Památník československých leteckých akrobatů

The Memorial to Czechoslovak Aerial Acrobats is, as far as records show, the only monument in the world dedicated specifically to aerobatic flying. It stands in the village of Skalka, right beneath the control tower of Příbram Airport, where visitors can watch light aircraft taking off and landing in the background — a fitting setting for a memorial honoring the pilots who helped Czechoslovakia (and later the Czech Republic and Slovakia) stay among the world's leading aerobatics powers for nearly a century.

What does the memorial look like?

The monument was created by sculptor Jiří Kubík. Its centerpiece is a granite obelisk that appears to hover just above the ground, representing an aircraft the instant after takeoff. The obelisk sits within a circular base resembling a compass rose, and at its top a carved silhouette of an aircraft is shown mid vertical spin — one wing plunging into the stone, the other wing just emerging from it. It's a single frozen frame of motion, the moment a plane loses and regains contact with the surface.

Around the obelisk runs a symbolic "runway of fame" inscribed with the names of Czechoslovak aerobatics masters, starting with Staff Captain František Malkovský — one of the pioneers of the discipline in the interwar period — and running up to Petr Biskup, one of the more recent world champions in the sport. That timeline is the point: aerobatic flying as a discipline where Czech and Slovak pilots kept winning across decades, not just in a single golden generation.

Why Příbram?

The location is not arbitrary. Příbram Airport, in the Skalka district, has long been tied to sport and training aviation in central Bohemia. Right next to the memorial operates the flying club "U ocelového ptáka" ("At the Steel Bird"), which houses an exhibition on the history and present state of Czech aerobatic flying. That makes it easy to pair a visit to the outdoor memorial with a short look at the exhibition indoors — the monument tells the story of the people, the exhibition fills in the context and detail.

Who is it for?

This is a niche stop, best suited to aviation enthusiasts and anyone interested in the history of flight, but it also works as an unusual, low-key destination for anyone exploring the area around Příbram. Because the airport is still active, on a good day visitors can watch small sport aircraft actually taking off and landing nearby — the memorial isn't cut off from its own subject, it sits inside a living aviation setting that is still in use today.

Frequently asked questions

Who designed the memorial? Sculptor Jiří Kubík.

What does the granite obelisk represent? An aircraft just after takeoff, hovering above the ground, with a carved silhouette of a plane in a vertical spin at its top.

Whose names appear on the memorial? Czechoslovak aerobatic flying masters, from František Malkovský to Petr Biskup.

Is there anything else to see nearby? Yes — the neighboring flying club "U ocelového ptáka" runs an exhibition on the history and present of Czech aerobatic flying, and Příbram Airport itself is still an active airfield.

Is this really the only memorial of its kind? Based on available sources, yes — it is described as the world's only memorial dedicated to aerobatic flying.