Are you looking for a different plan for a Sunday morning, that the kids (and the not so little ones) will love and that, in addition, does not cost you a penny? Well, stop looking: we have the solution and it’s closer than you think, just half an hour from Barcelona.
Write this on the calendar: the third Sunday of every month (for example, this Sunday, November 16), Sabadell Airport hosts its now popular open day. A perfect event for all audiences, but especially for those aviation fans who are glued to the airport glass or can’t help but look up every time they hear an engine in the sky.
The “PAC Obert”: classic airplanes on the ground and in the air
This initiative, officially known as “PAC Obert”, is organized by the Fundació Parc Aeronàutic de Catalunya (FPAC), an organization dedicated to preserving the aeronautical heritage and keeping these jewels of the air in perfect condition.
The day starts around 10:00 am and lasts until 1:30 pm. During this time, attendees can walk around the platform and see an impressive collection of historic airplanes and helicopters up close. But the highlight usually arrives between 11:00h and 13:30h.
It’s time for the flying exhibition. If you are lucky, you will not only see takeoffs and landings, but also the acrobatics and passes of classic airplanes that, as the organization describes, “look like something out of a fairy tale”.
Museum, workshops and family plan
But it’s not all about looking at the sky. The visit has several attractions on land. The day also serves to know the Aeronautical Museum of Catalonia, located in the same airport. It is the ideal place to discover the history of aviation, take a close look at aircraft from other eras and see how the foundation’s volunteers work on the restoration of these machines.
General access to the apron to see the airplanes and enjoy the aerial exhibition is free of charge. However, the entrance to the museum or the hangars may require a separate ticket or contribution (as reported from the FPAC, the guided tour of the hangars has a cost of about 6 €), so it should be consulted upon arrival.
And, of course, the plan is designed for families. The organization usually prepares activities for the little ones, such as drawing workshops or the possibility of riding on small aircraft replicas.