Spitfire Museum

The Military Aviation Museum immerses you in the world of World War II. You can discover old planes, as well as artefacts (uniforms, documents, flags, etc.), related to this era. This is a great way to remember the past and show your children the times their great-grandparents lived in.

Historical décor: the museum is located in the Florennes military base

The Spitfire Museum is located in the Florennes military base. This means that reservations are mandatory. The website makes this quite simple, but you must remember to do so. It would be a shame to get there and be refused access.

Besides, doing this allows you to enter the military world. Once you have passed the gates and crossed the military zone (you can even see part of the airstrip), you reach the barracks. This is where the tour begins. The hangar, which is right next door to the barracks, houses the planes.

It may not look like a museum from the outside, but it is home to 1500 m² of exhibitions. Several planes are on display. When you remember our grandparents leaving in these planes to chase bombers, it is still a moving thought.

The centrepiece: the Spitfire

If you’re not an expert in military aviation, you may wonder what the appeal of this plane – the Spitfire XIV – is. In fact, this fighter plane was widely used by the British army and its allies between 1940 and 1945. It was one of the most sophisticated planes of its era. Different models existed. Pilots are big fans of this plane.

You can recognise it just by looking at the wings. The wings are elliptical, that is, slightly rounded at the edges, which, at that time, made it possible to get the plane off the ground and accelerate. This was a significant feature during wartime.

In the museum, you can really see this plane, surrounded by showcases and uniforms that offer a better understanding of the context. Aviation fans will tell you that this piece is an authentic gem.

Military planes, models and clothes

The museum is dedicated to aviation Colonel Raymond Lallemand. If this name doesn’t mean anything to you, that’s not a problem; this is your chance to discover it. This colonel, who was famous in the RAF (Royal Air Force), arrived at the Florennes base, which had been abandoned for several years.

Through a lot of hard work and determination, this colonel was able to modernise the base with contemporary equipment, including high-performance planes that were equipped to save lives.

The museum pays tribute to him and exhibits several souvenirs bearing his likeness. There are documents, as well as artefacts like clothing, badges and berets, among other things. Different planes are also exhibited alongside old vehicles and F-16s.

Children also enjoy the models, which depict military personnel.

Plus there’s a golf course right beside the museum.

What’s keeping you? All that’s left to do is book your visit!