Danger Zone

"Revvin' up your engine
Listen to her howlin' roar.
Metal under tension
Beggin' you to touch and go.
Highway to the Danger Zone
Ride into the Danger Zone."
- Kenny Loggins






Our morning's cold front led us to the Finnish Aviation Museum. Located north of the city next to the Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport, 72 aircraft are ready for viewing. Also included in the 3 hangar museum are engines, propellers, instruments, radio equipment and scale models.



Prior to arriving at the museum, we were only expecting to get close-up views of real airplanes. But to our surprise there was more! A Cessna to climb on with buttons that made the prop rotate and lights flash, a glider simulator that was VERY realistic (I crashed every time), an out-of-date Finnair passenger plane open for little imaginations as we "flew to Texas," and a fighter jet cockpit to sit in and soar.





The museum did not focus only on planes. They also had a hot air balloon basket that you could climb in, a hang gliding simulator, and the world's smallest flying boat.








After Big "Goose" and Little "Maverick" picked up a few treasures at the gift shop and looked at the planes outside, we headed home for a nap following our fun filled day.

Did you know the swastika is a symbol of prosperity and good fortune and is widely dispersed in both the ancient and modern world. Seen on many of the old Finnish fighter jets at the museum I was curious. The Nazi's did not pick up the symbol until 1935, 20 years AFTER the Finnish Air Force and Army used it as their official national marking (1918-1944).