Europe Trip 2013: Finnish Aviation Museum and Helsinki-Vantaa Airport - Introduction

I have been in Vantaa [a city in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area] for a few days now, and although relaxing, I've managed a couple of aviation-related activities. This post is just an introduction to them - I'm not 100% sure how/ when I will go about putting up the remaining pictures - I have several 100's of them, and at the very least I have to sort out the best to publish :-)

I had been looking forward to visiting the Finnish Aviation Museum - in fact it was one of the reasons I came here. As it turns out, it was "ok' but not great. There are plenty of very interesting aircraft, but they are in incredibly cramped conditions - three large rooms in fact - which is a shame. I think that the first two pictures below should this quite well.

Two days ago I discovered that Helsinki-Vantaa Airport has a specially constructed viewing deck. The airport company appears to have gone out of their way to provide a place for people to stop by and get a great look at what is happening. It's on the public side of the airport, it is free and well signposted. Also, it has an outside portion so you don't need to photograph though glass :-) Fantastic! What follows are just a few of the aircraft and the part of the view at the airport. There will be more to come over the next week or two!

Top to bottom, the photographs are:

2 x photos from one room in the Finnish Aviation Museum

Embraer ERJ190-100LR, OH-LKP, of Finnair

Airbus A320-214, OH-LXC, of Finnair

Helsinki-Vantaa Airport terminal 2

Boeing 717-23S [aka McDonnell-Douglas MD95], OH-BLQ, of Blue1

Aerospatiale ATR72-500, OH-ATJ, of Finncomm Airlines