European post for historic aircraft restorer

Malta scored another hit in the world of historic aircraft restoration last week when Ray Polidano, director general of the Malta Aviation Museum Foundation, was elected president of the European Aviation Preservation Council.

Held in Trento, Italy at the Museo Gianni Caproni, the council's annual conference also agreed to hold its next conference here.

Hosted by Countess Maria Fede Caproni and by Michele Lanzinger, of the Museo Gianni Caproni, the delegates discussed the establishment of an award for outstanding restoration projects in the field of historic aviation.

The main topic of the conference was the participation of volunteers in restoration projects.

The participants, who consisted of top representatives from major aviation museums from the main European states, visited landmarks along the Trento valley, the site of violent and fierce clashes between Italian and Austrian forces in World War I.

Malta was accepted as a full member of the EAPC last year.

When contacted, Mr Polidano expressed his personal satisfaction and that of the team of volunteers at the Aviation Museum at Ta' Qali at his appointment to such a prestigious organisation.

"It feels good to know that international councils of this genre appreciate immensely the work that the volunteers at the Aviation Museum at Ta' Qali, magnificently supported by members and friends of the museum, are doing and the part the museum is playing in keeping alive this patrimony," Mr Polidano said.

The Aviation Museum is currently restoring a WWII Hurricane and will take up the restoration of a Swordfish of the same epoch once the Hurricane job is completed.