This balaclava belonged to the Terceira aviator Frederico Coelho de Melo, who, on 4 October 1930, piloted the first aircraft to take off and land on Terceira Island, a single-engine Avro 504K biplane, which was named Açor.
It is displayed in the commemorative exhibition “The Flight of the Açor | 90 Years of Aviation on Terceira Island”, open until 31 January 2021 in the Sala do Capítulo.
Captain Pilot-Aviator Frederico Coelho de Melo (25 April 1895 – 6 October 1971), born in the parish of Altares, Terceira Island, was a pioneer of military aviation in Portugal. He served as an instructor at the Military Aviation School in Sintra and concluded his career as commander of the police in Angra do Heroísmo.
