CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann has approved the setting up of a 'Punjab Aviation Museum' at civil aerodrome in Patiala, to showcase the journey of Punjab in the field of Civil Aviation.
The decision was taken by Mann following a proposal given by the Punjab State Civil Aviation Council.
Mann said that Punjab's history in the civil aviation sector needed to be showcased for the benefit of the coming generations. He said that the proposed Punjab Aviation Museum would be set up at the Civil Aerodrome in Patiala and would exhibit the history and artefacts of the aviation sector in the state.
Mann said that besides actual replicas of aircrafts, photographs, maps, models, diagrams, clothing and equipment used by aviators can also be displayed in this museum. He said that the upcoming museum should also have sets of periodicals, technical manuals, photographs and personal archives, which are often made available to aviation researchers for use in writing articles or books or to aircraft restoration specialists working on restoring an aircraft. He said that spread over an area of 350 acres, Patiala Aviation Complex was a heritage institution that was set up in the first decade of the 20th century.
He said that the club already has a single engine Cessna 172 glass cockpit simulator for instrument flying and instrument procedure training, state of the art training aids, a well-equipped library and modern classrooms for imparting ground training. "The upcoming museum will help the coming generations to know about the rich history of the state in the aviation sector," he said.
Mann directed the Public Works Department (PWD) to execute the project in a time bound manner.
