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Last few tickets available for Pilots view at Cosford

Cosford Open Cockpits Evening

Date: 15-16 May

Time: 6.00pm to 9.00pm

Cost: £12.50 per person

The Royal Air Force Museum Cosford will be participating in the annual Museums at Night event next week, as they open up the doors to some of the historic aircraft in their collection. Visitors attending the ‘Open Cockpits Evening’ will have exclusive after-hours access on board the aircraft for a Pilots view of the cockpit.

Organisers have doubled the number of evenings for this popular event giving twice as many aviation fans the chance to sit inside some of the world’s most iconic aircraft. The event, which is held twice a year in May and September, now runs on both a Friday and Saturday evening. Just 300 tickets per evening are available for this exclusive event and tickets for the event on 15-16 May are almost sold out, with just a few tickets remaining for each evening.

A total of 14 aircraft will be available for close viewing on the night: including transport aircraft, jet fighters and unique research airframes. Highlights on the night will include the British Aerospace Experimental Aircraft Programme (EAP). This experimental jet helped pave the way for the renowned Eurofighter Typhoon which has many of the same characteristics and capabilities and is in operation with the RAF and five other Air Forces, today. Visitors will also have access on board the de Havilland Chipmunk, one of the RAF’s longest serving aircraft types. It entered RAF service in the 1950s as an initial pilot trainer, offering relatively modern features such as flaps, brakes, radio and an enclosed cockpit. The Duke of Edinburgh learned to fly in Chipmunks and made his first solo flight on 20 December 1952 in the aircraft displayed at Cosford.

Museums at Night is the annual after-hours festival of arts, culture and heritage when hundreds of museums, galleries, libraries, archives and heritage sites open their doors for special evening events. It takes place from Wednesday May 13 – Saturday May 16. More details can be found at www.museumsatnight.org.uk

Rosie Clarke, Campaigns Officer, Culture24 Said:

“The Museums at Night festival is all about encouraging new visitors to discover the amazing culture and heritage on their doorstep, and what could be more exciting for fans of aviation history than to get up close and personal with the amazing aeroplane collection at RAF Museum Cosford? Their popular Open Cockpit nights always sell out quickly and get excellent feedback from everyone who comes along: we’re delighted that they’re part of Museums at Night again this year.”

The exclusive after hour’s event will commence at 6.00pm and finish at 9.00pm, with numbers onto the Museum site strictly limited to 300 people. Admission is by advance ticket only and the last few remaining tickets are available to purchase through the Museum’s website www.rafmuseum.org/cosford for just £12.50 per person. Lightning Members price £10.00 per ticket (please note membership cards will need to be shown on entry to the event). Parking charges are included in the ticket price. Minimum height restrictions of 1.07 metres will apply.

The Museum will close at 5.00pm on each ‘Open Cockpit Evening’ in order to set up for the event. A detailed list of aircraft open on the September evenings (18-19 September) will be issued nearer the time.

www.rafmuseum.org

Award for Pilots of the Caribbean Exhibition

The RAF Museum is proud to announce that its exhibition ‘Pilots of the Caribbean: Volunteers of African Heritage in the RAF’ was given a Highly Commended Award in the ‘Best Temporary Exhibition’ category at the Museums and Heritage Awards 2015 held in London on 29th April.

Pilots of the Caribbean: Volunteers of African Heritage in the RAF tells the story of Black servicemen and women from the Caribbean, Africa and Britain who volunteered to serve in the Royal Air Force in two World Wars and the subsequent peace. These volunteers fought and died for their mother country and for freedom, and the exhibition commemorates and celebrates their vital contribution to the defence of Britain, her Empire and Commonwealth.

The exhibition also highlights the RAF’s success in embracing diversity, demonstrating how the rich, cosmopolitan nature of modern Britain owes much to the Black men and women who wore air force blue.

‘Pilots’, was curated in partnership with Black Cultural Archives with an initial call out to the Black British community which encouraged a dialogue, engagement and sharing of stories. The exhibition display incorporates these stories along with archive materials, video footage and photographs.

The temporary exhibition was opened in November 2013 at the Museum’s North London site by Baroness Floella Benjamin OBE. In 2014 it was on display at the Mitchel Library in Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games and it is currently on display at the Museum site at Cosford in the West Midlands. It has been an incredibly popular exhibition with visits from Black History Groups across the country, local dignitaries and celebrities such as JLS and Reggae icon Eddy Grant.

An online version of the exhibition is in development and plans are now afoot to tour the exhibition across RAF Stations around the UK.

www.rafmuseum.org

Museum Recreates Aviation Pioneers Office From Single Photo

office RAFmuseum

British aviation pioneer Claude Grahame-White’s office room now open for public viewing…

The Museum is delighted to announce that from this week, Claude Grahame-White’s office on the first floor of the Grahame-White Watchtower will be open to the public as part of the general exhibition.

Quite remarkably Claude Grahame-White’s sumptuous first floor office has been faithfully recreated through careful analysis of a single black and white photograph dating from 1915 – the only known photograph to survive. The colour scheme was noted from a painting.

Great care and attention was taken to source materials from across the world and ensure that the details of the original office were replicated, which ensures the time capsule feel when entering the room.

The office has a style and period charm which Museum visitors will now be able to enjoy at their leisure and copies of historic documents have been re-produced with the intention that these can be handled.

John Waxman: Assistant Director, RAF Museum “It’s wonderful to be opening up this room to our visitors and we have no doubt that it will appeal to a wide audience. The room is a replica of the office where Claude Grahame-White developed his plans for British Aviation which in turn impacted the world. I’m sure it’s charm will resonate with those who visit.”

www.rafmuseum.org

Get On Board For RAF Cosford Air Show

RAF Cosford

Organisers of the 2015 RAF Cosford Air Show announced today that a combined rail travel and Air Show ticket is now available from all manned UK rail stations. If purchased with rail travel to Cosford, admission is discounted to £18.00 per adult, a saving of £4.00 on the standard price. Accompanied under 16s have free entry to the show.

Air Show Commercial Manager Marilyn Summers said, “With the train station right on the doorstep for access to the showground and extra services being put on for the day, we would encourage visitors to take the train if they have the option and just sit back and enjoy the ride to what promises to be a fantastic day out with the bonus of a discounted entrance ticket.”

The RAF Cosford Air Show is the largest aviation event in the Midlands with an exhilarating six hours of aerial displays. It’s a fantastic day out for the whole family with a huge variety of attractions on the ground including this year, for the 70th anniversary of VE Day, the Victory Village, an all-day street party transporting visitors back to 1945. There will also be plenty of opportunities to get hands on with engineering experiments and a great mix of shopping opportunities.

Tickets for the RAF Cosford Air Show 2015 are on sale now, priced at £22 and with free entry for accompanied under-16s. Visit www.cosfordairshow.co.uk to purchase online orfor details of retail outlets selling tickets.

Classic Jet Icons For Anniversary Air Day

Yeovilton Air Day Sea Vixen

From the mighty Avro Vulcan to the feisty MiG-15, classic jet aircraft will be out in force at the Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton International Air Day on Saturday 11 July. Several will help mark the show’s key theme celebrating RNAS Yeovilton’s 75th anniversary, none more so than the world’s only flying Sea Vixen, based here since September 2014. The former fleet defence fighter in its 899 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) markings will surely take many visitors back to when the Sea Vixen’s unmistakable shape speared regularly through the Somerset skies.

Canberras and Hunters also became a familiar sight over the county and there will be an example of each performing a joint flying display at Air Day. Designed as a bomber, the Canberra became latterly a photo reconnaissance platform and this example is, like the Sea Vixen, globally-unique. In their very smart silver colour scheme, both jets represent British post-war aviation technology at its classiest.

Representing RNAS Yeovilton’s thunderous ‘70s era – the muscular and potent F-4K Phantom FG1 in its newly-applied 892 NAS markings will be on static display. Two examples of the legendary Sea Harrier FA2 will also be on the ground representing the Air Station’s last frontline fixed wing squadrons.

One of the star attractions will be a MiG-15, belonging to the Norwegian Air Force Historical Squadron, making a rare appearance in the flying display. The Cold War classic jet fighter will be the first of its kind to display in this country since the late-1990s. The MiG-15 is well known for its role in the Korean War and engaging Royal Navy Sea Furies where remarkably on one such occasion the piston-engined aircraft gained superiority over the jet.

Finally, in what truly might be its swansong season, Avro Vulcan XH558 is returning to give yet another hugely powerful account of itself. The much loved and strongly supported V-Bomber, named ‘Spirit of Great Britain’, will perform a ground shaking flying display and be present on the ground for guided ‘under-wing’ tours, perhaps for the last time ever at Yeovilton.

Advance tickets priced at £20 (adults) and £6 (children 5-15 yrs) are available to order from www.royalnavy.mod.uk/yeovilton-airday.

Air Tattoo Welcomes Delta Force

RIAT Delta Force

This summer’s Royal International Air Tattoo will feature one of the most spectacular fast jet displays on the European circuit.

The French Air Force’s Ramex Delta team of two Dassault Mirage 2000N strike aircraft is set to provide a dramatic and noisy role demonstration at the Air Tattoo, which takes place at RAF Fairford in the Cotswolds, on July 17-19.

The Mirage 2000N is the nuclear strike variant of the type and visitors to the airshow will be able to see this outstanding combat aircraft perform various tactical manoeuvres along the lines of those used in combat.
Last demonstrated in a solo display at the Air Tattoo in 2006, the delta-winged Mirage 2000 entered French Air Force service in fighter form during 1982. It remains a highly manoeuvrable and effective combat aircraft, and has seen extensive operational use in its different variants, not least over Iraq, the Balkans, Afghanistan and Libya.

Air Tattoo Chief Executive Andy Armstrong said: “It is always a pleasure to welcome new display acts to the show. I know many visitors to RIAT 2015 will be looking forward immensely to seeing Ramex Delta in action.”
Also confirmed for this summer’s Air Tattoo is a mass flypast of historic aircraft to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, a display by the world’s only airworthy Vulcan bomber and, of course, the legendary Red Arrows.

Other aircraft confirmed for the flying display include the UK debut of Team Zeus from the Hellenic Air Force, a Czech Air Force SAAB JAS-39C Gripen and a Royal Netherlands Air Force Apache helicopter.

On the Showground, attractions include theme areas such as the Adrenalin Zone, ideal for thrill-seekers of all ages; the Techno Zone, which brings engineering to life with demonstrations and hands-on activities designed to engage young minds; the evocative Vintage Village andnew for 2015, theAutodromefeaturing a wide range of rare and exciting cars and motorbikes.

The Air Tattoo is staged annually in support of the RAF Charitable Trust. Tickets for the event on July 17-19 are only available in advance. Special Earlybird tickets priced from £31 are available until May 31 from www.airtattoo.com or by calling 0800 107 1940. All accompanied under-16s go free. Free parking.

Plans For SAR Celebration At Cosford

RAF Cosford SAR

Organisers of the RAF Cosford Air Show today confirmed more aircraft that will be appearing on Sunday 14th June, as part of the Search and Rescue theme.

In the air, visitors to the show will be treated to a search and rescue role demonstration from the iconic RAF Sea King HAR3. The appearance of the yellow helicopter, which has been in service for over three decades, will likely be one of the type’s final public appearances with the Sea King retiring from Royal Air Force service later this year. Showcasing the history of air-sea rescue, a historic American sea-plane will also be taking part in the flying display, a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina. The Catalina was used by both the US Navy and Royal Air Force during the Second World War, landing on water to rescue downed Allied airmen.

Air Show spokesperson Peter Reoch said, “The appearance of the Sea King & Catalina both strengthen the flying display line-up, adding to the colourful and eclectic mix of aircraft already confirmed for the show.” With these aircraft additions, organisers are again reminding visitors that tickets to the show must be purchased in advance. The advance tickets only policy is hoped to further improve the traffic flow into the event, which last year attracted 55,000 visitors.

On the ground, the ‘SAR Zone’ will contain numerous SAR related displays, including RAF Mountain Rescue Service and the West Midlands Fire Service Technical Rescue Unit, who specialise in Urban Search and Rescue. Aircraft already confirmed for static display within the area include a Griffin HAR2, Whirlwind HAR10 and the Midlands Air Ambulance.

For the first time, tickets for the RAF Cosford Air Show 2015 are advance sale only. Adult tickets are priced £22.00 with accompanied under-16s coming free! For more details on the event, hospitality packages and to purchase tickets, visit www.cosfordairshow.co.uk

VE Day 70 at The Albert Hall

VE 70 Royal Albert Hall

CLASSIC FM PRESENTS:

VE DAY AT 70 – LIVE FROM THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL

SUNDAY 10 MAY 2015

Classic FM will host a special VE Day at 70 concert live from London’s Royal Albert Hall on Sunday 10 May 2015.

Presented by Classic FM’s John Suchet and Myleene Klass, the evening promises to be a spectacular celebration to mark 70 years since Victory in Europe Day. John and Myleene will be joined by a host of special guests alongside the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, as they reflect on a day that changed the world – 8th May 1945. Music will include Edward Elgar’s Nimrod, William Walton’s Spitfire Prelude and Fugue, Eric Coates’ Dambusters March and Gustav Holst’s Jupiter.

Classic FM’s John Suchet said: “Myleene and I are immensely proud to host VE Day at 70 as we mark 70 years since the end of war in Europe. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate this world-changing moment in our history than an evening of the world’s greatest music at the Royal Albert Hall.”

Tickets are now on sale and can be booked by visiting www.royalalberthall.com or by calling the Royal Albert Hall box office on 0845 401 5045.

Bristol Sycamore Helicopter Goes To Bristol Aerospace Centre

Bristol Sycamore

The RAF Museum is pleased to announce the transfer of Bristol Sycamore HR.14 XL824 to the Bristol Aerospace Centre

The Bristol Sycamore was the first British-designed helicopter to serve with the Royal Air Force. Produced by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, it was employed on search and rescue and anti-submarine warfare duties.

The Sycamore entered service with 275 Squadron of the RAF in April 1953, and went on to serve with nine squadrons in total. It was used during the Malayan Emergency (1948-1960) for deploying Army foot patrols into the jungle. The type was used by the Royal Air Force Central Flying School for pilot training.

This particular example served with No. 284 Squadron in Cyprus during the late 1950’s before returning to the UK in the mid 1960’s. Following a brief stint at the Central Flying School, it was allocated to the RAF Museum in the late 1960’s. It was then loaned out to Manchester Air & Space Museum for public display between 1982 and 2008. Since then it has been in RAFM storage facility at MoD Stafford.

Ian Thirsk, Head of Collections RAF Museum: “We are very happy for the team at the Bristol Aerospace Centre and cannot think of a more appropriate recipient for the Sycamore. As a new organisation celebrating the UK’s rich aviation heritage we would also like to wish them the best of luck and look forward to working together in the future.”

Lloyd Burnell, Project Director at Bristol Aero Collection Trust, said “We are delighted that the RAF Museum has elected to gift its Bristol Sycamore HR.14 to the Bristol Aerospace Centre, which will provide a fitting home for the helicopter as part of our extensive collection of Bristol aerospace products.The Bristol Aerospace Centre is a new £16 million industrial museum and learning centre at Filton, one of the birthplaces of the UK industry, and is due to open in Spring 2017. We already have significant financial backing from corporate and other partners and were recently awarded a £4.7 million grant by the Heritage Lottery Fund. We look forward to continuing to build upon our strong relationships with the RAF Museum as we deliver the project”

www.rafmuseum.org

Helicopter Extravaganza At Cosford

RAF Cosford Helicopter extravaganza

(Crown copyright)

Helicopter fans will be well accommodated at the RAF Cosford Air Show 2015, with news of more participants for the show on Sunday 14th June announced by the organisers today.

Making a welcome return to the Air Show will be the RAF Chinook Display, showcasing the stunning agility of the RAF’s primary heavy-lift helicopter. The Chinook is used for troop transportation, supply and battlefield casualty evacuation, and can carry up to 55 troops and 10 tonnes of freight. Another RAF helicopter due to appear at the show is the Puma HC2, which will be making its debut at RAF Cosford on static display. The Puma will form part of a special ground display showcasing the role of the UK Armed Forces in Belize which will also include a Harrier GR3. The Royal Navy will also be taking part in the flying displays, with a Lynx HMA8. This year is likely to be the last chance to see this maritime helicopter as they are slowly being retired from service.

For those visitors who want to get involved in the aerial action, the show has teamed up with Adventure001 to offer helicopter pleasure flights at the show, for the first time in a number of years. Flights will be available to visitors throughout the day in Bell Jetranger helicopters. Air Show Spokesperson Michaela Kitto said, “We’re really excited about the introduction of helicopter pleasure flights at the show. The flights will offer visitors a chance to get some unique views of the Shropshire countryside and make the day at the Air Show extra memorable!”

Organisers have seen a boost in ticket salesover the Easter period, with over 20% of the tickets for the event sold already. This year, the event will not have any tickets available on the gate, and therefore visitors are being reminded to buy their advance tickets as soon as possible. Advance Tickets to the show are already on sale online and in various outlets across the West Midlands, priced £22.00. The Air Show is a great day out for all the family, with accompanied under-16s coming to the show for free.