The Egyptian Air Force Museum: A Panorama of the Glory of the Sky’s Eagles
In the heart of Almaza Air Base, east of Cairo, stands one of Egypt’s most magnificent and modern military museums: The Egyptian Air Force Museum, inaugurated on May 31, 2016, during the first term of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. This edifice is more than just a museum—it is an open window into a glorious history and heroic tales written in the sky by Egypt’s air warriors, who sacrificed their lives for their homeland.
From the very moment visitors enter the main hall, they are greeted by the "Hall of Martyrs," which immortalizes the names and portraits of heroes who gave their lives defending the land of Egypt. Then comes the "Hall of Historical Origins," which takes visitors on a journey back in time to 1928, when the Egyptian Parliament called for the establishment of a national air force. Thus began Egypt’s aviation adventure with just three officers: Fuad Haggag, Abdel Monem El-Miqaty, and Ahmed Abdel Razek, who trained in the UK and, years later, flew their aircraft over Cairo, marking the birth of the Egyptian Air Force.
In this hall, visitors follow the stages of the Air Force’s foundation and development—from its beginnings as part of the army, to its independence in 1937, when it was renamed the Royal Egyptian Air Force by order of King Farouk, following numerous deals with British aircraft manufacturers.
The museum exhibits also explore the Air Force’s role in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, including its involvement in a controversial incident where it mistakenly attacked a British base in Ramat David, thinking it was under Israeli control. Documents and models reveal the post–World War II era, when Egypt acquired advanced aircraft. It was during this period that the first Egyptian pilot flew a jet aircraft.
After the July 1952 Revolution, the Air Force was renamed the Egyptian Air Force, entering a new era of modernization and reliance on Eastern Bloc weaponry, especially Soviet aircraft like the MiG-15 and Yak-11, which would later play vital roles in Egypt’s pivotal battles.
The museum details the years of defeat and recovery, especially during the June 1967 setback, when most of Egypt's aircraft were destroyed on the ground, and the Air Force did not participate significantly in the combat. Yet, in the midst of this devastation, pilot Mohamed Abbas Helmy wrote a rare page of heroism when he flew his training aircraft solo into an Israeli base, delivering a message of resilience amidst the ruins.
The War of Attrition followed as a bright chapter that helped rebuild military morale, under the leadership of Air Marshal Madkour Abu El-Ezz, who reassembled and refurbished 250 aircraft, preparing the Egyptian Air Force for the coming battle of dignity.
Then came the decisive moment: the air strike of October 6, 1973, which paved the way for a successful crossing of the Suez Canal and marked the beginning of the recovery of Sinai, bringing it back to Egypt after six years of occupation.
At the Egyptian Air Force Museum, visitors do not merely observe aircraft and models—they come face-to-face with a nation's history written in the skies, through the voices of its pilots, the blood of its martyrs, and the dream of a nation determined to command its skies just as it does its land.
Today, the museum is not only a keeper of history, but also a platform for national education and a destination for learning for the new generations. In its halls and courtyards, visitors—be they students, civilians, military personnel, or tourists—discover the brilliance of military planning and stories of heroism that are not just told in books, but seen and felt in real life. It stands as a living witness that the sky has always been the first frontline and the highest field of honor, and that the Egyptian Air Force will remain, as it always has been, the guardian of the nation's skies.
