The museum showcases the Indian naval aviation's proudest moment: the liberation of Bangladesh in l971. Photographs taken by Indian bombers provide graphic accounts of the destruction of the Pakistan-occupied Chittagong port. The decimation of the Pakistani navy and even the interception of a United States Orion intelligence aircraft are pictorially documented.

The naval photographs also bear testimony to the triumph of man over machine. There is a blow by blow account of Commander Peter Debrass who took off on a Sealand aircraft from aboard the Vikrant only to crash into the sea following the failure of the aircraft'scatapult launching system. Moments after the crash the aircraft carrier was above the aircraft making it difficult for Debrass to eject from it.

``He had to quickly calculate the time taken by the ship to pass his aircraft,'' explains a spokesman for the museum. Premature ejection and the pilot would have hit the ship. Delay meant that he would have hit the bottom of the sea.

Debrass survived the ordeal and went on to retire as Rear Admiral. According to Rear Admiral K V Bharatan, Flag Officer Goa Area, work on the museum has been taken up in three phases. ``In the next phase we will provide visitors with hands-on experience,'' he said.

Finally the museum will attempt to become the complete repository of naval aviation history, he said. The navy which is negotiating with tour operators to include the museum in their itinerary will charge nominal fees from visitors. Also part of the package is a computer-aided flight simulator which can be operated by visitors and a floor experience of meditationtechniques at the museum's meditation centre.