Things to see and read about Malmi Airport

Newsreel footage from Malmi Airport

The National Audiovisual Archive KAVA (Finlandia newsreels, narrated in Finnish)

• A German trade delegation arrives in Finland to negotiate food supply deliveries, 2 March 1943. In practice, Germany had a stranglehold on the food supply of Finland, which was engulfed in war against the Soviet Union and suffering from food shortage. (0'49"-1'50")
• The famous German film star Ilse Werner visits in May 1943 to bring entertainment and joy to war-torn Finland, gathering large crowds of admirers. (4'43"-5'05", 9'57"-10'41")
• Ex-president of the United States Herbert Hoover brought encouragement to the Finns, living under the Allied Control Commission, on his short visit 31 March - 1 April 1946. (1'27"-2'12", more about the visit 0'00"-)
• The Finnish delegation flies to the Paris Peace Conference in 1947 (4'55"-8'06")
• Doctors Söderhjelm and Kekkonen return from Moscow in 1948 in the middle of YYA treaty negotiations to get additional instructions. (3'13"-4'06")
• The Nordic prime ministers at Malmi Airport in late October 1949. (3'10"-3'42")
• Counselor of commerce Paulig returns from a six-month business trip to South America, to the joy of coffee lovers. (2'22"-2'47")
• The king of jazz Louis Armstrong arrives in Finland on 11 October 1949. (2'48"-3'26")
• Known car enthusiasts, Prince of Denmark Axel and Prince of Sweden Bertil arrive together on an SAS flight in November 1949 to attend the 30th anniversary festivities of the Auto Club and to see the venues of the upcoming Helsinki Olympic Games. (1'23"-2'10")
• The Finnish skiing team leaves for the Lake Placid World Ski Championships in January 1950. (0'00"-0'57")
• Retiring ambassador of the USA and a friend of Finland Avra M. Warren leaves the country on 19 January 1950.(0'57"-1'43")
• The Polytech Choir returns home from a 26-concert tour, bringing among other things cigars to Sibelius. (0'00"-0'47")
• Dr. Ralph Bunche, a distinguished mediator in the Israel/Palestine conflict and the 1950 Nobel Peace Laureate, arrives in Finland on 18 December 1950. (0'48"-1'40")
• The Austrian minister to the Nordic countries Karl Zeileisen arrives in Finland to present his credentials in 1952. (1'13"-1'35")
• S.P.J. Keinänen's KZ sports plane is donated at Malmi Airport to the Support Association of Study Fund Associations in 1952. (2'50"-3'18")
• The Danish Attorney General, Chief Judge Helga Pedersen and the chairperson of the Central Association of Danish Women's Organisations Else Merete-Ross arrive in May 1951 to attend the 40th anniversary festivities of the Central Association of Finnish Women's Organisations (1'32"-1'57")
• Norwegian Prince Royal Olav and Princesses Ragnhild and Astrid arrive to watch the Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952; a day before the opening ceremonies, Princess Royal Märtha and young Prince Harald arrive too. (5'54"-7'05")
• The sister of Egypt's King Faruk, Princess Fayka arrives on a night flight with her husband in July 1952 to watch the Helsinki Olympic Games. (2'26"-2'58")
• Dutch Prince Bernhard and his daughters, Princesses Beatrix and Irene arrive to watch the Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952. (1'21"-2'09")
• A British ex-paratrooper jumps from a Smolik trainer at Malmi Airport in 1956. (4'43"-6'13")
• A present to President Kekkonen from the Soviet Union, a helicopter arrives in Finland in December 1960. (2'00"-3'05")
• Winter tire tests by the General Auto Union and the Sports Drivers Association in February 1960 (1'16"-2'22")

YLE Live Archive (narrated in Finnish)

• The inauguration of Malmi Airport on 15 May 1938 (silent)
• War looms over Finland in October 1939 - President Kallio and Secretary of State Erkko leave for Stockholm to a gathering of Nordic heads of state (1'32"-1'58")
• Ex-president of the United States Herbert Hoover visits Finland in late March 1946 to survey the need for Marshall Aid (3'00"-3'35", 4'50"-5'41")
• The Finnish delegation flies to the Paris Peace Conference in 1947 (0'00"-3'33")
• Flying over the Atlantic in 1947 (0'00"-3'16")
• YYA treaty negotiations in Moscow, 1948 - departures and arrivals: Prime Minister Pekkala, Dr. Kekkonen, Dr. Söderhjelm (0'28"-0'48", 1'05"-1'36")
• A 1948 advertisement song promoting Malmi Airport and air travel, by Eino Samuli (8'42"-12'10")
• President and Mrs. Paasikivi leave for Sweden in November 1950 to attend the burial of King Gustav V (1'02"-1'33")
• His last visit to Finland - Marshall of Finland C.G.E. Mannerheim arrives from Switzerland to vote in the 1950 presidential elections
• Helsinki in the year 1950: Airliners landing at Malmi Airport, DC-3's of American Overseas Airlines (AOA) and Aero Ltd (silent, 3'31"-3'51")
• Mannerheim's last journey in 1951 (1'12"-2'49")
• Bob Hope lookalike at Malmi Airport in 1952
• "By air" - a look at the airports in Helsinki in the Olympic summer 1952 (Malmi: Dutch Prince Bernhard and young Princesses Beatrix and Irene arrive 1'10"-1'34", general bustle 4'54"-6'05")
• From Armi Kuusela's life story 1952-1953 - leaving for California to win the very first Miss Universe pageant (7'37"-9'02")
• Tech students and tech student spirit - carrying the hopes of the nation in 1953 - PIK-11 "Tumppu" sports plane wowed everyone (4'12"-4'28")
• "Durable wings" 1956 (Aero Ltd's Convair under maintenance in the great hangar of Malmi Airport, 1'04-1'22" and 2'22"-2'32")
• From the Sky on a Parachute 1964 - a half-hour as a guest of the Parachuting Club of Finland
• Mathias Rust's flight from Malmi Airport to the Red Square in Moscow, 28 May 1987

Helsinki-Malmi Airport: A threatened pearl of 1930's functionalism

• History
• Present
• Threatened future
• What makes Malmi Airport as a whole a unique cultural treasure?

Some hard facts about Malmi Airport with references

• 10 reasons to preserve Helsinki-Malmi Airport
• Common misconceptions about aviation and Malmi Airport

Pentti Salminen: From swamp to main airport in Finland I-II

• The first 10 years
• Malmi Airport is 65 years old

Malmi Airport in international press

• Airports of the World, July/August 2012
• Airliner World, February 2004

Press excerpts and tidbits from the old days

• Malmi Airport opened to traffic on 16 December 1936
• The "blind landing" apparatus of Malmi Airport in the 1930's - top-notch technology of its time
• The giant of the skies "Generalfeldmarschall von Hindenburg" visited on 29 July 1937

Malmi Airport: public recognition and statements from experts

• TNS Gallup, February 2011: people of Helsinki steadfastly in favor of preserving Malmi Airport
• Malmi Airport selected to World Monuments Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites 2006
• Gallup Finland, December 2005: more than 630.000 capital region residents want to keep Malmi Airport in aviation use
• Gallup Finland, October 2004: a majority of Helsinki residents are in favor of keeping Malmi Airport in aviation use
• Malmi Airport selected to World Monuments Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites 2004
• FAI honorary diploma to the Friends of Malmi Airport Society 2002
• Helsinki of Dreams Award, 5 March 2004
• Ministry of the Environment and National Board of Antiquities: Year of Built Heritage 2003 - Building of the Month / May (in Finnish only)
• Flight Safety Authority Finland, Annual Review 2002, Review by the Director p. 5
• Flight Safety Authority Finland, Annual Review 2000, Review by the Director p. 5
• FAI honorary diploma to Malmi Airport 1996