At the Musee de l’Air et de l'Espace.
A Spitfire from the 340 Squadron of the Free French Air Force.

The French really know how to put together a great museum. And I’m not referring to the Louvre. France’s Musee de l’Air et de l'Espace, that country's equivalent to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, is tucked away in a corner of Le Bourget airfield and it’s a shame that it goes unnoticed when the Air Show is in full swing. It's a hidden treasure, worthy of the short trip from Paris even when Le Bourget's bi-annual mega-event isn’t going on next door. But eclipsed by the monstrous corporate chalets, exhibition halls, static displays, and the actual flying itself, the museum was virtually empty as I took my time to wander among the displays.

Unlike its Washington, D.C. counterpart, this museum is cluttered with replicas and original aircraft spanning more than a century of aviation history. The faddish “interactive” displays that plague so many modern museums have been avoided, allowing the planes alone to steal the show. Even the obligatory special exhibit on the “female pioneers” of aviation was tasteful insofar as it was small and off to the side.

The museum is organized into several different halls, each with its own theme--aviation’s early history, the French Air Force, space exploration, etc. The best displays by far featured vintage aircraft from the two World Wars. Living in America, it’s easy to forget how important the American P-51 Mustang and RAF Spitfire were to protecting life and property, or how a dog-fight or fleet of long-range bombers could provide a grim sort of entertainment in the skies.

My only complaint is the lack of English on most of the museum signage, but after overcoming a compulsive desire to read and learn about each interesting display, simply admiring the planes was a more than satisfactory experience. Given the choice of watching F-16s and MiG-29s dance artistically overhead or spending time walking the museum’s halls, paying tribute to the planes and innovators that have brought aviation to its present state is worth the sacrifice.