Jan Hoffmann is an outstanding figure associated with the Polish Aviation Museum in Krakow, where he has worked continuously since 1976. Wholeheartedly dedicated to the Museum’s development, he makes an above-and-beyond contribution to its activities, helping to preserve the traditions of Polish aviation. He is a recognised expert in aviation technology and a connoisseur of aviation history. He passes on his passion to successive generations of young people by conducting his original “Meetings by the Aircraft” on aviation topics.
Decorated with: the Gold Cross of Merit, the Silver Cross of Merit, the Gold Honorary Badge of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship – the Lesser Poland Cross, the Gold Medal for Long Service, and the Bronze Medal “Meritorious for Culture Gloria Artis.”
The thought of working at the Aviation Museum took root in his mind over a dozen years ago, when he visited it for the first time. His favourite aircraft from our Museum – the Saab JA-37 Viggen, whose model he received as a child from his dad – played no small part in that.
From time to time, he likes to share an interesting fact with visitors. One of them is that on the grounds of the Aviation Museum there are actually two papal helicopters, and one of them still actively flies.
He chose the Aviation Museum because there are 250 aircraft here, each with its own strange story, and he plans to learn them all someday. What he loves most about aviation is the point where engineering genius meets human folly, because that is when things get really interesting.
He claims that if it were not for aviation, he would have signed up to colonise other planets. For the time being, he did not manage to – he missed the last flight (traffic jams), so he devotes himself to books, history, cycling, and playing Skyrim.
A special place in his heart, however, is held by the PZL P.11c aircraft and the achievements of Polish pilots in World War II. He also loves aviation stories from World War I, the pioneering period of aviation, when various eccentrics, misfits, and outcasts decided to become pilots – some of them even succeeded despite initial setbacks.
Likes: dark chocolate, sweet latte, dogs, showing that history is not boring.
Marek’s father and two brothers are glider pilots. He himself did not get his licence, but at airfields – especially glider ones – he feels right at home.
He graduated from the University of Physical Education, works as a water rescue lifeguard, and is a trained teacher, which is undoubtedly an asset in the work of a tour guide.
He claims he has known our museum since primary school, witnessed its development, and decided to become part of it. But in truth, he is in love with the PZL P.11c aircraft, whose history never ceases to fascinate him. After all, there is nothing strange about that – we understand and accept it.
Since primary school, Daniel dreamed of working at the Polish Aviation Museum in Krakow. After classes, he would come for lectures by MLP legend Mr Jan Hoffmann, from whom he eagerly absorbed knowledge.
He is a handyman and jack-of-all-trades, and he has always been interested in the construction and mechanics of aircraft – as a child, he admired the models assembled by his dad above his crib. Today, he builds even better ones himself; he is an award-winning modeller with top prizes at several modelling competitions to his name.
As he says, if not for his work at the Museum, he would probably have gone into aircraft mechanics or sailing. His favourite exhibit is the MiG-23, which he adores for its variable-sweep wings and landing gear that retracts unusually into a fuselage bay.
Oskar combines his passion for teaching with a love of the military and aviation. If not for his work at the museum, he would probably have stood in front of a blackboard as a history teacher, but today he passes on knowledge to visitors in a more dynamic way – among the wings and engines of legendary machines. He has a particular fondness for the Cold War period, whose complex politics and arms race are reflected in the designs of combat aircraft. He can vividly explain how history intertwines with technology, and presents complex weapons systems in an accessible and illustrative manner.
In his private life, he is a fan of flight simulators, but he also has a less obvious hobby – he is an enthusiast of Japanese culture and a draughtsman fascinated by manga.
He names the F-4 Phantom II fighter as his favourite aircraft, a machine he considers one of the best examples of the paradoxical nature of the Cold War.
Marek loves gaining knowledge about aviation and then sharing it with others in an accessible way. One expression of this passion is his YouTube channel “Zabytki Nieba” (Relics of the Sky), and the other is his work as a tour guide at the Aviation Museum.
He clearly appreciates the technical side of aviation – he considers it one of the most advanced forms of technology. Exploring the development of aviation over the years constantly provides him with numerous surprises and reasons for pride thanks to Polish engineers. As one example, he cites the tailless SZD-6 “Nietoperz” (Bat) glider, which gave the pilot three ways to control it.
Among the exhibits of the Polish Aviation Museum, Marek unconventionally named as his favourite… the BMW 801 D-2 engine from the groundbreaking Focke-Wulf 190 aircraft.
Maciek is an aircraft mechanic who has piloted aeroplanes (including the PZL-104 Wilga) and gliders. If it were not for aviation, he would probably have become an archaeologist. He enjoys sharing his aviation knowledge with others. And the greatest pleasure in his work comes from guiding individual visitors and organised groups.
