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Voices to soar for Christmas Concerts at the Fleet Air Arm Museum

HMS Heron volunteer band

All the right Con-chords will be played as this year’s Christmas Concerts return to the Fleet Air Arm Museum on 1st and 2nd December.

Visitors can join the HMS Heron Royal Navy Volunteer Band for the event, which takes place under the museum’s Concorde 002. The concert features several classics and festive numbers. Doors open at 6.30pm and the concert starts at 7.30pm.

General Manager of the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Marc Farrance, said: “Our Christmas Concerts are very popular and they’re held in such a unique setting – under the Concorde 002. We are delighted to host the HMS Heron Royal Navy Volunteer Band again this year.”

“The event has been incredibly popular in recent years. Last year we held it over two nights to make sure no one missed out on tickets and this year will be the same.”

Tickets are £12 each and include a mince pie and mulled wine on arrival. A bar and refreshments will also be available. It is strongly recommended that those wishing to go purchase their tickets in advance.

They can be purchased from the museum during normal opening hours, by calling 01935 840565 or online at www.fleetairarm.com

For more information about the HMS Heron Royal Navy Volunteer Band, please visit: http://www.hmsheronband.co.uk/

Scampton Airshow ticket sales take off!

RAF Scampton Red Arrows

Tickets are now on sale for next year’s hugely anticipated Scampton Airshow!

Lincolnshire’s new airshow at RAF Scampton will take place on September 9-10 at the home of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team – The Red Arrows.

This exciting event, which will raise funds to support the RAF Charitable Trust, promises two fun-filled family days out eachfeaturing a spectacular five-hour flying display showcasing exciting aircraft from around the globe.

Airshow Director Paul Sall said that whilst it was too early to announce participating aircraft there was one display team he felt confident would star at the airshow. He said: “When looking at which exciting flying display participants we’d like to see featured at next September’s inaugural Scampton Airshow the Red Arrows naturally come top of our list. Like all other airshows, we will confirm next spring which UK and international aircraft will be taking part.”

It won’t all be about what’s going on in the skiesa bove Scampton. On the ground, visitors will be swept along on an aviation journey through the ages, from a nostalgic Vintage Village- offering access to the station’s Heritage Centre- through to interactive and engaging exhibits from across industry in the Techno Zone. There will also be the opportunity to learn about the modern-day Royal Air Force in the RAF Village where serving personnel will be on hand to give an insight into the many roles they perform.

Those looking to attend the show should note that tickets can only be purchased in advance at www.scamptonairshow.com. Tickets are priced at £39 withall under 16s able to enjoy the airshow free when accompanied by an adult ticket-holder.

Paul Salladded:“We think it’s important that every young person should have the opportunity to experience the magic of aviation,whether that’s in the air or on the ground. This is why Scampton Airshow admission will be free for all under 16s so as many as possible can enjoy a truly inspirational day out.”

Visitors invited to join Remembrance Service at Cosford

RAF Museum Cosford Remembrance

Date: Sunday 13 November

Time: 10.30am

On Sunday 13 November, the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford will hold a Service of Remembrance, paying respect to those service men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice during their tours of duty. 

Visitors who wish to pay their respects and reflect on the sacrifices made by our brave service men and women are invited to join the service, led by Rev (Sqn Ldr) Andrew J L Chapman, Station Chaplain RAF Cosford.    Those attending will also be treated to renditions from the Cosford Military Wives Choir, who will perform for visitors on arrival and during the service. 

The service will take place in the museum’s Hangar 1 and visitors are politely requested to assemble no later than 10:30am ready for the Service to commence at 10.45am.  As well as readings from museum volunteers, there will be hymns and the sounding of ‘The Last Post’, followed by a two minute silence.

RAF Museum Cosford Events Manager, Abi Betteridge says:

“The RAF Museum is a fitting location for this poignant occasion and we hope that local residents will choose to join us on Remembrance Sunday so we can remember together.  I would like to thank the Station Chaplain and the Cosford Military Wives Choir for their involvement in this years’ service. I’m sure visitors will enjoy the special service we have planned as well as the performances from the choir.”

 During the service, wreaths will be laid by representatives from RAF Cosford, the museum and a Second World War veteran in honour of those who have fallen in the line of duty. Following the service visitors are free to explore the museum at their own leisure.

If you would like to find out about Service Personnel who fell serving in the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force during the Great War of 1914 to 1918, or to dedicate a digital poppy, please visit the RAF Museum’s online story vault: www.rafmuseumstoryvault.org.uk

The museum is open daily from 10am to 4pm and entry to the museum is FREE of charge.  For further information please visit www.rafmuseum.org/cosford.

Remember! Remember the 5th of November

Halifax Yorkshire Air Museum

The date of the 4th / 5th November 1944 is indeed remembered here at the Allied Air Forces Memorial, as it was the night of another heavy RAF Bomber Command raid on the German steel producing city of Bochum, which was of high importance to the Nazi war machine. It was the 150th time the city had been visited by Bomber Command.

On this night, Bomber Command launched a raid of 749 aircraft from Nos. 1, 4,6 and 8 Groups, comprising of 384 Halifax bombers, 336 Lancaster’s and 29 Mosquito fighter / bombers upon the city. RAF Elvington, part of 4 Group, put up 25 aircraft from the two French Squadrons of 346 “Guyenne” and 347 “Tunisie”. For Guyenne Squadron, the night was to be particularly horrific, as, bringing up the final wave of the attack in the early hours of 5th November, their 16 Halifax bombers were the most vulnerable to attack by enemy fighters. Consequently, they lost 5 aircraft, each with seven aircrew aboard, amounting to 35 men, no, friends, on this fateful night. Of these, 11 were taken as Prisoner of War after bailing out, one successfully evaded capture but the rest lost their lives. Interestingly, there was also a ‘passenger’ on board the aircraft of Commander Robert Baron (on his 26th and last operation), this being Lt. Col. N. Dagan from the Free French Air Force HQ in Whitehall, who also lost his life. He was undertaking an assessment operation of a typical mission and the hazards encountered by aircrew.

It was the longest of nights for base Commander Puget, as he paced the floor of Elvington’s Control Tower, which still exists today, until it was clear that these aircraft were not coming home. It was the worst night of losses that the French were to endure during their service with Bomber Command.

The Allied Air Forces Memorial & Yorkshire Air Museum will be represented at the annual Mass commemorating this fateful mission, which takes place at the cathedral of Les Invalides, the Military Museum in the heart of Paris on 4th November. Ian Reed, Museum Director, will make the journey to join members of Groupes Lourds, the French veterans association for the ceremony.

Ian Reed commented: “The memory of this raid is one of the factors that makes the following annual Remembrance Sunday Service at the French Memorial, Elvington, so important and poignant, and draws a significant contingent from France every year, gathering with the hundreds of villagers, Yorkshire Air Museum Members and military personnel from various nations who come to pay their respects to the fallen of all nations.”

The Service takes place at 11:00am on Sunday 13th November, at the French Memorial, York Road, Elvington, with a later Service at the Station Chapel at the Yorkshire Air Museum at 13:30pm, which all our visitors are welcome to attend.

www.yorkshireairmuseum.org

RAF Museum concludes 2016 lecture series

br Bruce Mackay

Academics, military enthusiasts and interested members of the public are being invited to attend two forthcoming lectures next month, concluding the 2016 series of lectures from the Royal Air Force Museum’s Research Programme.

‘The Development of RAF Air Power Doctrine, 1999-2013’

Date: 10 November 2016

Time: 6.30pm

Cost: FREE

Location: University of Wolverhampton, MC001, Millennium City Building, Wolverhampton Campus.

The first of two lectures is being held on Thursday 10 November at the University of Wolverhampton and is a continuation of the joint partnership between the University’s Department of War Studies and the Royal Air Force Museum. This evening lecture commencing at 6.30pm will examine how the Royal Air Force has adapted to the post-Cold War strategic environment and the influencing factors that have contributed to the change in military doctrine. The lecture entitled ‘The Development of RAF Air Power Doctrine, 1999-2013’ will be presented by Dr Viktoriya Fedorchak, an independent researcher who recently completed her PhD on the subject.

Dr Viktoriya Fedorchak will discuss the variations in the RAF’s policies over the last two decades and the role it has played in the development of the Service’s doctrine and the evolution of air power. It will consider the four major factors in doctrine preparation; operational experience, internal politics, the role of academics and the doctrine writer. Furthermore, Dr Fedorchak will discuss how new campaigns provided operational lessons and how the shift from a single-service to a joint authorship resulted in the change of purpose and functionality.

Dr Peter Preston-Hough, from the University’s Department of History, Politics and War Studies, said:

“We’re delighted to be co-hosting this prestigious series of lectures, which continues to provide an interesting insight into this fascinating area of history. This lecture is a topical analysis of the RAF’s history during an important and very recent period of political and military change.”

‘Coming to Terms with the Air-Atomic Age’

Date: 18 November 2016

Time: 12.30pm

Cost: FREE

Location: RAF Museum Cosford, National Cold War Exhibition Lecture Theatre

On Friday 18 November, Colonel Edward A. Kaplan, Director of Aerospace Studies in the Department of National Security and Strategy at the U.S. Army War College will be presenting the final Cold War lunchtime lecture, being held in the Museum’s lecture theatre at 12.30pm. Entitled ‘Coming to Terms with the Air-Atomic Age’ Colonel Kaplan looks at the notion that air power makes unique and potentially decisive contributions to national security and how this can have different meanings over time. He will illustrate these shifts using the history of the first twenty years of post-Second World War strategic air power, the “air-atomic age”.

He will explore the shift from an early air-atomic period where American strategic air power sought to destroy enemy industry, through a later period that prioritised blunting a Soviet nuclear offensive, to the rise of Mutually Assured Destruction. The latter idea abandoned conventional notions of victory and substituted signalling an enemy through violence with a final fallback of punishment. Civilians seized control of these air operations to support these efforts to signal or punish an enemy, undermining the professional standing of Airmen. As a result, airpower began a search for a new identity that ultimately led to the substitution of precision for blunt force and the restoration of operational control to professional Airmen.

Dr Ross Mahoney, RAF Museum Aviation Historian said:

“The final two lectures of the RAF Museum’s Research Programme for 2016 examine two fascinating areas related to the development and importance of air power on both sides of the Atlantic. They should be of interest to those interested in the development of air power since the Second World War to the present. Also, we are pleased to be running our Trenchard Lectures with our partners at the University of Wolverhampton who continue to support the series.” 

As spaces are limited to both lectures, organisers advise visitors to book their FREE tickets in advance via the museum’s website to avoid disappointment www.rafmuseum.org/cosford.  Additional information about both lectures and the Museum’s Research Programme is also available online.

Visitors arriving early for the ‘Coming to Terms with the Air-Atomic Age’ lecture being held at the museum’s Cosford site can also take up the opportunity to see inside the Museum’s Conservation Centre during the annual open week which runs from 14-19 November. Doors to the Conservation Centre open at 10.15am until 1.00pm and entry is just £5 per person. 

Name up in flights is the ultimate Christmas gift!

Names on a Plane Gift

With the night’s drawing in, the countdown to Christmas has officially started and thoughts turn to buying those all-important gifts for your nearest and dearest.  At the risk of another year of repetitive run of the mill presents, the Royal Air Force Museum is offering you the chance to purchase the ultimate personalised gift for aviation fans and see their spirits soar this Christmas!

The museum has teamed up with the RAF’s official aerobatic team, The Red Arrows, to give aviation lovers from across the globe the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to place their name on one of the UK’s most iconic aircraft, a Red Arrows Hawk Jet, from a donation of just £30.  Quite literally, the name you choose to add to the jet will fly across the globe in 2017 during a season of flying displays, in the build up to the RAF’s centenary in 2018.

So why not think outside of the box this year? Think high-flying and make your Christmas gift the one that stands out from the rest and one that continues to give past Christmas Day.  The ‘Names on a Plane’ gift will become part of the RAF’s 100 year history and will have a lasting legacy at the RAF Museum’s newly transformed London site.  For years to come, recipients can search for their names on the digital wall, surrounded by iconic and historic aircraft, a collection of rare artefacts and personal stories from those who have served in the oldest and longest serving air force in the world. 

At a price that won’t break the Christmas gift budget, from a donation of just £30 you will also receive a gift certificate confirming your chosen name and a beautifully presented commemorative RAF Bluey (specially made airmail letters for sending to and from the Forces) with a special message from the Red Arrows.  In addition, those with their ‘Names on a Plane’ will receive an exclusive app in Spring 2017, enabling them to locate where their name is positioned on the jet.  Recipients will also receive regular behind the scenes updates from members of the Red Arrows Team during their 2017 tour.

Whether it’s a gift for a plane crazy youngster, a passionate aviation fan, friends and relatives who are currently serving in her majesty’s armed forces or a personal tribute to honour and remember a loved one, this unique and memorable gift is one to cherish, whilst also raising money for charity.  Take comfort in knowing that your charity donation this Christmas is an opportunity to support and be part of Britain’s only national museum dedicated wholly to telling the story of the RAF and its people.

If you want to make your ‘Names on a Plane’ gift extra special, for an additional donation optional extras can include a personalised die-cast Corgi Red Arrow Hawk Jet with your chosen name, the perfect bespoke keep sake!  Plus a complimentary one year RAF Museum membership package, packed with added benefits at both the museum London and Cosford sites and a limited edition ‘Names on a Plane’ pin badge.  Order by 10am on 12 December for guaranteed Christmas delivery for UK orders, but don’t panic if you’re making last minute purchases beyond this date, the instant gift certificate means you can present this to your loved one and still surprise them on the big day, available until 31 December.

All proceeds from the ‘Names on a Plane’ packages will support the RAF Museum (registered charity number 244708) and it’s RAF Centenary Programme, celebrating and commemorating the centenary of the Royal Air Force in 2018. 

To purchase your exclusive Christmas gift, be part of something special and to help us tell the stories of past and present personnel visit www.namesonaplane.org for details of the naming packages available which start from donations of just £30.

Red Arrows Gnat and Hampden fuselage are open week highlights

Red Arrows Gnat

Date: 14-19 November 2016

Time: 10:15am-1:00pm

Cost: £5.00 per person

A newly painted Vickers Wellington bomber wing, the Handley Page Hampden fuselage and a Red Arrows Gnat are just three of the aviation treasures on show to visitors next month at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford’s Conservation Centre Open Week. 

An exciting highlight to this year’s open week is the newly fabric covered and painted Vickers Wellington bomber outer wing.  This popular aircraft is a favourite with aviation fans and has undergone work to treat small amounts of corrosion to its famous geodetic framework, both wings and fuselage, since its arrival at Cosford in June 2010.  Now free of corrosion, both wings have been painted in a protective layer and in the last 6 months, one of the wings has been re-covered in Irish linen, doped and painted in its Bomber Command Night colour scheme by one of the museums Aircraft Technicians.  Work is now underway to repeat the process on the aircrafts second wing and eventually the fuselage.  Initially a five year project, the Wellington is expected to be completed within the next two to three years.

The team in the museums Conservation Centre are also lining up another treat for visitors, quite literally.  For the first time ever all four sections of the Handley Page Hampden’s fuselage will be placed in line showing an almost fully complete Hampden silhouette.  Work has been advancing on the Hampden considerably over the last 12 months and large sections of the badly damaged aircraft have been built from scratch on site at Cosford.  Since it was last viewed by the public almost 12 months ago, the forward fuselage and cockpit section has been manufactured using pre-production drawings and where possible castings and a few components from the original P1344 Hampden have been incorporated.  The new section will be placed alongside the rear fuselage, tailboom and tailplane for visitors to get an up close view of this rare example.  All effort on the aircraft is going into manufacturing the fuselage section which is hoped will be completed sometime in 2018.

Another aircraft spending a short period of time in the Conservation Centre is the Hawker Siddeley Gnat T1 – the first aircraft used by the RAF Red Arrows, superseded by the current aircraft, the Hawk in 1979.  The aircraft was previously on public display at Cosford and was moved into the Conservation Centre in June.  The aircraft is destined to move to the museum’s London site in 2017 and the open week in November is a last chance for Red Arrow fans to see the aircraft in the West Midlands.  As the aircraft is being prepared for transportation by road, it is also a chance to see it in a partial stripped condition.  

RAF Museum Conservation Centre Manager, Darren Priday said:

“With the museum fully engrossed in the RAF Centenary Programme the Conservation Centre team have spent a lot of 2016 away from Cosford at our London site preparing aircraft for moving. Another task that has taken us away from home is the Spitfire XIX that is currently on display in the Bahrain National Museum, the forth location it has been on display in the Middle East country in 2017.  With all these task going on away from Cosford it would have been easy to ‘down tools’ on the long term projects, but we haven’t.  The Wellington wing with its new covering and surface finish is a work of art.  In respect to the Hampden, regular visitors will notice how much the forward fuselage section has come on since last year’s open week. The chance to line up all four fuselage sections was something I have been looking forward to for a long time.  Finally the time has come and we will be able to show a Hampden fuselage in the UK; the last time this would have happened would be over 70 years ago.  We look forward to greeting our repeat visitors but also a warm welcome awaits anyone visiting for the first time”.

 Visitors will also be able to view the continuing progress on the Range Safety Launch, a project being led by a team of Volunteers, plus see a glimpse of the Dornier Do 17.  Now clear of all the marine crustaceans, the Dornier is currently housed in a controlled environment with de-humidifiers whilst the museum awaits further advice from the project advisor on how best to treat the metal. 

Museum Technicians, Apprentices and Volunteers will be available throughout the week to speak with visitors about their work and answer any questions they may have.  In addition, from Wednesday through to the Saturday, family members of the crew from the museum’s ill-fated Hampden’s last flight will be in-attendance. 

The Conservation Centre will open from 14-19 November between 10.15am and 1.00pm each day and admission is £5.00 per person (children under 16 are free and must be accompanied by an adult).  The Museum’s other hangars will be open from 10am until 5pm and entry to the museums is free of charge.  For further information, please visit the museum’s website www.rafmuseum/cosford or call 01902 376200.

PLUS…in addition to the open week, visitors will also have the exciting opportunity to climb on board the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod R.1 XV249 during daily tours.  Tickets are available to purchase on arrival, for more details visit the museum website.

RNAS Yeovilton Air Day 2017 Date Confirmed

Pitts Special at Yeovilton Air Day

The annual Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Yeovilton International Air Day in Somerset will take place on Saturday 8 July. Planning is well under way for this popular ‘Fly Navy’ airshow which will showcase the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm, its current capabilities and historic accomplishments.

2017 is set to be an exciting year for RNAS Yeovilton and the Fleet Air Arm as the first Royal Navy aircraft is set to touch down on the deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth, as she sets sail to begin sea trials. Operational evaluation and testing of the F-35B Lightning multirole fighter continues apace whilst aircraft maintainers and handlers are busily getting accustomed to the new type. The Wildcat helicopter takes over as the wings of front-line destroyers and frigates and the Commando Helicopter Force squadrons,now reunited at RNAS Yeovilton, take part in various exercises in readiness to deploy at a moment’s notice.

The Air Station’s gates will be open to 40,000 visitors, just as they were 70 years ago in 1947 at the first ever airshow at RNAS Yeovilton, providing the perfect opportunity to see our equipment and meet our personnel first hand.

Over five hours of amazing flying displays and an extensive static display will feature historic naval aircraft and their modern day counterparts in spectacular role demonstrations to acknowledge the Fleet Air Arm’s role in Protecting Our Nation’s Interests.UK and foreign military formation and solo display teams have also been invited to participate at the airshow.

www.royalnavy.mod.uk/yeovilton-airday

Alongside the magnificent flying display there will also be a huge array of ground attractions, from engineering fairs to the latest defence technology exhibitions, Service displays, trade stalls and arena displays. For the thrill seekers there will be simulators, fairground rides and helicopter pleasure flights to enjoy.

Air Day tickets are available to order from 12pm Tuesday 1st November at a discounted ‘Earlybird’ rate with no booking fees for a limited period. These are priced lower than the usual advance tickets which will go on general sale in the New Year.

Winter maintenance on rare Lancaster aircraft can be seen by visitors to IWM Duxford

Duxford Lancaster in the Hanger

The Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Avro Lancaster recently arrived at the Aircraft Restoration Company’s new Stephenson Hangar at IWM Duxford.

The Lancaster, the sole flying example in Europe of the most successful heavy bomber of the Second World War, will undergo major maintenance work in the Stephenson hangar over the winter months.

For the first time, visitors to IWM Duxford will be able to see the maintenance work in progress from a viewing gallery on the ground floor of the hangar.

Included in the major inspection is the servicing of all of the instrument systems and undercarriage.

At the conclusion of the major inspection, the aircraft will be repainted in a new scheme that commemorates the sacrifice of thousands of Bomber Command aircrew during the bombing campaign of the Second World War.

The major service is due to be completed in April 2017.

www.iwm.org.uk

Royal Air Force Museum secures National Lottery investment for RAF Centenary Programme

RAF Museum 2018

The Royal Air Force Museum is delighted to announce that it has been awarded £4,595,600 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the next phase of its RAF Centenary Programme at its London site.

2018 will mark the centenary of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and will be an occasion of national celebration and commemoration. As the oldest and longest serving independent air force in the world, the RAF has affected the lives of millions, driven technological innovations, pushed the boundaries of human achievement and become part of the UK’s cultural identity.

To connect a global audience with this remarkable story, the RAF Museum is delivering a series of ambitious capital changes to its London site, creating a world-leading visitor destination.

The first phase of this redevelopment, the ‘First World War in the Air’ exhibition, supported by HLF, opened to public acclaim in December 2014, winning Best Heritage Project in the National Lottery Awards 2015.

The Museum is delighted to announce that, with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the next phase of the transformation will be delivered for 2018.

Two innovative exhibitions will explore the first 100 years of the RAF through the stories of its people and invite visitors to imagine its future contribution and technology.

A warm welcome will be provided in a new visitor centre with clear orientation, café, shop, Members’ room and flexible-use spaces. A new restaurant will revitalise a disused historic building, connecting visitors with the site’s RAF heritage.

Through ‘RAF Stories’, a digital project, people will contribute personal stories to enhance our understanding and sharing of RAF heritage, onsite and online.

A new learning programme will aim to inspire young people in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). Additionally, new apprenticeships and volunteering activities will help the Museum conserve and display more of the incredible 1.3 million objects within its collection representing the national memory of the RAF at work and play, war and peace.

As a result, an expanded, more diverse audience will enjoy richer engagement with RAF heritage through our site, collections and people-focused  interpretation.

Further planned phases of the RAF Centenary Programme will bring to life the stories of the London Aerodrome and RAF Hendon – from which the first airmail, parachute jump, night flight and aerial defence of a city took place.

Maggie Appleton, CEO of the Royal Air Force Museum, said: “I would like to thank the Heritage Lottery Fund on behalf of all our staff, volunteers and Trustees for the generous support they have given us – we could not be happier! The story of the RAF is one of bravery, ingenuity and dedication which echoes within all our lives and will endure and enrich future generations. We are very excited to be given the opportunity to tell this story through the Museum’s collections and the voices of the individual men and women who served in the RAF and whose lives have been influenced by it.”

Stuart Hobley, Head of HLF London, said: “The RAF was one of the most significant legacies of the First World War and today, as we approach its Centenary of the organisation’s creation, millions of us have a direct family connection to the oldest and longest serving air force in the world. Thanks to National Lottery players, this investment will provide some fantastic learning opportunities and insight into the RAF’s heritage for people of all ages as well as give the stories and achievements of the men and women of the RAF a permanent legacy as part of the Royal Air Force Museum.”

www.rafmuseum.org