2: To the Schleissheim Airfield Museum
Monday October 16, 2017
Beautiful sunny October weather, blue skies, leaves turning golden. A disadvantage of my project to visit museum cafés is that most museums are very close to where we live. To take advantage of this beautiful day, I looked for a destination not too close to home, technically not even in Munich. The round trip to the Oberschleissheim Airfield Museum was a leisurely 30 kilometers.
So what is this museum all about? The airfield and its historic buildings were constructed between 1912 and 1919 by the Königlich-Bayerische Fliegertruppen (Royal Bavarian Flying Corps). In the early 1990s the historic maintenance hangar was restored and enlarged with a new exhibition hall and a restoration workshop. This museum, Flugwerft Schleissheim, complements the big aerospace exhibitions in the main museum in Munich.
We have cycled past the museum often on our way to Schleissheim Palace, but never gone in. Today was the day. It is a great collection and I enjoyed its many interesting exhibits.
Schleissheim lies to the north of Munich and for a large part of the route we can use a dedicated bicycle path through a park. Just 24 years ago this was a tram line. Now there is a subway connecting to the north of Munich which made the tram line redundant. Glad they didn't turn the space into parking lots but created a park with bike path instead.
Beautiful sunny October weather, blue skies, leaves turning golden. A disadvantage of my project to visit museum cafés is that most museums are very close to where we live. To take advantage of this beautiful day, I looked for a destination not too close to home, technically not even in Munich. The round trip to the Oberschleissheim Airfield Museum was a leisurely 30 kilometers.
So what is this museum all about? The airfield and its historic buildings were constructed between 1912 and 1919 by the Königlich-Bayerische Fliegertruppen (Royal Bavarian Flying Corps). In the early 1990s the historic maintenance hangar was restored and enlarged with a new exhibition hall and a restoration workshop. This museum, Flugwerft Schleissheim, complements the big aerospace exhibitions in the main museum in Munich.
We have cycled past the museum often on our way to Schleissheim Palace, but never gone in. Today was the day. It is a great collection and I enjoyed its many interesting exhibits.
Schleissheim lies to the north of Munich and for a large part of the route we can use a dedicated bicycle path through a park. Just 24 years ago this was a tram line. Now there is a subway connecting to the north of Munich which made the tram line redundant. Glad they didn't turn the space into parking lots but created a park with bike path instead.
Heading out
This is where the tram line used to run, now it's an excellent bike path to the north of Munich. Here Janos is approaching a short tunnel.
Found this in the Internet. How it used to look when tram 13 was still running. The line was discontinued in 1993.
At the end of the bike path we were in a residential area, where there is little traffic and frequently separate bike lanes. Not too many kilometers further we are out of Munich altogether and on a road that leads to Schleissheim Palace and the airfield.
Approaching Schleissheim, amost no cars here.
The first view we get of the museum is of its new exhibition hall.. We cycle a bit further to the main entrance.
Main entrance of the museum in the historic building
Lots of bicycle racks in front of the museum for parking
(Note selfie reflection)
We came to drink "coffee" and for a bite to eat. Next to the entrance of the section of the museum in the restored historic hangar is a shop and small café. I don't think they were expecting many visitors and the choice of snacks was limited, three muffins to be exact. We each had a muffin. Janos said the coffee was good. The hot chocolate was not so good, I should have stuck to water.
Hot chocolate and a muffin
Having a bite before we go into the museum
Now to the museum - there were many many airplanes (duh), mostly military aircraft, and some historical examples of early attempts at flying which I found interesting.
I think a bicycle would be more efficient, but it is human powered and that they have in common.
It has two wheels, I could relate to that.
Three wheels - a trike
Another two wheeler, with view to the airfield.
Passage connecting the historic hangar and new exhibition hall
In the early 1960's I drove to Schleissheim on a regular basis, location of the US Army barracks called Schleissheim Kaserne. I taught high school English to GI's, classes for dropouts who were given the oppportunity to get a high school degree while in the army. Many of my students were older than me.
Here are some information panels and a display from the museum for those interested
Here are some information panels and a display from the museum for those interested
I found the following photo interesting and when we left the museum I cycled back to the present control tower to get a shot for comparison.
The control tower built by the USA after 1950
The control tower today
The loop back home took us past Schleissheim Palace (1704) and its park. Further on we passed the flock of sheep that grazes here. Same sheep we saw on our ride in the spring, I think.
Schleissheim Palace - nothing to do with the aviation field
Palace park
Heading back
Again, a wonderful bicycle life day enhanced by the coffeeneuring challenge.
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