Armed forces
play a significant role in the life of Pakistanis which have a special place in
the hearts and minds of all the people. Out of the three services Pakistan Air
Force enjoys the fancy of all the young and old due to the splendid record in
the 2 major wars fought with India as well as the flashy jet fighters that can
mesmerize anyone any day.
Seeing the
tremendous admiration and interest of the Pakistani people, Pakistan Air Force
started developing her museum at Shahra-e-Faisal, Karachi. This museum started
off as a small venture that blossomed into an amazing spectacle that is enjoyed
by people from all walks of life and age group.
Getting There:
PAF Museum is
located right on the main artery of Karachi i.e. Shahra-e-Faisal. Though it is
located at a very ideal location but you might lose sight of the entrance while
driving fast on the main road. Look out for the sign boards that would get you
to an exit to the Museum. It is approximately 10 min drive from Jinnah
International Airport (Karachi Airport).
Parking:
Museum has a
huge parking lot with courteous employees that are always ready to guide you to
the parking place that you need to go to. Parking area is a very safe place to
park the vehicle. Charges per car are Rs.
20 for a single visit.
Entrance:
Entrance to the
Museum is very inexpensive. The charges are as follows:
(a) Adult : Rs. 30 / person
(b) Children (Age 3-12) : Rs. 20 / person
(c) Children (under 3) : Free
(d) Armed Forces personal & Families : Rs.
20 / person
Timings:
Open from 11 am to 9 pm
Sunday is a Family only day
When to go:
Most part of the
museum is a huge park that has beautiful walk ways having vintage aircraft out
in the open for the visitors. Karachi climate is comfortable all year round so
a visit during the mid-day is not a bad idea to get a good view of all the
exhibits. Comfortable walking shoes are a must to avoid fatigue. Sunshine would
require sunglasses / sun hat to be worn to be comfortable in the sun. ‘The Archives’ is located in a big
hanger which is indoors and has lots of interesting stuff.
Eye Candies:
Beautiful
lawns are spread across the museum that have clean and beautiful walk ways that
go around all the aircraft on display. A small description is written with all
the aircraft, radars and other equipment to orientate you with their history
and specifications.
Afghan Mig-21 BIS. One of the most exciting exhibits on
display is the Afghan Mig-21 BIS that
was brought to Pakistan by an Afghan Pilot who defected in September, 1989
during the Afghan crisis. Mig-21 at that time was the main stay of India that
is arch rival of Pakistan. The incident caused ripples across border in the
East as Pakistan had gained access to the most formidable fighter that Indian
Air Force posed as a threat to Pakistan.
Archives. The
Archives is a huge hanger that houses the rich history in the shape of tributes,
pictures, aircraft models, uniforms,
interactive visual aids etc. You need at least one hour to do justice with this
hanger. The most important pieces of history in the Archives are:
Quaid-e-Azam (Muhammad Ali
Jinnah)’s Bristol Freighter. This
is a beautiful aircraft that has been preserved which was used by Quaid-e-Azam
as the Governor General of Pakistan.
Indian Gnat. One of the most fearsome fighters of its
time, the F-104 had created so much fear in the Indian pilots that one of the
Indian Gnat aircraft seeing an F-104 in the air decided to surrender and landed
at Pasrur, Pakistan on 3rd Sept, 1965 during the Indo-Pak 1965 war.
This ‘War Trophy’ is displayed with great honor at the Archives as a tribute to
the brave and professional aviators of Pakistan Air Force.
Amusement Park. If
you are there with kids then you are going to have a tough time looking at
aircraft. A small amusement park that has a couple of rides is also a part of
this Museum. So kids are bound to bounce off to these rides.
Food
No public
place in Pakistan can survive without some place to eat and drink. You can find
a small snack shop that serves snacks and soft drinks with a small sitting area
under the shade as well.
Souvenir Shop
Right next to
the entry / exit gate you will find the souvenir shop where you can find beautiful
and very inexpensive gifts and souvenirs that you can take along on your way
out for friends and family.
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