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Hellenic Air Force museum Dekelia-Tatoi

	Hellenic Air Force museum Dekelia-Tatoi The Hellenic Air Force Museum was founded in 1986 and since 1992 it is located at Dekeleia Air Base. In opposition to the War Museum of Athens it only displays the air force history and is active in restoring and presenting old aircraft. The most aircraft in the collection come from the Hellenic Air Force, some were exchanged with other European Aircraft Museums. In Cooperation with the HAF Underwater Operations Team (KOSYTHE) some rare airplanes where recovered from underwater for the museum including A Bristol Blenheim, Junkers 52 and a Junkers 87 (Stuka). Being on a active base the museum can only be visited during the Air force days in November or by prior arrangement. The biggest part of the collection is housed in the “Leros” hangar, which was built by the Italians on the island of Leros and were used as a floatplane base until the 2nd World War. Later there were moved to continental Greece and were finally positioned to Dekeleia and Elefsina. The museum’s collection is constantly being enriched, so that most of the types used by the HAF during the 2nd World War are included. Even types that never belonged to the HAF have been obtained to give a wider few on military aviation . Next to resaving planes from the air force that just left the active service, the museum has its on workshop for restoring derelict planes and maintenance on the collection. The museum’s T-6G Harvard holds a special place among the other exhibits, being the first aircraft in Greece to have been restored in order to be presented to the public. Similar works has being carried out to most of the museum’s exhibits. At the moment a Nord 2501 Noratlas is being restored.

In the museum’s “Leros” hangar, a display is made showing 100 years of Greek aviation. The display includes a Spitfire Μk.ΙΧc and a Helldiver SB2C-5, formerly belonging to the Athens War Museum, a F-84G Thunderjet wearing the colours of the first Hellenic aerobatics team, the F-84F Thunderstreak that became its successor, a Tiger Moth training biplane and the specially painted F-104Gs Starfighter named “Tiger” and “Olympos” to commemorate the disbandment off booth Starfighter units.

The most recent additions to the collection are a Dornier Do-28 Skyservant and a T-37 Tweet booth resaved after the type’s withdrawal from active use by the air force. The museum’s collection includes more than forty aircraft and the number is still growing.

One of the many fields where the museum’s activities have been unique is the recovery of 2nd World War aircraft wreckage. This activity, internationally described under the term “Aviation Archaeology”, is conducted both by the museum and the private sector.

On May 1993 a mixed team composed of personnel from the museum and the HAF’s special team of frogmen, hauled up the remains of a British Blenheim Mk.I bomber from Lake Prespa. However, the most complete similar task organized by the same units in July 1996 was the spectacular hauling up of a British Blenheim Mk.IV F, which was shot down during the battle of Crete near the city of Rethymno. The Blenheim is displayed almost as it was found on the seabed. Similar expeditions have been done on a Ju-52 and a JU-87 Stuka in recent years.