BBC’s Flog It at RAF Museum

The popular BBC One antiques programme Flog It presented by Paul Martin, is coming to London on Thursday 29th January 2015.

Flog It – the major BBC antiques show is now on its fourteenth series and regularly achieves an audience of over two million viewers in its weekday afternoon slot.

RAF Museum London will be hosting the Flog It valuation day. Rather like a treasure hunt, members of the public are invited to bring along up to three antiques and collectables they might be interested in selling. Once valued, the owner and a team of experts decide whether an object should go forward for auction. If the item is chosen it is included in a sale a few weeks later – hopefully when the auctioneers hammer falls its owners make a tidy sum. Everyone who goes along to the Valuation Day will receive a free valuation – even if their antiques are not chosen to go forward for auction.

The show recently made a significant find when a rare Aboriginal Broad Shield that had been kept hidden away in a Flog It viewers wardrobe was brought along to a valuation day in North Lincolnshire and went on to sell at auction for £30,000! The series also uncovered an unusual Royal Doulton Spook figurine in Blackpool which had been bought at a car boot sale for £2; it went on to sell at auction for £5000.

Alex Habgood, Location Manager says “Paul Martin and the entire Flog It team are really pleased to be bringing the show to RAF Museum London. We always receive a warm welcome when we come to the capital. The museum will provide the perfect setting for our filming; our experts are all looking forward to welcoming people along for their free valuations amongst such a significant collection of aircraft. If you’ve ever wondered how much your boot sale bargains or clutter in the loft might be worth, now is your chance to find out.”

Paul Martin, Presenter of Flog It said “I’m delighted to be bringing Flog It to RAF Museum London, and I hope as many people as possible will come along to see us with their items for valuation.”

Vicki Hibbert, RAF Museum London Corporate Events Manager said “The Museum is looking forward to hosting the Flog It team. Our collection of historic aircraft should make for a great setting and a really special set of shows!”

Paul Martin will be joined on the valuation day by Flog It on screen experts Anita Manning, Mark Stacey and Michael Baggott. The BBC are planning to transmit the four editions of Flog It featuring RAF Museum London within a year of recording.

Flog It will be at RAF Museum London, Grahame Park Way, London, NW9 5QW on Thursday 29th January 2015 between 10.00am and 4.30pm. The items selected at the valuation day will go under the hammer at Chiswick Auctions, 1 Colville Road, London, W3 8BL on Tuesday 17th February 2015.

www.rafmuseum.org

Praises Aplenty for RAF Cosford

Lancaster Bomber - Airscene Awards 2014

RAF Cosford have scooped two top slots in the Airscene Awards 2014…

Firstly the RAF Cosford Airshow, which failed to make the shortlist until last year when you voted it into 2nd place has this year been voted “Best Airshow” by Airscene visitors. Airscene reviewer Dave Briers praised RAF Cosford efforts to sort out previous years access and traffic issues, and cites the harnessing of resources such as the RAF Museum as contributing to the overall pull of Cosford…. “Organisation and Innovativion with a “Can & Will Do” attitude – that’s Cosford!“.

No change in the order of the top 3 for the Best Aviation Museum as RAF Cosford Museum hangs on to first place for the 2nd year running. Duxford stay in 2nd place while the Fleet Air Arm Museum stay in 3rd albeit with a lot less votes than 2013.

The most interesting battle always seems to come from the “Best FREE Airshow” award.. Bournemouth and Eastbourne both stay in the top 3 again this year, but it was the Devon faithful out in force this year to help secure the award for Dawlish Airshow.

Well done Dawlish! This is what a couple of your fans had to say…

“This must be the best free show in UK! The bay is so picturesque and lends itself to this theme.The atmosphere is electric, many viewing spots for all to get a good angle on the show. Many restaurants and amenities so convenient for visitors. They come in droves! The town is very welcoming, good communications and on the spot railway station too.I have lived here 18 years and it has only rained once on the day but the show went on!” – Christine McCarthy

“What a venue with the planes coming over the hill from Teignmouth, awesome.” – Guy Bannister

In the Best Solo Display category it was the Typhoon which triumphed this year, with Vulcan XH558 and the RAF Chinook taking 2nd and 3rd place respectively (both having won this award in previous years).

Last but not least – the “Best Display Team”…

There has been so much commentary and an outpouring of emotion, not to mention silencing of crowds up and down the length of the UK; whenever the BBMF put in an appearance in 2014, as the public lapped up the sight of not one but two Lancaster Bombers flying side by side – truly a once in a lifetime event! So what happened here???

Well – the Red Arrows won again – that’s what, and for the 4th year in a row! BBMF grabbed 2nd place and The Blades came 3rd. This shouldn’t perhaps be a surprise as the Red Arrows are truly as British as Bangers & Mash, and in the good old game of Rock, Paper, Scissors – excitement beats nostalgia.

Maybe at the end of the day, the BBMF and the Canadian Lancaster needed a category of their own this year. So the award for the “Best Tugger of Heart Strings” goes to….

**Full results can be found at: www.airscene.co.uk/airscene-awards-2014.php

Air Tattoo To Welcome Aviation Icon

Vulcan Bomber

ONE of the world’s most iconic aircraft will touch down at RAF Fairford in the Cotswolds this summer to take part in the Royal International Air Tattoo.

Vulcan XH558 is the only flying example of this large Cold War bomber having been restored to flying condition in 2007 following a public fundraising campaign by the Vulcan to the Sky Trust (VTST).

Since then, displays by the aircraft, demonstrating both its grace and immense power, have been among the most eagerly-anticipated on the UK airshow circuit.

Based at Robin Hood Airport in Doncaster, XH558 is the first aircraft to be confirmed for the airshow which takes place on July 17-19.

Named The Spirit of Great Britain, Vulcan XH558 will fly into RAF Fairford on Friday, July 17for a special ‘Pit Experience Day’ offering people close access to the aircraft and the opportunity to meet members of the Vulcan to the Sky team and the dedicated band of volunteers who help keep the aircraft airborne.

The aircraft will perform two flying displays during its visit, one on Saturday July 18 and the other on Sunday July 19. Weekend visitors will also be given the opportunity to visit her on the ground in return for a small donation toVTST.

Air Tattoo Chief Executive Andy Armstrong said: “The Vulcan is arguably the most popular historic aircraft flying today and I am delighted that we’re able to welcome her back to the Air Tattoo this summer.

“What better way to launch our 2015 theme Securing the Skies – Past, Present and Future than with an aircraft that performed a crucial role in the UK’s strategic nuclear strike force during the Cold War, on standby 24 hours a day with crews ready to launch the aircraft with two minutes’ notice.

“I am confident the Vulcan will be the first of many exciting aircraft from around the world to confirm their participation over the coming months – but what a start!”

VTST Chief Executive Dr Robert Plemingsaid: “We are really delighted to return XH558 to such a prestigious event on the aviation calendar.”

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 Super Earlybird tickets priced from £26 are available until January 31 from www.airtattoo.com or by calling 0800 107 1940. All accompanied under-16s go free. Free parking.

RAF Museum Cosford Events 2015 Diary Date

Forthcoming events taking place at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford during 2015:

 

 

Event

Date

Jan

Airfix Make and Take

17 January

Feb

Model Making Half Term

16-20 February

Mar

Easter Activities

30 March – 2 April

Apr

Easter Activities

7-10 April

 

Shropshire Scale Model Show

12 April

 

Bike4Life Fest

26 April

May

Open Cockpits Evening

15-16 May **

 

Half Term Activities

25-29 May

Jun

Dornier Do 17 – Two Years On

10 June **

 

RAF Cosford Air Show

14 June **

 

Armed Forces Day

27 June

Jul

Large Model Aircraft Rally

18-19 July **

 

Cosford Food Festival

25-26 July **

Aug

August Activities

1-31 August

Sep

Battle of Britain Weekend

12-13 September

 

Battle of Britain Afternoon Concert

13 September **

 

Open Cockpits Evening

18-19 September **

Oct

Half Term Activities

26-30 October

Nov

Remembrance Service

8 November

 

Conservation Centre Open Week

9-14 November **

** Admission Charges Apply.

More details on each event will be issued closer to the time. Some events may incur a small participation fee and additional events may be added during the year.

RAF Museum Cosford Public Events Manager Abi Betteridge said:

“This year’s event calendar is packed with popular favourites including the Large Model Aircraft Rally and the Cosford Food Festival, plus we will also see the return of the Battle of Britain Weekend as 2015 marks the 75th anniversary of this significant milestone in RAF history. We have doubled the number of Open Cockpits Evenings to try and keep up with demand and we have plenty of fun packed activities planned for each of the school holidays to keep the youngsters entertained.”

For further information on forthcoming events taking place at the RAF Museum Cosford in 2015, please contact the Museum on 01902 376200 or visit www.rafmuseum.org.

Festive opening dates at Cosford

RAF Cosford Britannia in snow

If you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle this Christmas, why not visit the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford during the festive period? The Museum will be open daily throughout December from 10am apart from Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Not only will you be able to reminisce in the Warplanes Hangar where you can view a wide range of historic aircraft including the world’s oldest Spitfire, visitors can get up close to a unique collection of experimental jets including the TSR2 and the Bristol 188.

Step in from the cold into the award winning National Cold War Exhibition, where you will find much more than aircraft on display. The exhibition includes a genuine section of the Berlin Wall, audio visual displays telling the story of the Cold War in a fun and innovative way, plus a collection of military tanks and civilian vehicles – all housed under the wings of Britain’s three V Bombers; Vulcan, Victor and Valiant and other aircraft suspended in flying attitudes.

The RAF Museum Cosford is also home to a number of smaller unique exhibitions including Lucky Mascots and RAF Boy Entrants. Plus, in Hangar 1 you will find the 1:1 scale Airfix Spitfire model built by TV Presenter James May and the popular ‘Pilots of the Caribbean – Volunteers of African Heritage in the RAF’ exhibition. Best of all, if your credit cards are maxed out after Christmas, a visit to the Museum won’t cost you a penny as admission is FREE!

So if you’re looking to entertain the children in the run up to Christmas, or your nearest and dearest in the lull before New Year, the RAF Museum has something to occupy visitors of all ages. The fun filled area of Fun ‘n’ Flight will keep the youngsters fascinated, packed with hands on excitement; it’s the easy way to answer all those questions about how aircraft stay up in the air. Or, if you’re in need of a break from all the cooking, why not treat yourself to a warming meal and freshly brewed cup of Coffee in our Refuel Restaurant overlooking the Museum grounds.

The Museum will close again on New Year’s Day and will reopen on Friday 2 January 2015 from 10am until 5pm (last admission 4pm). The Museum’s annual closure week for maintenance, training and cleaning will run from 5-9 January 2015. For further information, please call the Royal Air Force Museum on 01902 376200 or visit the Museum website www.rafmuseum.org. The Museum is open daily from 10am and admission is FREE of charge.

Re-Live All Of The Air Tattoo Thrills

RIAT dvd

Forget Santa’s Sleigh, when it comes to providing an aerial spectacle to savour this Christmas, look no further than the official 2014 Royal International Air Tattoo Souvenir DVD.

Featuring all the thrills and excitement from the world’s greatest airshow, it’s the perfect gift for anyone with a passion for aviation.

Filmed in High Definition and featuring multiple camera angles, including on-board footage, the official DVD captures the very best of the flying display including the rarely-seen Polish Air Force Su-22M4 pair, the Turkish Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon, the RAF Chinook and the RAF Typhoon plus the ever-popular Alenia C-27J Spartan from the Italian Air Force.

A sell-out crowd of 140,000 visited RAF Fairford over three days in Julyto join celebrations marking the Red Arrows’ 50th display season. The souvenir DVD, which is also available on Blu-ray or as a digital download, captures behind-the-scenes preparations, interviews with team members and display footage as well as coverage of the Reds’ unique flypast with the leaders of four other international aerobatic display teams.

More than 220 aircraft, representing 32 air arms from 26 countries took part in this year’s airshow, which is staged in support of the RAF Charitable Trust. In a special ‘extras’ section on the DVD, there is the opportunity to see many of those aircraft that appeared on static display either arriving or departing RAF Fairford. They include the debut airshow appearance of the Textron AirLand Scorpion, the final Air Tattoo appearance by two Hellenic Air Force LTV A-7E/TA-7C Corsair IIs and a rarely seen Japanese Boeing KC-767J.

And with narration by one of the UK’s most respected airshow commentators, Ben Dunnell, the official RIAT 2014 DVD shines an entertaining and informativespotlight on modern military aviation.

Air Tattoo Chief Executive Andy Armstrong said: “Air Tattoo DVDs are renowned for featuring great in-cockpit footage and this year is no different. We went all out to get access to as many aircraft as we could and the result is fantastic. Viewers will be able to enjoy many of the displays from the pilots’ perspective – which can sometimes make you feel quite dizzy!”

The official Air Tattoo 2014Souvenir DVD is available on DVD (priced £19.95); Blu-ray (£24.95) and, for the first time via digital download (£14.95). To order your copy, visit www.airtattoo.com or call 0800 107 1940.

Newark Air Museum Events for 2015

Newark Air Museum Victory Day

Here at Newark Air Museum, a registered charity, we’re already starting to make plans for our 2015 special events and we hope that you may be able to join us…

7 March 2015 – Indoor Aeroboot / Aerojumble Table Top Sale 48 sellers tables all hosted inside Display Hangar 2 amongst the aircraft at the museum site in eastern Nottinghamshire. {Special discount admission rates apply, open to everyone to attend.}

16 & 17 May 2015 – Tribute to our Training Aircraft an open cockpit style event based around the museum’s extensive display of training aircraft, cockpits and CIMs; with viewing opportunities and in some cases aircraft access. {Normal admission rates apply; and small additional fees when going inside aircraft.}

13 & 14 June 2015 – Cockpit-Fest 2015 & Aeroboot / Aerojumble; this regular two day event provides the perfect opportunity for the public to view a diverse range of visiting aircraft cockpits. {Normal admission rates apply}

25 & 26 July 2015 – Victory Days 2015; this weekend will include 40’s attractions such as the Anderson Shelter and Dig for Victory Garden experience, music, re-enactors, period traders, Tea Tent, period food, vintage civilian / military vehicles, and displays of period clothing and other items; all set amidst the museum’s aircraft collection. A flypast from the BBMF has been applied for. Anyone visiting is encouraged to wear period clothing but no Axis uniforms will be allowed as this is a Home Front event. {Normal admission rates apply}

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Monospar Autumn Update 2014

Newark Air Museum Monospar

Following the successful application of polyester fabric to the inner wing sections of the General Aircraft Monospar airframe during the summer, work is about to proceed with the more complex wing sections.

The starboard wing has just been moved into the museum’s on-site workshop and an epoxy primer coating is being applied to the complex lattice work structure of the wing. After this has cured the complex task of applying the fabric will commence, this work will be undertaken by the members who developed their fabric application techniques earlier in the year.

Sufficient fabric and associated materials have now been ordered to allow both the Monospar airframe and the Auster AOP9 fuselage to have fabric applied. Some work is still to be completed on the ‘top hat’ longerons on the Monospar fuselage, but once this has been undertaken the fuselage fabric will also be applied.

All of the rebuild work on the General Aircraft Monospar VH-UTH at Newark Air Museum is being without any working drawings or airframe plans.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Duke Of Edinburgh Opens New First World War Exhibition

Duke of Edinburgh open exhibition

Today The Duke of Edinburgh conducted the official opening of a new permanent First World War exhibition at the Royal Air Force Museum London.

Whilst at the Museum, His Royal Highness met and spoke with members of Museum staff as well as designers and technicians who worked on the exhibition.

Karen Whitting, Director of Public Programmes at the Royal Air Force Museum, said: “It was a pleasure and an honour to have the Museum’s Royal Patron The Duke of Edinburgh, open this landmark exhibition The Museum looks forward to sharing this incredible story with both local visitors and audiences from across the globe. It is particularly fitting that we mark this anniversary in the approach to 2018, the centenary of the founding of the Royal Air Force.”

Blondel Cluff, Chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund London Committee, said: “Thanks to lottery players, this new permanent exhibition means that the RAF Museum will be able to play a full part in marking the centenary of the First World War, bringing to the fore an important but currently less well known aspect of the War.”

Chris Boardman, Managing Director of BAE Systems Military Air and Information, said:
“The evolution of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force from 1912 to the present day is closely intertwined with the growth of BAE Systems and its predecessor companies. We are delighted to be supporting the opening of this new gallery and the ambitious plans to redevelop the site over the next four years to inspire future generations of engineers and entrepreneurs.”

The ‘First World War in the Air’ is a new permanent exhibition supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), that will enable visitors to discover and explore the unique and often overlooked role of air power during the First World War through the incredible stories of the men and women who served and protected our nation

Set in a Grade II listed building, which was part of one of the factories where aircraft were constructed for the First World War; the exhibition uses these authentic surroundings and the RAF Museum’s world-class collection of aircraft, documents, film and photographs to reveal how aviation changed the character of war forever.

Described as the ‘Birthplace of Aerial Power’, the story of air power at Hendon began in 1862 when Henry Coxwell took a short flight in a balloon to a field near Mill Hill. In 1910, the site on which the RAF Museum is located was purchased by The London Aerodrome Company, then sold to aviation pioneer Claude Grahame-White in 1911. Grahame-White was a noted name in the early development of British aviation and his Grahame-White Aviation Company began building aircraft in 1910. During the First World War Hendon played an important role in the development of air power and pilots for both the Royal Naval Air Service and Royal Flying Corps trained at the site. In just ten years, driven by the requirements of the conflict, aviation technology developed from being barely able to cross the English Channel in 1909 to crossing the Atlantic in 1919.

Designed by Ralph Appelbaum Associates, the exhibition explores what it was like to be involved in the earliest days of military aviation through the story of Britain’s air services, the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. These two organisations merged on 1 April 1918 to become the world’s first independent air force, the Royal Air Force. Displays incorporate the experiences of pilots, ground crew and factory workers to help tell this fascinating story.

Exhibits include iconic aircraft such as the Sopwith Camel, the Fokker D VII and an example of an aircraft that was built in the factory at Colindale – the Avro 504. The exhibition’s narrative-led design is rich with interactivity, dramatic media and diverse collections. The thrilling story of the evolution of flight, from the early days of experimentation to full-force fighting machines, is underpinned by stories of people ‘on the ground’. The exhibition also explores the extraordinary expansion of Britain’s air services, the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service, from 1,800 men in 1914 to a Royal Air Force of 290,000 men and women at the end of the war in 1918.

As part of ‘First World War in the Air’ the creation of temporary exhibitions and supporting activities will include programmes for lifelong learning, volunteering, apprenticeships and public events. This four-year project marks the Centenary of the First World War, exploring the development of air power as an integral part of modern warfare including the birth of the RAF itself in 2018.

A linked online resource includes the digitisation of and wider public access to historical documents such as First World War Casualty Cards, Casualty Forms and Muster Rolls, that tell the story of the men and women of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force. This will be of particular interest to genealogists and family historians. These can be accessed at www.rafmuseumstoryvault.com

The First World War in the Air exhibition was made possible with a grant of £898,558 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The Museum would also like to thank BAE Systems for its support for the exhibition.

Product designers beware… Boeing wants you grounded

It is with a sense of dismay that Airscene has received a notice from Zazzle about an alleged intellectual property rights infringement.

Zazzle have so far refused to provide the requested information relating to what the actual infringement was, as the image concerned was one of my own. When asked why Boeing would ask for a single mousemat Showing a Boeing aircraft and with the name Boeing in the descriptive title about the product, Zazzle again made no response, however have now removed all products from their website which carries an image of a Boeing (well at least the 747) – apologies to all those who have also had their products removed!

Zazzle’s response….

Zazzle Boeing notice

Now if anyone has the email address for Boeing’s legal representative… I for one would love to find out what this is all about. Zazzle kept me on hold and refused to connect me to the Content Management Team. Do feel free to share this article – it might force a response from someone.