 Aircraft on Exhibit in the main hangar. | |
 | |
| Established | 1993 |
|---|---|
| Location | Ratmalana, Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia |
| Coordinates | 6°49′27″N79°53′30″E / 6.8242°N 79.8917°E |
| Type | Aviation museum |
| Website | Official Website of the SLAF Museum |
The Sri Lanka Air Force Museum (SLAF Museum) is the museum of the Sri Lanka Air Force, and its predecessor, the Royal Ceylon Air Force. Open to the public, the museum is at the SLAF Ratmalana and is maintained by the Sri Lanka Air Force.
The brainchild of Air Chief Marshal Harry Goonatilake, former Commander of the Air Force, the museum exhibits, amongst other things, former aircraft and equipment of the Sri Lanka Air Force and the Royal Ceylon Air Force. Notable items include the medals and sword of Air Vice Marshal E. R. Amarasekara, the first Ceylonese Commander of the Air Force. [1]
The Sri Lanka Air Force museum is the only national museum dedicated entirely to aviation and the history of the Sri Lanka Air Force. The museum was first established in 1993 as the Aircraft Preservation and Storage Unit at SLAF Ratmalana and was reopened on 5 November 2009 after refurbishment. [2]
The museum exhibits historic aircraft, vehicles, uniforms and weapons. The museum consists of the main hangar, outdoor exhibits and hangar numbers 1, 2 and 3. [3] Aircraft that have been preserved by the SLAF. A few of these fly but most are held by SLAF Museum. The museum also has remnants of Japanese aircraft shot down over Ceylon during World War 2 and artifacts from the LTTE aircraft [4] shot down during the Suicide Air Raid on Colombo. An Austin Fire Fighting Vehicle and a Shorland armoured car used by the Sri Lanka Air Force is exhibited as well.
The SIAI-Marchetti SF.260 is an Italian light aircraft which has been commonly marketed as a military trainer and aerobatics aircraft.
Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, population 245,974 (2012), is a large municipality in Sri Lanka, covering 2,109 ha. It lies south of the Colombo Municipal Council area and is separated from it by the Dehiwala canal which forms the northern boundary of DMMC. Its southern limits lie in Borupana Road and the eastern boundary is Weras Ganga with its canal system and it includes some areas to its east. This town has experienced extensive population growth and rapid industrialisation and urbanisation in recent years. It is home to Sri Lanka's National Zoological Gardens, which remains one of Asia's largest. Colombo South Teaching Hospital, Kalubowila and Colombo Airport, Ratmalana are some important landmarks in this area. Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia and Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte being two large suburban centres of the city of Colombo function together as one large urban agglomeration in the Region. The overspill from the City in residential and commercial uses of land has rapidly urbanised these suburban centres. Dehiwela-Mount Lavinia and Sri Jayawardenpaura along with Colombo Municipal Council form the most urbanised part of the core area of the Colombo Metropolitan Region. Dehiwala and Mount Lavinia lie along the Galle Road artery, which runs along the coast to the south of the country.
The Polish Aviation Museum is a large museum of historic aircraft and aircraft engines in Kraków, Poland. It is located at the site of the no-longer functional Kraków-Rakowice-Czyżyny Airport. This airfield, established by Austria-Hungary in 1912, is one of the oldest in the world. The museum opened in 1964, after the airfield closed in 1963. It was listed among the world's best aviation museums by CNN.
Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) (Sinhala: බණ්ඩාරනායක ජාත්යන්තර ගුවන්තොටුපළ, romanized: Bandāranāyaka Jātyantara Guvantoṭupaḷa; Tamil: பண்டாரநாயக்க சர்வதேச விமான நிலையம், romanized: Paṇṭāranāyakka Carvatēca Vimāṉa Nilaiyam) (commonly known as Colombo International Airport, Colombo–Bandaranaike International Airport, and locally as Katunayake International Airport) (IATA: CMB, ICAO: VCBI) is the main international airport in Sri Lanka. It is named after former Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike (1899–1959) and is in the suburb of Negombo, 32.5 kilometres (20+1⁄4 miles) north of the nation's capital and commercial center, Colombo.
The Bandaranaike International Airport attack was a suicide raid Black Tigers of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on 24 July 2001 on the Sri Lanka Air Force base SLAF Katunayake and the adjoining Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake, Sri Lanka. The attack was one of the boldest the LTTE mounted during its war with the Sri Lankan government, and had a profound impact on the country's military, economy, and airline industry.
The Sri Lanka Air Force is the air arm and the youngest of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces. It was founded in 1951 as the Royal Ceylon Air Force (RCyAF) with the assistance of the Royal Air Force (RAF). The SLAF played a major role throughout the Sri Lankan Civil War. The SLAF operates more than 160 aircraft.
The Tamil Eelam Air Force or Sky Tigers was the air service branch of the Divisions of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, who used it against the Government of Sri Lanka. They also called themselves the Tamileelam Air Force (TAF). Though the existence of the Sky Tigers had been the subject of speculation for many years, the existence of the wing was only revealed after an attack in March 2007, during Eelam War IV.
Air Commodore Shirantha Goonetileke RWP, RSP, SLAF was a Sri Lankan aviator and the most senior Air Force officer to be killed in action. He was the youngest son of Air Chief Marshal Harry Goonatilake the 5th Commander of the Air Force and the brother of the 12th Commander of the Air Force, Marshal of the Air Force Roshan Goonetileke.
No. 5 "Jet" Squadron is a squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force. It currently operates in both air defence and ground attack role with F-7 Skybolts from SLAF Katunayake.
No. 2 "Heavy Transport" Squadron is a squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force. It currently operates the C-130 Hercules and Antonov 32 from SLAF Katunayake.
No. 1 Flying Training Wing currently based at SLAF China Bay, carries out basic pilot training of the Sri Lanka Air Force. It is the oldest flying formation in the SLAF.
Air Chief Marshal Harsha Abeywickrema, RWP, RSP, VSV, USP, rcds, psc, qfi is a senior Sri Lankan air force officer and fighter pilot, who served as the Commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force from 2012 to 2014 and later went on to serve as the Chairman of the Bank of Ceylon.
No. 3 Maritime Squadron is a maritime patrol squadron of the Sri Lanka Air Force. It was disbanded in 1993 and its aircraft taken over by the No. 8 Light Transport Squadron. It was reestablished in 2019.
Air Chief Marshal Dick Cuthbert Perera VSV was the 6th Commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force.
Air Chief Marshal Oliver Matthew Ranasinghe, RWP, VSV, USP, ndc, psc was the 9th Commander of the Sri Lankan Air Force.
A Sri Lanka Air Force Avro 748-357 Srs.2B SCD airliner was shot down on 29 April 1995 by a SA-7 missile fired by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), while it was on approach to land at SLAF Palaly from Ratmalana Airport. All 52 crew and passengers were killed.
Air Marshal R. A. Udeni P. Rajapaksa RSP & two Bars, VSV, USP is a senior Sri Lanka Air Force officer and pilot currently serving as Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force since June 2023. Previously, he served as Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Air Force, Director Air Operations, Base Commander SLAF Katunayake and Commandant of the Air Force Academy China Bay.
