Museu do Ar, Sintra

A sense of wonder hangs in the air of the massive display hangar at the Sintra Air Base in Portugal. Just north of Lisbon, the air base hosts the nation’s air force training academy, as well as its flagship museum, the Museu do Ar (Museum of the Air, in Portuguese). The museum provides an in-depth journey for aviation enthusiasts of all ages to enjoy.

Within the main hangar and its neighbors, hundreds of noteworthy, historic, and inspiring aircraft stand waiting to help inform the curious—and the young—of the history of aviation in Portugal, and its influence on the world. Though those outside Portugal often equate its exploratory prowess with its efforts on the seas, its forays into the air—and the annals of history—began in the early days of aviation itself, and grew to prominence in the golden age of aviation, before World War II, and post-war, as Portugal used airplanes to tie together its former colonies in Africa.

A commemorative plate for the 1922 crossing of the South Atlantic by two Portuguese aviators, Cabral and Coutinho

You may not know, for example, that the Portuguese were among the first to cross the Atlantic—years before Lindbergh’s solo flight—as they sought passage to Brazil from Europe. In fact, the aviators Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral made the first crossing of the South Atlantic in 1922, flying in segments from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro using three different Fairey III biplanes.

The proud nose of the restored Dakota watches over the other aircraft in the main exhibit hangar at the Museu do Ar in Sintra

But among the museum’s proudest airplanes, looking over all of its fleet, my pick must be the Douglas C-47A Dakota. She forms the center of an exhibit that not only tells the airframe’s story, but also the story of TAP, the airline of Portugal, and those that flew her.

When a group of volunteers looked around for a Douglas DC-3 or its equivalent military model to restore in honor of TAP’s 70th anniversary in March 2015, they couldn’t find an example that had actually flown for the airline. All had been withdrawn from use or otherwise lost. Instead, the group found the C-47A used by the DGA (Direcção Geral de Aviação), the former authority governing aviation in Portugal. Its Douglas construction number, 19503, last carried the registration CS-DGA.

The restoration of the Dakota by volunteers is captured in this project bulletin board next to the airplane

An exhibit shows an elaborate history of TAP, the airline of Portugal, starting with its first DC-3s that flew to Africa

To reflect the dual purpose that the airplane would have in the museum, the group decided to give her two faces: one, the airmarkings of the DGA to suit her original mission, and the other, the classic TAP livery, to glorify the history of the airline. On the TAP side of her tail, she carries the registration CS-TDE to signify “Transporte” “Dakota” and “E,” the fifth letter of the alphabet, as she was refurbished to resemble the fifth airplane in the TAP fleet.

Inside and out, a team led by current TAP captain Carlos Tomaz bestowed great care on her refurbishment. Tomaz would dearly love to return her to flying status, but for now she serves as an educational platform and living part of history central to the museum. Periodically, the group hosts “Dakota Talks” to share stories from her past, and those of the other DC-3s and C-47s operated by Portuguese airlines, military, and governmental agencies. To learn more about the DC-3 and Douglas aircraft, check out “Together We Fly: Voices From the DC-3,” and “Honest Vision: The Donald Douglas Story.”

Upstairs, the airport operations lab shows detailed equipment from Portugal’s airport history

Other exhibits include an entire floor dedicated to airport operations, with vintage equipment and memorabilia, and schematics showing the evolution of airports in Portugal. The three hangars house aircraft from helicopters to early wood-and-fabric airplanes, along with military jets and civilian pleasure and business aircraft.

The museum hosts several events throughout the year, including open houses that feature fly-bys and demonstrations of the military training aircraft used by students at the academy, as well as visiting aircraft and those of historic significance.

The current hours and pricing for the Museu do Ar, as of July 2018

Hours are generally 10H to 18H every day except Mondays, and certain major holidays, such as Christmas and Easter. Admission prices are modest (less than €3 for most entries), and group pricing is available by contacting the museum. A small gift shop and bookstore offers clothing, souvenirs, models, and literature in Portuguese and some in English.

For more information, contact the Museu do Ar, email: [email protected]

Phone: 219 678 984

Address: Granja do Marquês 2715-021 Pêro Pinheiro, Sintra