UK Aviation Museum News – Page 9

Sywell Jetstream Update and Appeal!

Sywell Jetstream

Sywell Aviation Museum’s second airframe, Handley Page Jetstream 200 G-RAVL has recently achieved a couple of milestones since its arrival at the Northamptonshire aerodrome in March 2021.

Most of the work has been internal and includes replacement of missing cockpit instruments (with special thanks to the Trenchard Museum at Halton) to the point where it is complete and a new set of passenger windows fitted. In addition, the control runs have been worked through and the repainted and refurbished tailplane and elevators reinstalled on the airframe. Further work will involve aileron and flap controls before the surfaces can be installed then attention will turn to the passenger cabin before a complete external repaint. One side will see her in fresh new paint in the Cranfield College of Aeronautics scheme she currently wears whereas the other will see her adopt her former RACAL Decca livery and G-AWVK registration.

All this work has been funded by donations as the Museum does not charge an entry fee. The majority of which was raised at the Museum’s popular book and model sale held in March this year.

Again the Museum is making an appeal for the donation of aviation books, and especially model kits and accessories, diecast models etc to enable another sale to take place in the new year. Kind donors can see where the money raised goes and the progress that has been made directly due to their generosity.

If you are able to donate any items to the Museum please contact sywellaviationmuseum@gmail.com or call 07968061708 – collection can be arranged.

www.sywellaviationmuseum.org.uk

RAF Museum Volunteer awarded MBE for 50 years’ service to heritage

RAF Museum Roy Martin

RAF Museum Midlands Volunteer Roy Martin has been honoured in HM The King’s Birthday Honours List 2023 and presented with his MBE by HRH The Prince of Wales in a ceremony held at Windsor Castle.

The long-serving volunteer was given the honour at a formal investiture ceremony on Tuesday 4 October, where he received his insignia, in the presence of his wife and two sons.

The King’s Birthday Honours mark the extraordinary contributions of people across the UK, for their outstanding achievement or service to the community which has had a long-term, significant impact. Colleagues at the RAF Museum are delighted to see Roy awarded an MBE for his services and commitment to the heritage sector, and this award is a celebration of his decades of volunteering.

Roy first volunteered at the Museum 50 years ago as Curator. After four years he returned to his engineering roots, overseeing the engineering volunteer team who support the Museum’s Technicians and Apprentices to maintain the aircraft and keep them looking their best. Prior to joining the Museum, Roy served in the RAF for 22 years as Chief Technician, including nine years at RAF Cosford.

On receiving his MBE, RAF Museum Volunteer, Roy Martin said:
‘I was over the moon when I received my letter from Buckingham Palace back in June, informing me I was on The King’s Birthday Honours List. It was a long but exciting wait until October when I was invited to Windsor Castle to receive my medal, accompanied by my wife and our two sons.

It wasn’t until we arrived at the Castle that we were told The Prince of Wales would be awarding my medal at the investiture ceremony. This seemed special, with me being Welsh, and his association with the RAF. He was dressed in his RAF uniform which I thought was very appropriate for the background to my award. He mentioned my 50 years work at the RAF Museum and that he had visited the Museum several times. It was a very sociable, relaxed and enjoyable few moments that I will never forget.

After the ceremony we strolled through the grounds and took lots of family photos. Bits of the day keep coming back in my thoughts – I will never forget what a wonderful experience we had.’

On his time volunteering at the RAF Museum, Roy added:
‘Being involved in the evolution of the RAF Museum over the past 50 years has been an amazing experience. I find it very rewarding when I see the public admiring the exhibit condition maintained by my group of volunteers.’

RAF Museum CEO, Maggie Appleton said:
‘The whole Museum team is absolutely thrilled for Roy. He is a brilliant engineer and problem-solver and, even more important, he supports all of us with his warmth and generosity of spirit. We are so fortunate at the Museum to be blessed with brilliant volunteers, and Roy’s award is a very fitting and much deserved tribute.’

The RAF Museum is open daily from 10.00am and entry is free. For more information visit www.rafmuseum.org/midlands.

Newark Air Museum Day-Night Photo Shoot

Newark Mig 27

The date for Newark Air Museum’s Autumn Day-Night Photo Shoot event has been set for Saturday October 28, 2023.

Spaces are still available and booking forms can be downloaded from the museum’s website by following the advice on this page of the museum website: http://www.newarkairmuseum.org/Museum-Events

Night-photo shoot activities will formally commence after the museum closes to the public at 1700 hours; however anyone signing up for the event will be eligible to arrive at the museum from 1000 hours onwards on October 28th so that they can enjoy a whole day taking pictures around the museum site.

The event will feature themed ground equipment; uniformed personnel; and illuminated aircraft; alongside the following museum aircraft: MiG-27; T-33; Meteor NF.14; Lightning T.5; Jaguar T.2A; Canberra T.19; Wessex; Vulcan.

Admission cost for Day-Night Photo Shoot event is £40 per person and places will be limited to 50 people. Various payment options are detailed on the booking form, or you can call in at the museum in person; or by telephoning 01636 707170.

October Photography Workshops at RAF Museum Midlands

RAF Museum Photo Workshops

Aviation Photography Workshop
(Beginners)

www.rafmuseum.org.uk/midlands/whats-going-on/events/aviation-photography-workshop-beginners/

07 October 2023 – £85 per person (incl. lunch and parking)

Capture your greatest shots – sign up for the Aviation Photography Workshop at the RAF Museum!

This full-day course is a great opportunity for photographers of every level to enhance your current set of skills. Whether you are just starting out, or you’ve already got some experience – this hands-on course will give you the chance to learn, plan, execute and develop as aviation photographers.

Learn more about the theory behind aviation photography and useful tips and tricks before you put your skills to the test in a range of settings, scenarios and cameos in and around the RAF Museum. Get up close to some of our most iconic aircrafts and discover the new layout of our War in The Air and Test Flight Hangar, including the new Bomber Command exhibition. We will also be joined by a period reenactor at your disposal to pose next to some of the aircraft to add an interesting twist. Learn more about the theory behind aviation photography and useful tips and tricks before you put your skills to the test in a range of settings, scenarios and cameos in and around the RAF Museum.

Participants will be provided exclusive access to the War in the Air Hangar and the Bomber Command exhibition for one hour after the Museum closes to use their newly acquired photography skills to capture the unique atmosphere of the building and its aircrafts.

Aviation Photography Workshop
(Advanced)

www.rafmuseum.org.uk/midlands/whats-going-on/events/aviation-photography-workshop-advanced/

08 October 2023 – £85 per person (incl. lunch and parking)

Capture your greatest shots – sign up for the Aviation Photography Workshop at the RAF Museum!

This full-day course is a great opportunity for photographers who have already got some experience or have attended previous photography workshops. This hands-on course will give you the chance to learn, plan, execute and develop as aviation photographers.

Participants will be provided exclusive access to the Test Flight Hangar for one hour after the Museum closes to use their newly acquired photography skills to capture the unique atmosphere of the building and its aircrafts

Vulcan XM594 60th Anniversary of Operational RAF Squadron Service

Vulcan XM594

On the weekend of 16th/17th September 2023 it will be sixty (60) years since Avro Vulcan XM594 entered operational squadron service with the Royal Air Force Vulcan Wing at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire.
To mark the anniversary, the Newark Air Museum (NAM) is hosting an Anniversary event at its site in eastern Nottinghamshire, close to the county border with Lincolnshire. The event is giving members of the museum’s Cockpit Opening Team the opportunity to provide FREE cockpit access to the Vulcan, to those people on the Reserve List for the 40th Anniversary event in February 2023.

Participants for the free cockpit access to XM594 are being notified of their timed ticket arrival time for going on board the aircraft, where they will be hosted by several former Vulcan personnel.

Throughout the weekend various Vulcan related displays are being hosted around the museum site and in the display hangars. On the Saturday NAM have an Aeroboot/Aerojumble aviation sale taking place, where people can search for various aviation items that will be on sale.

In addition, a series of talks by ex-Vulcan aircrew is planned to take place throughout the weekend in the Dambusters Hut; whilst various former Vulcan air and ground crew will be hosting walk-round tours of the XM594.

During the weekend various other museum aircraft and cockpits will be opening for viewing, as per normal, a small additional fee/donation is charged for access to these aircraft.

The event is open to the public and normal museum admission rates will apply.

www.newarkairmuseum.org/2023-24_Special-Events

September Update at Newark Air Museum

Newark Meteor

Good progress is also being made on two aircraft repainting projects at Newark Air Museum.

During the summer most of the surface preparation work has been completed on the MiG-23, 024003607 ‘07’ and the main surfaces are now being primed and top coat paint applied.

Work on Gloster Meteor T.7 VZ634 has also been carried out during the summer, with the final detailing work and application of the markings now underway. It is hoped that the work on VZ634 will be completed in time for the Day/Night Photo Shoot that is taking place on Saturday 28th October, 2023.

With more good weather in the forecast other projects are expected to progress well into the autumn.

Things also look nicely set for the final outdoor Aeroboot event of the year on Saturday 16th September, 2023; and the associated event to mark the 60th Anniversary of Vulcan XM594 entering squadron service in September 1963. This event will run on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th, September, 2023.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

RAF Museum recognised as Tripadvisor® 2023 Travellers’ Choice® Award Winner

RAF Museum London

The RAF Museum is delighted to announce it has been recognised by Tripadvisor as a 2023 Travelers’ Choice award winner as a top attraction. The coveted award celebrates businesses that have consistently received great traveller reviews on Tripadvisor over the last 12 months, placing these winners among the top 10% of all listings on Tripadvisor globally.

Barry Smith, RAF Museum Director of Visitor and Commercial Development, said:
‘This award speaks to the high level of visit experience we provide to all our visitors, and our commitment to excellence. To be amongst the top 10% of attractions worldwide on the world’s largest travel platform is incredible. This award is special because it’s based on real visitor reviews from people who have enjoyed their Museum visit, and then taken the time to share their experience online with other families who are looking for a highly recommended day out.’

John Boris, Chief Growth Officer at Tripadvisor, said:
‘Congratulations to the 2023 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice winners. The travel resurgence we’ve seen throughout the past year has even further heightened the competition. Earning a Travellers’ Choice Award demonstrates that you have provided great experiences to those who matter most: your guests. With changing expectations, continued labour shortages, and rising costs, this is no easy feat, and I am continually impressed with the hospitality industry’s resilience and ability to adapt. Cheers to another successful year!’

Check out all the Tripadvisor reviews for our Midlands site here, and London site here. Entry to the RAF Museum is free, to book your day out at the top attraction visit www.rafmuseum.org/london

Shackleton WR977 Work Starts at Newark Air Museum

Shackleton at Newark Air Museum

On 25th July, 2023 installation work started on a bespoke scaffolding system around the nose and forward fuselage of Avro Shackleton WR977 at Newark Air Museum (NAM). This will allow teams of museum volunteers to work on this significant restoration and repainting project in safe conditions.

In 2023 NAM successfully installed jacking pads underneath the aircraft, which allowed refurbished jacks to be installed under both wings of the aircraft. This allowed NAM to make the aircraft safe; helped to mitigate issues with the main undercarriage structures; and allowed the visiting public to once again have some access inside the aircraft.

The installation of the new scaffolding by Inspired Scaffolding Services from Bilsthorpe near Newark will allow for restoration work to be undertaken on the front section of WR977 in a safe and secure manner. This work will include: sealing the main cockpit glazing; in-depth cleaning; conservation of, and the painting of this area of the aircraft.

For most of the work period, WR977 will remain as part of the museum’s open cockpit offer. The modest contributions for accessing this iconic aircraft (when possible) will contribute towards the ongoing fund raising campaign to cover the scaffolding hire costs and the cost of the weekly safety inspections.

The current anticipated timeframe for the work is ten weeks; from the end of July through to the first week of October.

In these challenging times NAM is seeking support to help fund the costs associated with the hire and regular safety inspections of the scaffolding. This NAM fund raising campaign can be accessed via the following Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/wr977-scaffolding-2023

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Cockpit-Fest 23 at Newark Air Museum

Newark Cockpit Fest 2023

Cockpit-Fest 2023 proved to be another great event at the Newark Air Museum site in eastern Nottinghamshire. Once again the Cockpit-Fest and Aeroboot display areas were located alongside each other on the Southfield Site, which works well by integrating both aspects of the weekend.

The two-day event was well attended and drew a lot of positive feedback from exhibitors and visitors alike. Amongst the attendees were visitors from Hawaii, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and from across the UK. One young school girl chose to attend Cockpit-Fest with her father who was exhibiting at the event, rather than go to her Year 6 Prom!
The museum trustees were particularly thankful to a host of people: all of the Cockpiteers and Exhibitors, their friends and families; the Aeroboot stall holders; the museum staff, aircraft openers and volunteers who helped during the build-up, during and after the event.

Support for this year’s event came from the following people and organisations:

Ken Ellis (‘Wrecks & Relics – Spirit of Cockpit-Fest’ Awards)
The Museum Shop
Jane Knox-Kiepura & Kiepura Aviation

As now seems to be the case with Cockpit-Fest there was a diverse range of cockpits and supporting displays on show and everyone who displayed at the event was a winner and a credit to this wonderfully diverse hobby. Below are this year’s official results:

Grand Champion (Visitors Award) – Bill Fern (SYAM), Jaguar GR1, XX736

Visitors Award Non-Cockpit – Richard Fryer, Flying Helmets display

Cockpiteers Cockpit Award – Ritch & Max Blood, Provost T1 cockpit

Cockpiteers Award Non-Cockpit – Richard Fryer, Flying Helmets display

Wrecks & Relics Spirit of Cockpit-Fest Award (Ken Ellis) – Bill Fern (SYAM) –
Vickers Valetta cockpit

Wrecks & Relics Spirit of Cockpit-Fest Award (Ken Ellis) – Ian & Gary Morton –
Dove, G-ANAP cockpit

Cockpit-Fest will be back next year, on Saturday 22nd & Sunday 23rd June, 2023

www.newarkairmuseum.org

RAF Museum presents Horrible Histories Up in the Air Adventure

RAF Museum Horrible Histories

Where: RAF Museum
When: Sat 22 July – Sun 3 September
How long: Each session is 2 hours
How much: £7.50 per person, or £25 for 5 people on our group saver ticket

This summer, fasten your seatbelts as the RAF Museum presents Horrible Histories Up in the Air Adventure.

Get ready to experience the (sometimes gruesome) history of flight in the Horrible Hangar. Meet fearless and foolish flyers and solve the clues in this fully interactive experience for all the family.

Based on the Horrible Histories book, ‘Up in the Air’, written by Terry Deary and illustrated by Martin Brown, the RAF Museum will bring characters from the book to life with some of the truly brainless blunderers pursuing the desire to fly! Legendary aviation pioneers from throughout history will be on hand to steer you around six amazing zones for one fantastic adventure, including the Engineer’s Workshop; Barnstorming Braves; Creation Station; Meet the Inventor; Selfie Zone and the Up in the Air Challenge.

Barry Smith, Director of Visitor and Commercial Development RAF Museum said:
‘We are incredibly excited about our partnership with the Horrible Histories team at Scholastic. This is our biggest, most exciting family event of the year. Full of all the hilarious mishaps, mistakes and triumphs we love from Horrible Histories combined with our iconic aircraft and expert knowledge, there is something for everyone. Meet the characters and work together as a family, couple or group to complete the challenges in each zone.’

Elizabeth Scoggins, Publisher Non-fiction, Brands and Licensing said:
‘It’s been a joy to see the Horrible Histories collaboration with the RAF Museum come to fruition. A truly entertaining and immersive experience awaits children and families this summer with exactly the right mix of fantastic fun and foul facts that Horrible Histories has delivered for generations.’

Bespoke Horrible Histories activity packs and a free Twinkletoes Trail around the Museum are also on offer for visitors throughout the summer break. Not only did Twinkletoes the cat feature in the book, she’s the Transatlantic traveller and lucky charm of Arthur Whitten Brown who flew on the first ever non-stop transatlantic flight in 1919. Twinkletoes is the purrfect character to guide you round the Museum and can also be spotted on display at the Museums Midlands site over the summer.

This year celebrates the 30th anniversary of Horrible Histories – the world’s bestselling historical book series for children.

The Horrible Histories Up in the Air Adventure runs from Saturday 22 July until 3 September, with three 2-hours sessions daily. Advanced booking is strongly advised for this immersive experience. Tickets are £7.50 per person, or £25 for 5 people on our group saver ticket. Book now for a great day out this summer, visit www.rafmuseum.org/HorribleHistories.