The Israeli Air Force Museum at Hatzerim Air Force Base, near Be’er Sheva, is one of the most impressive military museums in the world. The outdoor museum displays over 150 aircraft, from the improvised planes of the 1948 War of Independence to the latest jet fighters, telling the story of Israel’s air force from a handful of light aircraft to one of the most capable air forces on the planet.
The Collection
The aircraft are displayed chronologically, beginning with the Avia S-199 (a Czech-built variant of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 that was the first fighter aircraft of the Israeli Air Force in 1948) and continuing through the Spitfire, the Mystere, the Mirage III (the hero of the 1967 Six-Day War), the F-4 Phantom, the F-15 Eagle, and the F-16 Fighting Falcon. Captured enemy aircraft, including Egyptian, Syrian, and Iraqi MiGs, are also displayed. The Boeing 707 used in the 1976 Entebbe rescue operation is a highlight.
Stories
Each aircraft is accompanied by information about the missions it flew and the pilots who flew it. The museum tells the stories of legendary operations: the destruction of the Egyptian Air Force on the ground in the first hours of the Six-Day War, the air battles over the Golan Heights in the Yom Kippur War, the bombing of the Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak in 1981, and the Entebbe rescue. The personal stories of pilots who were shot down, captured, and returned are among the most powerful narratives in the museum.
Visit with Hoshen Tours
The Air Force Museum is one of Israel’s best military museums. Hoshen Tours includes it in Negev itineraries alongside Be’er Sheva and the Negev Brigade Memorial.