City of Vantaa politicians visit Finnish Aviation Museum and learn about aircraft restoration

City of Vantaa politicians visited the Finnish Aviation Museum for “practical training” as a part of the Politician’s museum internship campaign, coordinated by the Finnish Museums Association. The politicians who visited the museum were city council member Minna Räsänen (sdp), member of parliament, city council chairman Sari Multala (kok) and member of parliament, city council member Jussi Saramo (vas). Räsänen and Multala were present at the museum, Saramo attended via remote access.

As a part of the “practical training”, the cooperation of the museum and Aviation Museum Society was introduced to the guests. The Tuesday Club volunteers’ work was illustrated in the museum’s restoration space, although the Tuesday Club has officially been terminated because of the corona virus pandemic.

From left to right: Pia Illikainen, Minna Räsänen ja Matti Patteri.

In the restoration space museum Intendent Matias Laitinen told the guests about the volunteers’ role at the Aviation Museum. Tuesday Club project manager Lassi Karivalo introduced the aircraft restoration activities of the Tuesday Club. The leader of the VL Myrsky II (MY-14) restoration project Matti Patteri introduced the history of domestic aircraft industry and explained how museum aircraft, and more specifically the Myrsky, are restored in practice. The Myrsky project was launched in 2013 and up to now the restoration team has spent about 30 000 working hours. Most of the work has been done by volunteers. The Myrsky restoration also includes cooperation with vocational colleges, e.g. Vantaa Vocational College Varia and Tavastia Vocational College in Hämeenlinna, and naturally work contribution from the Aviation Museum staff. The visitors learned that the main motivating factors for the volunteers’ participation are the sense of community, the good team spirit and the interesting work items.

From left to right: Sari Multala and Matti Patteri.

Due to the corona virus pandemic situation, the museum’s volunteer activity has been terminated since March. In the future the working procedures will have to be reorganized. A large volunteers’ gathering can’t be organized yet, and not for some time – and in the social aspect this is very unfortunate. During the corona virus time the Aviation Museum Society has arranged for its members, and to all who are interested, remote access to presentations about aviation history. The museum has produced videos and audio tours with its partners. However, by now everybody is very eager to get back to work and to meet the volunteer friends at the museum. The aim is to relaunch the Tuesday Club activities in October, at some extent. The corona virus situation in Finland will define whether this is possible or not.

Photos: Mia Kunnaskari.

Translation: Erja Reinikainen.