The plan is to clean 27 aircraft, both from the outside and the inside. People can also dive into other exhibits, such as a fuel tanker or radar. As a reward for their work, they will receive free annual passes to the museum. “This is a tremendous help for us. It would take our team several days, but this way we can have it done in just a couple of hours,” explains this decision organizer of the volunteers, Lukáš Skládal.
“There are people who keep coming back to us. And there are also those who have never missed a single time. They are not just people from Slovácko. Volunteers from Bohemia, Silesia, or Slovakia often come to us. We also repeatedly have participants from more distant foreign countries, which makes us very happy,” adds Skládal.
According to the museum staff, those washing should equip themselves with work clothes, protective gear, cleaning supplies, and, above all, a good mood. The museum has basic necessities like rags, detergent, and hoses with water prepared. “This year it is expected to be a bit cooler, so we also recommend warmer clothing to ensure sufficient thermal comfort. But we do not expect rain or frost,” adds Hrabec.
People should ideally arrive at the museum between nine and twelve o'clock. At the entrance, they will receive further instructions. “We would appreciate it if interested parties could write to us in advance at the email AkceU@email.cz. And that by Friday noon. However, participation in the event is also possible without prior registration,” specified Skládal.
Regularly participating in the event are also firefighters from Kunovice, who take care of helping to wash the largest of the Kunovice exhibits – the Tu-154 aircraft known as the Naganský express. This is expected to be the case again this year. “They have height equipment and large hoses, which are great for washing large and hard-to-reach areas,” praises their involvement Hrabec.
The Akce U event was established in 2014 as a happening aimed at drawing attention to the then-declining aviation museum. Since 2015, when the current group of museum staff took over the exhibits and the area under Hrabec's leadership, it has been held almost annually, with the exception of 2016, when it did not take place due to work on saving the Naganský express, and the years 2020 and 2021, when it was prevented by anti-pandemic measures.
