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Naval Aviation Museum, Goa
The Naval Aviation Museum on the Vasco–Bogmalo road, opened in 1998, is billed as Asia's only museum of naval aviation. Retired Indian Navy aircraft and helicopters stand in an open-air park, and the galleries inside tell the story of the navy's air arm. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30–17:30, and closed on Mondays and national holidays.
Billed as Asia's first naval aviation museum, it sits near Bogmalo beach just south of Vasco, minutes from the airport. Retired aircraft and helicopters of the Indian Navy stand in an open park where you can walk around them and under the wings, while a two-storey indoor gallery covers the story of the navy's air arm, including the 1961 operations that ended Portuguese rule in Goa. Open Tuesday to Sunday, roughly 9:30 to 17:30, closed on Mondays and national holidays. Children usually run out of time before the adults do.
Retired navy aircraft you can walk among, plus the story of 1961 told inside
Timings and entry fee
- Open: Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30–17:30 (Goa Tourism).
- Closed: Mondays and national holidays.
- Entry: ticketed. No reliable official source publishes the current price, so check the fee at the ticket counter.
Times can change, so if you are arriving near opening or closing time, call ahead on 070287 30385.
What to see: the open-air aircraft park
The first thing at the gate is the Lockheed Super Constellation, originally a passenger airliner, later used by the Air Force as a transport and then handed to the Navy. Goa Tourism lists 13 aircraft in the outdoor gallery, planes and helicopters, plus engines and parts. You can walk all around them and under the wings. Some highlights:
Short Sealand
The only surviving example in India and one of three known in the world; the first type inducted after the Directorate of Naval Aviation was set up in 1953.
Fairey Firefly
A British Second World War carrier fighter, acquired in 1955 for target towing; the only one in India.
Hawker Sea Hawk
Entered service with INS Vikrant, India's first aircraft carrier, and flew for two decades until the Sea Harriers replaced it.
Breguet Alizé
The Navy's first carrier-based anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft, inducted in 1961.
Westland Sea King
An anti-submarine helicopter procured in 1970.
Trainers and helicopters
Also on display: the HAL HT-2 and Vampire T-55 trainers, the de Havilland Dove, the HAL Chetak and the Hughes 300 training helicopter.
Inside the museum
The two-storey indoor building is designed to look like the interior of the aircraft carrier INS Viraat. Its galleries cover naval equipment and major naval battles; a series of black-and-white photographs shows Operation Vijay, the 1961 operation that ended Portuguese rule in Goa. A multimedia room has a jet cockpit simulator, and a granite slab called Shradhanjali carries the names of naval pilots who died in service between 1958 and 1997. Next to it is a meditation room, and there is a gift shop.
Children usually run out of time before the adults do.
How to reach
The museum is on the Vasco–Bogmalo road, about 6 km from Vasco da Gama, on a plateau above Bogmalo beach. Dabolim airport is a few minutes away, which makes it an easy stop on the day you arrive or leave.
❓ FAQ
What is the entry fee for the Naval Aviation Museum in Goa?
Entry is ticketed, but no reliable official source publishes the current price; check at the ticket counter.
What are the Naval Aviation Museum timings?
Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30–17:30. Closed on Mondays and national holidays.
How many planes are at the Naval Aviation Museum?
Goa Tourism lists 13 aircraft, planes and helicopters, in the open-air gallery, with the Super Constellation at the entrance.
How far is the museum from Dabolim airport?
A few minutes by road; the museum is on the Vasco–Bogmalo road, about 6 km from Vasco.
What is inside the museum building?
Galleries of naval equipment and battles, photographs of Operation Vijay (1961), a jet cockpit simulator and the Shradhanjali memorial slab.