Tag: February

More Aviation Icons for the Old Buckenham Airshow – now even more family friendly

Dakota at Old Buckenham Airshow

Old Buckenham Airfield is delighted to confirm that its annual Airshow will add another icon of Aviation to Norfolk’s skies this summer on the 28th and 29th July. For the first time the Airshow will feature an airliner; in this instance arguably the most influential in history, the amazing Douglas DC3. At the same time, the Airshow, winner of the 2016 EDP Hoseasons “Family Event of the Year” is unveiling a new Family Centre at the Airshow, offering a range of family facilities rarely found at an outdoor event.

Very occasionally mankind gets something so right at the first attempt that it really can’t be improved upon. Aviation has one such example; after 81 years the Douglas DC3 is still in active commercial service every day, no small feat for an aircraft which many people regard as the basis of the airline industry.

Capable of landing on just about anything (including, with modifications, water and ice) the DC3 is one of only three airliners capable of landing at Old Buckenham, where it will do just that over the Airshow weekend, as well as flying a display each afternoon. Significantly, this year’s Airshow will be the first occasion in more than 70 years where a DC3 will land at Old Buckenham; the last arrived during WWII, carrying on a mission typical for the aircraft; evacuating wartime casualties from Normandy to nearby Wymondham Hospital.

The DC3 will take its rightful place amongst a host of other icons already confirmed, including the extraordinary B-17 Flying Fortress, Sally B and Supermarine Spitfire Mk. 9, MH434; for many the most famous single engine aircraft in existence.

On the ground, the Airshow will build on its credentials as one of the regions favourite family events. The event’s new Family Centre will offer a range of facilities to help families have the best possible day out. The new Centre will feature Nappy Changing and Breast Feeding areas, among other services. This facility adds to a host of factors which were central to the Airshow being awarded the coveted EDPHoseasons Tourism Awards “Family Event of the Year” in 2016. The Airshow continues to offer free admission for the under 12’s, over an acre of funfair, gourmet food village and quality ice cream without rip off prices; all essential in ensuring that families have a great, yet affordable day out.

Matt Wilkins, Airshow Organiser, said “Every minute of every day for 81 years a DC3 has been airborne and working somewhere in the World, usually saving lives and always performing a mission that no other aircraft is capable of. We’re delighted that, after more than 70 years, Old Buckenham will once again play host to a true giant of the skies; which will be with us on the ground and in the air all weekend. Our main mission is to introduce future generations to the world of aviation and the Airshow’s latest innovations in the form of the Family Centre will make it easier for everyone to enjoy the weekend.

Tickets for the Old Buckenham Airshow are available online at oldbuckenhamairshow.com and are selling at a faster rate than in 2017, which set new records for advanced tickets sales; resulting in a sell-out crowd.

www.oldbuck.com

Puma arrives at Newark Air Museum

Puma arrives at Newark Air Museum

Earlier today (Wednesday 7th February 2018) the latest addition to Newark Air Museum’s collection of airframes arrived at the museum site in eastern Nottinghamshire, close to the county border with Lincolnshire. Today’s arrival was an incomplete Aerospatiale Puma HC Mk 1 helicopter registration XW208.

The helicopter was transported by local contractor Gillivers Haulage, the short distance from RAF Cranwell, Lincs.; where it had been used to train Loadmasters in slinging techniques and load securing methods.

“This particular acquisition comes some seven years after the museum first made an attempt to secure a Puma for its collection, back in 2011,” commented Dave Hibbert, Museum Trustee & Acquisitions Officer. He continued, “RAF Pumas have been regular visitors to our Southfield Site and they have always been quite popular at the museum.”

He concluded, “We are already actively following up leads across the UK to locate the missing parts, and while it is viewed as a long-term project we are really proud to secure this early example of an under represented type of helicopter.”

Puma XW208 was off-loaded alongside Display Hangar 1 on the museum’s Northfield Site, while in this location it will be worked on as and when additional parts are secured for the project.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

RAF Musem CEO Appointed President of the Museums Association

Maggie Appleton of RAF Museum

The Royal Air Force Museum is proud to announce that our CEO – Maggie Appleton has been appointed as president of the Museums Association.

Previously a board member of the MA, Maggie will begin her presidency on 1 April 2018.

Maggie has over twenty-five years’ experience in the sector, focusing on the difference that museums and culture can make to people’s lives. After starting her career at the Royal Armouries, she worked in community museums in Stevenage and Luton, going on to be the chief executive of Luton Culture before moving to her current role at the RAF Museum in January 2015.

She led the development of Stockwood Discovery Centre, which opened in July 2008, and was behind a campaign to save the medieval Wenlok Jug for Luton and the nation after its export was stopped in 2006.

In 2012 she received an MBE for services to museums and heritage.

Her presidency begins on the centenary of the Royal Air Force’s foundation, which heralds a £26m transformation at the RAF Museum’s London site, with a focus on storytelling.

New MA President Maggie Appleton says:
“I’m absolutely delighted to be elected as MA president,” says Appleton. Having been a member of the MA for about 25 years, it’s an utter privilege, and I am very much looking forward to working with Sharon, the fabulous MA team, my colleagues on the board and all our members, to build on David Fleming’s immense contribution to museums. We continue to face unprecedented challenges and it’s more important than ever that the MA works with our partners to lead, listen and advocate with clarity, bravery and positivity.”

Outgoing MA president David Fleming says:
“It is vital that the MA not only continues to help ensure that it represents the interests of its membership, but that museums continue to modernise, and that the world takes museums seriously. It is a natural next step to elect a moderniser like Maggie Appleton to the job of president of the MA. I am confident that the key relationship Maggie needs – with the director of the MA, Sharon Heal – will enable the MA to continue its upward trajectory, which is so important for the welfare of the nation. The MA is in very good hands.”

Sharon Heal, the MA’s director, says:
“I am delighted that the MA board has elected Maggie Appleton as our new president. She is a champion of museums and the difference that they can make working with their communities. I am looking forward to working closely with her and the rest of the board to advocate the value of museums to society and to support our members and the wider sector to connect to wide and diverse audiences. It has been a pleasure to work with David Fleming over the past few years and he has provided visionary leadership for the MA while we have grown our membership, influence and networks.”

The MA’s trustees are elected by the membership and nominations are currently open for a member to join the board in April.

www.rafmuseum.org

Royal Air Force Bircham Newton Veterans’ Day on 19th May 2018

Bircham Newton Veterans Day

In addition to being the centenary of the birth of the Royal Air Force, 2018 will also be the 100th anniversary of the birth of the former RAF station at Bircham Newton. The first unit to fly from its airfield, No. 3 Fighting School, arrived in May 1918, just one month after the birth of the Royal Air Force. The Fighting School was soon joined by a second unit flying giant Handley Page bombers, designed to bomb Germany from this Norfolk airfield. Flying continued beyond the Armistice and throughout the inter-war years, increasing dramatically during the second World War. The station was finally closed in the early 1960s, during the height of the Cold War, but flying briefly returned in the mid-1960s, when trials of the Kestrel jump jet were conducted on the airfield.

The event will be open to all former servicemen, who served or were trained at Bircham Newton, and their close families. The largest group of visitors is expected to be former RAF administrative apprentices, who trained at Bircham Newton in the late 1950s and early 1960s, but many other veterans are also expected to attend, such as former national servicemen, former members of the Women’s Royal Air Force and officers who were trained at the Officers’ Advanced Training School (OATS) or its successor the Junior Command and Staff School (JCSS).

There will be many attractions for the veterans and their families to enjoy: the RAF Heritage Centre will be open for guided tours; an illustrated talk will be given on the role of Bircham Newton during the Great War; local history groups and service associations have been invited along to exhibit their material; military vehicles and large-scale model aircraft should be on display; local ATC squadrons and the Royal British Legion have also been invited to participate in a brief end-of-day ceremony, when the RAF ensign will be lowered to the sound of the Last Post. Tea, coffee and other refreshments will be available throughout the afternoon. It is also hoped to organise a short flypast, if possible.

Entrance will be free and free car parking will be provided. Disabled access and toilets will also be available, and help will be given to those with mobility problems.

www.rafbnmp.org

Doing Their Bit: Brooklands Women in the Great War

Brooklands Women in the Great War

NEW exhibition explores the many varied and vital roles played by Women at Brooklands

Brooklands Museum 6th February – 8th March 2018

Discover how the women of Brooklands ‘did their bit’ in World War One, in a new temporary exhibition at Brooklands Museum opening Tuesday 6th February.

Exploring war work through the individual experiences of five women, ‘Doing Their Bit: Brooklands Women in the Great War’ highlights a range of roles that women took on in World War One. Brooklands has always attracted people of great determination, many of whom made their mark on history, and Brooklands women were no different. In an innovative, dispersed exhibition, visitors will travel around the Museum to meet Hilda, Muriel, Gertrude, Ethel and Kathleen. From aircraft manufacture and supporting our Armed Forces to caring for the wounded, this exhibition tells the story of these women’s work in World War One.

Hilda Hewlett was the first woman to gain a British pilot’s licence, taking her test at Brooklands on 29th August 1911. During World War One, she ran her own aircraft manufacturing company with her partner Gustav Blondeau and set up a training school for women to teach them the skills they would need in the factory.

Muriel Thompson won the first Ladies’ Race at Brooklands in 1908. From 1915, she put her driving skills to use as an ambulance driver in France and Belgium for the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry. She was awarded the Military Medal, Croix de Guerre and Ordre de Léopold II for her actions during the war.

Gertrude Harrison joined the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps at the age of eighteen and moved from Lancashire down to Brooklands to serve on the Royal Flying Corps base. Transferring to the Women’s Royal Air Force when it was created in 1918, she continued in her role supporting the Royal Air Force until she was demobilised.

Ethel Locke King helped build Brooklands Race Course and led the opening parade around the track on 17th June 1907. By the time the war broke out in 1914, she had turned her attention to her work with the British Red Cross, setting up and running around 14 auxiliary hospitals in Surrey to cater for convalescing soldiers.

Kathleen Beldam joined Vickers Ltd. (Aviation Department) at Brooklands as a welder, building aircraft for the first war in which aerial combat would be important. She joined the Society of Women Welders, one of a number of trade unions that came into being to campaign for equal pay.

There will be an accompanying kids’ trail available from the shop. There is no charge for the trail. Normal museum admission charges apply, there is no additional charge for the exhibition.

The exhibition and accompanying activity is part of the #WomensWork100 nationwide celebrations, as part of the First World War Centenary commemorations.

www.brooklandsmuseum.com

Clock In to Half Term Fun at Brooklands!

Brooklands Museum

12th – 16th February 2018

Hundreds of families will be spending February half term on the factory floor in the recently completed Aircraft Factory and Flight Shed at Brooklands Museum in Weybridge, Surrey. Inside the newly restored Bellman hangar, visitors will be able to clock in and don factory workcoats as they begin their ‘Brooklands Apprenticeship’. A series of workshops and interactives explore some of the skills used over the 80-year history of aircraft manufacture at Brooklands. On a new mezzanine level, the story of design at Brooklands is told and visitors can design their own military and civilian aircraft from different eras of aviation including those of the future. Leaving the Factory and entering the new Flight Shed visitors will see some of the Museum’s collection of complete aircraft, including opportunities to sit in the cockpits of the Hawker Hunter and Harrier, as well as displays on radar, ground-to-air radio and pioneering pilots.

The Museum’s collections of pre-war racing cars and motorbikes, the incredible Barnes Wallis ‘Stratosphere Chamber’ and the Brooklands Aircraft Park, featuring post-war aircraft including the Sultan of Oman’s VC-10 will all be open as usual. As well as this, there are racing and flying simulator rides in the 4D Theatre, special Kids Tours on Concorde and for children aged 5-11 years the chance to design your own sky scene in a special aviation-themed Family Workshop with the Brooklands Learning Team. The drop-in workshop is FREE to attend and runs from 11am – 12noon and again from 1pm – 3pm. All materials are provided.

However, if visitors really want to feel the wind through their hair, the Museum’s long-established and hugely popular rides in vintage-style cars* and on London Bus Museum’s iconic double-decker buses* will also be operating during weekdays in Half Term. Car rides take in the challenging summit of Test Hill and the Members’ Banking, the steepest part of the original Race Track, as long as it’s not too wet or slippery, from 11am–1pm and again from 2 – 3.30pm. London Bus Museum’s double-decker bus trips will run every half an hour from 11am until 3.30pm, except for a short break over lunchtime.

The Sunbeam Café is the ideal place for refuelling and add to this a visit to the Museum Shop to pick up a souvenir and you have the recipe for a perfect day out come rain or shine. And don’t forget to look out for the Museum’s larger than life mascot, Bertie Bear, who will be roaming the site looking for fans to have his photograph taken with!

Normal admission prices apply for half term week and are: adults £13.50, seniors £11.50, children (5-16 yrs) £7, family ticket (2 adults and up to 3 children) £35. The half-hour Concorde Experience is £5 for adults, £3 for children, 4D simulator rides are £4 for adults, £2 for children. *A minimum donation of £1 per passenger is requested for car and bus rides. The main visitor entrance for the Museum is via Mercedes-Benz World, on Brooklands Drive off Wellington Way between Weybridge and Byfleet.

For full details of events, directions and general Museum information, please telephone 01932 857381 or visit www.brooklandsmuseum.com. The Museum is open daily from 10am – 4pm in winter. Last entry is one hour before closing.

Model show returns to Cosford in April

Shropshire Model Show

Date: 2 April 2017
Time: 10.00am to 4.00pm
Cost: FREE entry

The popular Shropshire Scale Model Show will be returning to the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford on Sunday 2 April 2017.

This annual event attracts thousands of visitors each year and takes place nestled amongst the world-class collection of aircraft and military vehicles on display at the Museum. Thousands of intricately detailed models of aircraft, cars, bikes, trucks and science fiction items will be spread across the whole site, filling the Museum hangars with a world of model making. Over 100 modelling clubs and traders from across the country will be attending the one day show this year.

With modelling clubs displaying their creations, many of which have taken years to perfect, and traders selling everything any dedicated modeller could ever want or need, model making fans are guaranteed to enjoy the show. Items on offer will include a range of modelling materials and kits to suit modellers of all abilities, from young children who are just discovering their passion for modelling, right through to the avid modellers who have been building kits for many years. There will be everything from kits in various sizes along with glues, paints and other detailed sets available to purchase on the day.

Event organiser, Gary Stevens Secretary of the Shropshire Scale Modellers and The Telford Branch of The International Plastic Modellers Society says:
“We’ve made a few changes to the shows layout this year, working around the Museum’s new aircraft arrivals, which I’m sure will be popular with visitors. We have lots of the popular traders and exhibitors returning to the show again this year and we look forward to welcoming model fans to the event.”

To make reaching the Museum even easier, there will be a free park and ride for the day to cope with the additional visitors, running from Cosford train station. The show will be open to the public from 10am until 4pm and entry to the event is FREE of charge. For further information, please visit the museum website at www.rafmuseum.org/cosford.

Newark Indoor Aeroboot Sale Sat 4th March

Newark Aeroboot

Newark Air Museum Indoor Aeroboot Aviation & Avionics Sale

Saturday 4th March 2017

The next Newark Air Museum Indoor Aeroboot / Aerojumble Sale at the museum’s site in eastern Nottinghamshire takes place on Saturday 4th March 2017. This charity fund raising event has attracted interest from a wide range of sellers and once again is a sell-out event.

The funds that the museum raises from organising the event will be used to support the Project Panini (Mod) fund raising campaign to build a new Café & Toilet facilities at the museum, which is located in eastern Nottinghamshire close to the Lincolnshire border.

Around 50 tables, featuring a host of different sellers, who come from around the UK will be arranged amongst the aircraft in Display Hangar 2 at the museum.

Buyers / visitors who attend this fund raising event will have the opportunity to search through a varied selection of aviation and avionic items: including books, paintings, prints, DVDs, plastic kits, die-cast models, clothing, radio equipment and aircraft parts. Regular updates / sellers information are being posted on the news page of the museum website www.newarkairmuseum.org

Buyers / visitors at this event will be able to access the museum site on Saturday 4th March, 2017 at a special discounted admission price of just £4.50 per person.

The museum opening times will be 09.00 to 17.00 hours; with the sale taking place between 09.00 and 14.00 hours; to get the best bargains we suggest that you get there early.

Further details are available on the Events Page of the museum website www.newarkairmuseum.org or by telephoning 01636 707170.

France under Friendly Bombs is Focus of Lecture

Aerial Photo

Date: 9 March 2017
Time: 6.30pm
Cost: FREE
Location: University of Wolverhampton, MC001, Millennium City Building, Wolverhampton Campus

The Allied bombing campaign against targets in France during the Second World War will be the focus of a lecture taking place at the University of Wolverhampton next month. The lecture entitled ‘France under Friendly Bombs, 1940-1945’ will be presented by Professor Andrew Knapp, Emeritus Professor of French Politics and Contemporary History at the University of Reading, also an accomplished author on the subject.

Taking place on Thursday 9 March 2017, this lecture is a continuation of the joint partnership between the University’s Department of War Studies and the Royal Air Force Museum. Delivered by emerging and established researchers, these lectures explore a variety of air power related topics ranging from historical themes to contemporary issues.

During this first lecture for 2017 at the University, Professor Andrew Knapp will discuss how studies of the Allied strategic bombing offensive during the Second World War have tended, logically, to focus on the main target, Germany. Yet, over one in every five bombs dropped by the Allies on continental Europe during the Second World War fell on France. Although most of the raids were linked, directly or indirectly, to the Normandy landings, the Allies bombed France from June 1940 till April 1945, and they killed over 57,000 French civilians – a figure of the same order as the British civilian death toll from German action in the same period. This lecture offers an overview of a comparatively neglected aspect of the Allied offensive.

The lecture will begin with a focus on the offensive against France from the Allies’ perspective. When and where did most of the raids take place and what were the main target sets? How relevant to France were non-material objectives such as morale and what opposition did Allied aircraft face from the Luftwaffe? What political problems were presented by bombing a friendly people, and how, if at all, did bombing techniques differ between raids on France and the Reich? Professor Andrew Knapp will examine how successful this aspect of the Allied offensive was, before moving on to consider the French reactions to the Allied offensive.

The second part of the lecture will focus on the French reactions from a variety of perspectives, including the Vichy state’s efforts to develop civil defence, evacuation measures, and emergency relief. There will be discussions around Vichy’s attempts to use the raids for propaganda purposes and the Allies’ attempts to justify their actions to the French public. Intercepted letters and telephone calls will be used to highlight the French public opinion at the time, both in general and in relation to Allied aircrews. Professor Andrew Knapp will conclude the hour and a half lecture by reflecting briefly on the wider issue of bombing friendly populations to liberate them and the political costs and benefits.

Dr Ross Mahoney, RAF Museum Aviation Historian said:
“While Germany was the primary target for the Allied bombing campaign in the Second World War, occupied countries, such as France, were also attacked. Targeting occupied countries presented its own set of challenges for both the attackers and the attacked. In this lecture, organised by the RAF Museum and hosted in conjunction with our partner, the University of Wolverhampton, Professor Knapp, a recognised expert on the bombing of France during the Second World War, will discuss some of the issues related to the challenge of bombing France.”

The Trenchard Lectures in Air Power Studies form part of the RAF Museum’s Research Programme for 2017. ‘France under Friendly Bombs, 1940-1945’, is the first of three joint lectures taking place at the University of Wolverhampton this year. The second lecture in the series will take place in June and the final lecture of the year in November.

This FREE lecture will be held at the University of Wolverhampton, MC001, Millennium City Building, Wolverhampton Campus, at 6.30pm on Thursday 9 March. As spaces are limited, organisers advise visitors to book their tickets in advance via the Museum’s website to avoid disappointment.

For further information about the Museum’s research programme or to book your FREE ticket to the lecture, please visit the Museum website www.rafmuseum.org/cosford.

Global Security Company throws its weight behind new airshow

Northrop Grumman Logo

Northrop Grumman, a leading global security company, pledged its support to the new Scampton Airshow earlier this month with an agreement to become the show’s Title Sponsor.

The Scampton Airshow, held at the home of legendary RAF aerobatic display team the Red Arrows, offers a wide range of sponsorship and networking opportunities for businesses to connect with audiences throughout the show.

Scampton Airshow Director Paul Sall said he was confident that the sponsorship agreement with Northrop Grumman would prove mutually-beneficial as the new event begins to establish itself as a key player within the UKs airshow industry. He said: “To be supported by one of the leading defence and security suppliers in Europe is a huge vote of confidence in our new airshow. Its backing not only underlines the value of the airshow but it also reinforces the airshow’s potential for delivering a first class regional event that will benefit visitors and businesses alike.

“We are very excited to be working with Northrop Grumman at the Scampton Airshow and to building a long and successful relationship.”
Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in autonomous systems, cyber, C4ISR, strike, and logistics and modernization to customers worldwide. Working closely with the Royal Air Force (RAF), Northrop Grumman has a long-established presence in the UK with a range of programmes, including provision of whole life support for the fleet of E-3D Sentry aircraft based at RAF Waddington. The company performs engineering and logistics support, and sustainment and modernisation for the fleet including depth maintenance to maintain relevant mission capabilities.

The Scampton Airshow is an exciting new event which is expected to attract in excess of 40,000 spectators in its first year alone. Staged in aid of the RAF Charitable Trust, the airshow will take place from 9-10 September at RAF Scampton. Not only will spectators witness an impressive five-hour flying display, but there will be an array of entertainment on the ground, from a nostalgic Vintage Village through to interactive and engaging exhibits from across industry in the Techno Zone.

To find out more about bespoke sponsorship opportunities at the Scampton Airshow, please visit www.scamptonairshow.com/airshow/commercial-opportunities or call Head of Corporate Relations David Winstone on 01285 713380 x5634