had to vote on where to go on a school field trip, a visit to a museum would probably be your last choice. After all, roaming a building and looking at paintings and broken pottery isn�t very exciting. But not all museums are cast from the same mould.

Take the Royal Thai Air Force Museum as an example. Located at the Don Muang Royal Thai Air Force Base on Phaholyothin Road, this fascinating museum traces the path of Thai aviation.

Model machines

At the museum there are four exhibition buildings featuring aircraft used from the earliest period of Thai aviation right up to the present. Building 1009 showcases bomber planes, many of which were in service during World War II. The very first Thai jet fighters are on display in building 1010, while uniforms, insignia and aircraft models are exhibited in building 1011.

But the must-visit building is 1021, where rare aircraft are put on show. The highlight is the only Hawk 3 plane left in the world. This camouflaged plane was in service from 1935-1949. Another rare plane is the Tachikawa, one of the two left in the world � the other can be found in China.

The Royal Thai Air Force Museum is well worth a visit even for the most hardened of museum-haters. Admission is free between 8 am and 4 pm. Call 02 534 1853 for details.

Vocabulary

aviation (n): the designing, building and flying of aircraft
roam (v): to walk or travel around an area without any definite aim or direction
pottery (n): pots, dishes, etc. made with clay that is baked in an oven
fascinating (adj): extremely interesting and attractive
showcase (v): to present somebody�s abilities or the good qualities of something in an attractive way
in service (adj): in active use during a conflict
insignia (n): the symbol, badge or sign that shows somebody�s rank or that they are a member of a group or an organization
camouflage (n): a way of hiding soldiers and military equipment, using paint, leaves or nets, so that they look like part of their surroundings
equator (n): an imaginary line around the Earth at an equal distance from the North and South Poles

Idiom

cast from the same mould: used to say that two things or people have the same qualities

Exercise

Have you ever flown in an airplane?  What did it feel like? List some feelings that you would associate with flight even if you haven�t flown before. We�ve made it easy by listing them for you, but not all of them are correct, so use a dictionary.
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Feelings

Happy
excited
hungry
scared
angry
sad
exhilarated
worried
in awe
wretched
mystified