Friday 16th May, the second of a new series of film nights at the Fleet Air Arm Museum will screen a number of films from the archive.

The rare footage from WW1 and WW2 and the early 60s show the development of Royal Naval aviation from the earliest days of the Royal Naval Air Service, forerunner of the Fleet Air Arm, through to the 1990s.

Says Barbara Gilbert Senior Archivist “We all know about the trenches on the Western Front during the First World War but not many people realise that the Royal Naval Air Service had bases in the Aegean. From these airbases, they operated not only aeroplanes but airships. This vintage footage gives us a glimpse of what was involved.”

Other films to be screened will include, 1930s footage of the Fleet Air Arm showing off its carrier-borne squadrons of Fairey IIIFs and Blackburn Ripons from HMS Renown and HMS Furious.

A WW2 film following recruits as they join the Fleet Air Arm and a film of life on board the Floating Fortress that was HMS Victorious in the Mediterranean circa 1960 when her air group consisted of Supermarine Scimitars, De Havilland Sea Venoms and Westland Whirlwinds.

Tickets for the film night can be obtained on line at www.fleetairarm.com or from the door on the night. Tickets cost £5.00 for film night only or £12.50 to include supper in the museum’s Swordfish restaurant prior to the screening.

The organiser of Folkestone Airshow 2014, Open Air Promotions Ltd, has named the RAF Benevolent Fund as official charity partner for the event.

Director Yvonne Holder said that the organisation did wonderful work supporting serving and former RAF personnel and their families and it was fitting that it benefited from an event in which so many iconic military aircraft would take part. “Our donation will be a share of the money received from the sale of souvenir programmes. Cover price will be £3.50, of which 50p will be given to the Fund”.

Paul Hewson, regional director of the RAF Benevolent Fund, said that the charity was ‘absolutely thrilled” to have been chosen as an official partner for what promised to be Folkestone’s biggest and best air show. “Few people realise the extent of the work we do. Every year, we spend more than £20 million on a wide range of support services and without the generous support of events like the Folkestone Air Show it simply would not be possible to provide them on the scale we do”.

Folkestone Airshow takes place on Saturday and Sunday, June 7 and 8. The flying programme on the first day will feature the RAF Red Arrows aerobatic team.

www.folkstoneairshow.com

This year’s ground displays at the RAF Cosford Air Show will be joined for the first time by a Royal Navy Sea Harrier.

The Sea Harrier FA2 arrived by road earlier this week after being transported across the country and was delivered safely to RAF Cosford engineers who are now working hard to piece it back together in time for the Air Show. On loan from RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall, this Sea Harrier ZH796 was built in 1996 and has flown approximately 1300 flying hours. It was retired from service in 2006 and was the last of its type to fly from HMS Illustrious before it was decommissioned. It is now housed at the School of Flight Deck Operations at RNAS Culdrose where it is used in support of naval groundcrew training.

This aircraft joins three other Harriers on display at this year’s Air Show, a GR3 and two GR9’s each with a unique configuration. The exhibit is part of a special display to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first flight of the Kestrel, the prototype for the Harrier. The original Kestrel is part of the RAF Museum collection and will also be part of this special line-up.

Amanda Butcher, spokesman for the Cosford Air Show, said:

“The addition of this Sea Harrier will enable us to represent the history of Harrier aircraft of the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy across the years. This will be a unique opportunity to witness the evolution of the Harrier family from the Kestrel right through to the Harrier GR9.”

www.cosfordairshow.co.uk