Getting my #avgeek on with Dornier✈️

As a kid (or maybe a teenager, who knows) I had 2 small hard cover books. One on military airplanes (didn’t get much attention) and one on commercial planes (got lots of attention - is anyone surprised?). Amongst the Fokker’s and early Boeing’s (it was the 90’s) I vividly remember thinking that the Dornier 328 in that book was sexy beast of an aircraft. Then brand new I wanted one! Today, (not so new) I got to see one up close and personal at the Dornier museum in Friedrichshafen (the main reason I came here).

Avgeek mode well and truely activated I explored the two level museum, trying to take photos and avoid the small children. Some of the ‘how planes fly’ was very similar to the Zeppelin museum, but the evolution of aircraft was better here. The war (don’t talk about the war) was also touched on slightly, specifically the way aviation development in Germany was banned under the Versailles agreement. Like all good trade sanctions, a work-around meant they set up a plant in Spain instead. There was an interesting section on space development and even a fabric machine that Dornier makes - apparently the mainstay of commercial fabric weaving meets aviation.

Located at the airport the outside exhibitions included several static displays as well as the occasional view of departing aircraft. I also got to see a Goodyear Zeppelin take off for a tour. I’d looked at going on a Zeppelin ride but a) none fitted my dates and b) it was f-off expensive (we’re taking >€200!).

I had a big salad so big that even Elaine couldn’t complain about it in the restaurant. Very glad I came here and by the time I’d finished the drizzle had cleared up - time to do some outdoor exploring.Read more