Easter of the year 2001 was a unforgettable experience for many Finnish virtual pilots from the WarBirds and Aces High community. Virtuaalilentäjät r.y. society arranged a easter meeting at the Finnish Aviation Museum and we had the honour of having three pilot veterans with us as well. Especially fantastic was to listen to the lecture given by mr. Väinö Pokela, Brewster & Me 109 ace, who told us about their squadron's days in eastern Karelia and in the front lines. Many said that it was the best easter ever they had experienced.

All photos are thumbnails. Click for higher resolution.

Dweeb bus otw.	Cosmo & Grendel / Icebreakers - with MiG-21 / FAF.	Koko / Moosefly, our driver.
In the museum. PJK.	Some of the folks taking types of Convair passenger plane. Mr. Pokela had piloted this after the war and mr. Sarantola commented "this was a real gentleman's airplane".	Two members of the Fighter Squadron 34... BlauK, virtual squadron commander. Mr. Pokela, flight commander. I know which one was more awed to meet the other.
Hard thinking. Cosmo / ICE, PJK / JG 3 and Oiva / Crashers Club.	Timo and Kouhia / Moosefly.	People listening carefully to mr. Pokela.
Mr. Lauri Väisänen, Fiat G.50 pilot.	Fighter Squadron 34 staff in heated discussion. Kossu / Icebreakers behind.	Ex and current FAF. Mr. Lauri Väisänen, Fiat G.50. Timo of Moosefly squadron - FAF reconnaissance squadron flight commander in real life.
Two aces. Netfly and PJK.
And we had a good dinner also.		No vegetables for Camouflage / HLeLv 34.

The honorable war pilots:

Mr. Olli Sarantola - Fiat, Brewster & Me 109 pilot with Väinö Pokela, Brewster & Me 109 ace.

Mr. Väinö Pokela and his Messerchmitt.

Scale models in the museum.

Take especially good look to the first three pictures. Awesome 109 G-6 model - flyable.

Misc. pictures in the museum

I-16 two seater.

Mr. Pokela.	A German flying shoe. Nothing special.. Or? Actually a shoe like this changed mr. Pokela's career and sent him to flight school as Messerchmitt flight teacher. Read full story.	Me 109 engine
Storch.
Hansa Brandenburg.

"Warplanes" special exhibition

The "Warplanes" special exhibition displays objects found on land and in the bottom of the sea over the decades by research staff of Finnish Aviation Museum and associated parties. Read more.

Mr. Pokela and his Messerchmitt.	German Junkers 88 bomber	Russian LaGG-3 fighter
Russian SB-2 bomber	Russian SB-2 bomber	Pokela's Messerchmitt 109 G-2 "MT-208"
Pokela's Messerchmitt 109 G-2 "MT-208"	Pokela's Messerchmitt 109 G-2 "MT-208"	Pokela's Messerchmitt 109 G-2 "MT-208"

Last modified: 2002-09-27 08:13