Tag: May

RAF Museum to reopen Monday 17 May

RAF Museum staff

Run through your checklist and get ready for take-off, the RAF Museum Cosford is about to reopen!

• Hangars full of amazing aircraft? Check!
• NEW airfield-inspired playground for kids? Check!
• Big outdoor areas for summer games and picnics? Check!
• Car parking and café? Check!
• Social distancing signage and sanitiser? Check!
• Gift shop with toys to keep the kids quiet on the way home? Check!
• FREE to enter!? Check!

View the fly through drone footage

It’s time to get #BackToMuseums and the RAF Museum Cosford’s new outdoor airfield-inspired playground, along with huge hangars packed full of aircraft is the perfect place to ‘jet off’ to for a family friendly staycation.

While still offering free entry to all, visitors are kindly asked to pre-book their arrival time online at www.rafmuseum.org. The timed ticket approach will guarantee the space needed for a safe and enjoyable day out, and once you’ve checked in, you are welcome to stay as long as you like!

With May half term just around the corner, planning days out for the family could not be simpler. The Museum’s new RAF themed playground is guaranteed to be the number one destination for future pilots and ground crew alike. Bring your little ones along to test-fly the new playground, carry out refuelling missions onboard the Victor and Vulcan cockpit, and become an air traffic controller for the day in the mock control tower, overlooking the mini hangar.

Getting the Museum ready for take-off following months of closure has required a head for heights, as the aircraft have been given a spring clean on an epic scale. The work required a specialist team to abseil from the 30m high roof to access the suspended aircraft displayed in the National Cold War Exhibition hangar, including a Vulcan bomber and a vertically suspended Lightning. Aircraft and exhibits on the ground have also been spruced up by the Museum’s Technicians and Apprentices, and even the external aircraft were given a wash, ensuring they look their best for when visitors return.

Visitors can expect some pre-flight safety checks and social distancing measures in place upon the Museum’s re-opening on 17 May, including a one-way visitor flow and a limit on the number of people in each building. Hand sanitiser will be available throughout each hangar, along with hand washing facilities in all Museum buildings. Visitors are encouraged to act in a manner that respects the safety of others.

Events are cleared for take-off, here is what’s coming up at the RAF Museum Cosford this summer:

19 June: Aviation Art Workshops
The Museum has partnered with the Guild of Aviation Artists to deliver two Aviation Art Workshops. With the aircraft as your muse, the drawing course will focus on drawing techniques, observation, shading and composition, delivered by David Calow, an award-winning aviation artist and illustrator. Or, if painting is your passion, sign up for the hands-on painting course and develop your brush techniques, paint application and composition skills, delivered by Nigel Morris, an artist, graphic designer, illustrator and lecturer in art and design. Both workshops will take place in Hangar 1 which will be exclusively open to workshop participants.

22 July – 30 August: Summer of Fun ‘n’ Flight
The Museum’s Summer of Fun ‘n’ Flight programme features a range of high-flying activities. Visit us throughout the summer months and discover something new each time you return!
• Crazy Golf (22 July – 30 August)
• Climbing Wall (22 -31 July)
• Cavebus (1-10 August)
• Trampoline Trailer (11-20 August)
• Bungee Trampolines (21-30 August)

24-25 July: RAF Museum Foodie Market
While it will be another year before the Cosford Food Festival makes a triumphant return, a selection of popular exhibitors will be bringing a taste of the festival to the Museum in July with a smaller Foodie Market. Nestled in between the aircraft near the Visitor Centre, more than 20 stallholders will showcase their products. Visitors can roam the market stalls in between viewing the aircraft hangars and show their support for small local businesses.

13-15 August: Outdoor Cinema
The Outdoor Cinema will be making a welcome return in August, offering movie fans the ultimate cinema experience, with two screenings per day to look forward to, on a huge LED screen alongside the VC10 and Hercules aircraft. The afternoon screening at 5.00pm each day is suitable for the whole family; our evening screenings at 8:30pm are suitable for everyone over 12 years. Films will be announced in early June.

29 August: The Spitfire 10K is back!
Chocks away! The Spitfire 10K will return to the RAF Museum Cosford in August. Begin the race with a loop of the Museum site past iconic aircraft, before heading onto the airfield at RAF Cosford. It’s a unique opportunity to run alongside the wartime hangars, the air traffic control tower and sprint down the runway. Once you cross the finish line you will receive the highly coveted Spitfire 10K race medal. It will also be held virtually – giving runners from all over the UK, and across the world, the opportunity take part.

For a full list of events taking place at the RAF Museum Cosford this summer and to book tickets visit www.rafmuseum.org/Cosford.

And what’s coming up at the RAF Museum Hendon this summer:

Saturday 31 July and Sunday 1 August: Family Festival of Flight

Our family festival is back again this year. Come and discover the wonders of flight and get involved in our activities for all ages.

Friday 20 August to Sunday 22 August: Sundown Cinema at the RAF Museum

The big screen is landing outdoors to the RAF Museum this summer. Bring the whole family along to watch loads of fun films, including Moana, Greatest Showman and of course Top Gun.

Our vintage fairground will be on site to make your trip to our outdoor cinema even more memorable. Have a go on the swing boats or high striker before sitting down to watch one of our family favourites..

Saturday 28 August: Spitfire 10K
The Spitfire 10K is back! Enter now and race through the Museum, before setting off around the pavements of Colindale. The historic location RAF Hendon Airfield will form the route of your race, running down residential streets which were once landing strips for Spitfire’s.

For a full list of events taking place at the RAF Museum London this summer and to book tickets visit www.rafmuseum.org/London

Midlands Air Festival to host RAF Red Arrows first display of 2021

Red Arrows

The RAF Red Arrows will make their UK debut performance for 2021 at the Midlands Air Festival.

The festival which takes place at Ragley Hall on Friday 4 to Sunday 6 June has today announced that the RAF Red Arrows, RAF Typhoon Display Team, Battle of Britain Spitfire pair and RAF Falcons will feature at this year’s event.

Not only will this be the public’s first opportunity to see the new displays for the 2021 season, but this will also be the first Red Arrows full display in the UK since the pandemic, due to the inevitable cancellation of events up and down the country in 2020.

The RAF Red Arrows are one of the finest and most respected jet aerobatic teams in the world and the nation’s favourite wherever they display in the UK. Arriving in the sky over the historic Ragley Estate, they will showcase their new arrival formation for 2021 called ‘The Wall’. The team will then display a series of different formations with their wingtips just a few feet apart, before breaking into two sections for the dynamic part of their show, featuring nail-biting high-speed opposition passes and spectacular breaks.

The RAF will also bring three front line fighters to the show, the first being the incredible Typhoon FGR4 jet, capable of a maximum speed of 1,300mph. The Typhoon is the RAF’s current front-line fighter, protecting UK airspace 24/7 and on deployment around the globe. The others are the front-line fighters of the 1940’s, the Supermarine Spitfire. Used in all theatres of WW2, the Spitfire played a pivotal role in winning the Battle of Britain. These aircraft are part of the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and are two of a number of WW2 aircraft that the RAF preserve in flying condition as a living memorial to the pilots, crews and builders of these iconic aircraft and to inspire future generations. Both aircraft will fly some unforgettable displays, featuring the unique capabilities that have made them so famous in their respective eras.

The final addition to this fantastic line up is the RAF Falcons Parachute Display Team. The Falcons are the UK’s premier military parachute display team. Celebrating their 60th anniversary the team will fly their new commemorative display at the Midlands Air Festival. The world’s most accomplished military skydivers will leap from their aircraft, trailing smoke to make them easier to spot. Once they deploy their canopies, they will carry out a series of manoeuvres and set pieces, including their famous non-contact canopy stacking and relative work.

The military additions complete the spectacular air display programme for the 2021 Midlands Air Festival which include formation aerobatics from Team Raven, Rich Goodwin in his high energy Muscle Biplane, the mighty Boeing B-17 4 engine bomber Sally B, acclaimed aerobatics pilot Chris Jesson in his classic Stampe Biplane, the nine tiger moths of the Tiger 9 Display Team, the Westland Wasp helicopter and many more.

There will also be a unique opportunity to see two powered airships and mass ascents of over 120 hot air balloons including Europe’s largest collection of special shape character balloons. In addition to this, breath taking giant kites will take to the skies and some of the UK’s largest historic radio-controlled models will conduct a stunning airfield attack.

The director of aviation for the event, Trevor Graham said, “We are delighted and honoured to have so many of the nation’s top military and civilian aviators to support us and fly for the people of the Midlands. What better way to blow away the lockdown blues than a stunning day out in the wide-open spaces of the historic Ragley Hall with the best of the best!”

Tickets to the Midlands Air Festival must be purchased in advance and are limited to allow for capacity restrictions and government regulations pertaining at the time of the event. Organisers are advising those wishing to attend to book their tickets early to avoid disappointment. Children under 14 can attend for free, when accompanied by an adult ticket holder.

MOD participation is subject to operational confirmations and PDAs.

To keep up to date with the latest news and information visit the Midlands Air Festival website www.midlandsairfestival.com

Chelsea Foundation and Royal Air Force Museum unveil new exhibition plans for Jewish Hidden Heroes project

Hidden Heroes Project

The Chelsea Foundation and the RAF Museum are pleased to announce an extension of their partnership for a further three years.

The partnership is sponsored by club owner Roman Abramovich and will support the expansion of the Museum’s Jewish ‘Hidden Heroes’ project which will feature a new Bomber Command exhibition at both the London and Cosford sites, launching in 2023.

The new displays will help the Museum to continue to raise awareness of the previously untold story of the Jewish personnel in the RAF during the Second World War and the vital role they played in defeating the Luftwaffe in the famous ‘Battle of Britain’, preventing the Nazis from invading Britain, the last democratic stronghold in Europe. These heroes joined the RAF from all over the world, to fight against tyranny, racism and antisemitism, fully aware that they risked torture and execution if captured. Their fascinating stories are a powerful window to the past through which we can make links to today and inspire future generations.

The London exhibition is already home to an iconic Avro-Lancaster which was ‘adopted’ in 2020 by Roman Abramovich and the Chelsea Foundation to commemorate the many Jewish Hidden Heroes of Bomber Command. This year the Museum is celebrating the 80th anniversary of the first test flight of the Avro Lancaster.

New additions to the exhibition will include in-gallery screens exploring the contributions of the personnel to Bomber Command, a small object display with links to the ‘Hidden Heroes’, RAF Museum’s online display of objects commemorating both the Bomber Command and Jewish Hidden Heroes and the Avro-Lancaster will be accompanied by an Augmented Reality interactive experience, sharing the stories of Jewish RAF personnel.

The partnership will also bring to life the Jewish ‘Hidden Heroes’ Community Outreach Programme, which will extend to the wider community through school networks in London, sharing the positive narrative of the Jews fighting for their country and the survival of their race. It will also support the continuation of recording Jewish Hidden Heroes stories for the Jewish section on the RAF Stories website and the Community Programme of Jewish Hidden Heroes presentations for Key Stage 2 and 3 audiences.

Bruce Buck, Chelsea FC Chairman: ‘We are delighted to announce a further three-year extension to our partnership with the Royal Air Force Museum. This will see the continuation of the Hidden Heroes project and enable the Museum to expand upon it and introduce new educational tools. Chelsea FC is committed to tackling antisemitism through education and the Jewish ‘Hidden Heroes’ tells important stories about the bravery of Jewish RAF personnel during the conflict.”

Maggie Appleton, RAF Museum CEO: ‘More than ever we need to challenge prejudice in all its ugly forms, and more than ever we need to educate young minds as to the experiences of previous generations – those who suffered as well as those who fought back. I am incredibly proud of our partnership with the Chelsea Foundation and the Jewish Hidden Heroes project and hope that it goes some way to challenging the rise of anti-Semitism and wider racism in society. These are inspiring stories of courage and human spirit which will endure and resonate.’

You can find out more information about the RAF Museum, including how to pre-book tickets at www.rafmuseum.org. The Museum will be ready for take-off when it reopens on 17 May.

To find out more information about the club’s ‘Say No to Antisemitism’ campaign, visit the new website here. If you would like to keep up to date with the club’s latest antisemitism updates and key events, you can register for the newsletter here.

Newark Air Museum Shop – New Order & Collect system introduced

Newark Air Museum Shop

Throughout the Covid-19 lockdown Newark Air Museum (NAM) has been trying to work out ways of selling aviation kits and books, with the aim of getting the Museum Shop back towards some sort of normal operation. We had hoped to be opening the Museum Shop by early June, but that has now been delayed until mid -June.

However, we will be operating an Order & Collect system from Tuesday 2nd June 2020.

NAM’s initial thought was to release copies of our stock lists, but without a proper interlinked database and an online shopping platform we realised that this would be too difficult, to ensure items were in stock.

So as an alternative photographs have been taken of the key sections of the Museum Shop to try and provide an idea of what is in stock. People can request copies of these by going to this page of the NAM website http://www.newarkairmuseum.org/NAM_Shop_Order-Collect

There people will find various product areas listed e.g. Italeri Aircraft Kits; Tamiya Aircraft Kits etc. If you decide to make a purchase NAM would then reserve the kit for you to come and collect at a convenient time on the days that we are open – your purchase will need to be made by card payment over the telephone, or by cash when you come to collect the item(s).

NAM has completed a set of Covid-Secure Risk Assessments for the Collection Area in front part of the site and the method of operation is explained on the website along with opening times and days

NAM appreciates that this is not a perfect solution, but it does act as a step towards normal opening and also it gives us a chance to fully evaluate how social distancing measures might need to be implemented in the Museum Shop when we try to open normally.

All profits from the Museum Shop are covenanted to the museum to help fund its on-going development; so rather than shopping online or elsewhere please pay us a visit soon and help support your aviation heritage!

Summer Cockpit-Fest & Aeroboot Cancelled

Newark Cockpit Fest

We have taken the sad decision to cancel the Cockpit-Fest & Aeroboot Sale event that had been provisionally rescheduled for Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th August, 2020. A time that will be only five weeks after when we currently anticipate the museum being allowed to reopen.

This decision has been reached following a review of the latest the Covid-19 guidelines. It is felt that the events would have presented unworkable self-distancing arrangements around visiting cockpits, displays and also the stalls at the Aeroboot.

These combined events are typically our busiest events and we felt that it would be too difficult to cope with any large number of visitors in a safe and secure manner.

Another factor influencing the in-house discussions, was that theses provisional event dates now coincide with a new arrival ‘window’ for the Eurofighter Typhoon DA4, that was advised to us on Monday 11th May, 2020.

In order to give people as much notice as possible of our intentions it is felt that this is the best time to make this decision.

Our current thinking is to re-establish the event in 2021. We will be notifying people via email later today and tomorrow. Some people already have Aeroboot payment held over from the cancelled spring Indoor Sale and the current plan is to hold these over again for an Indoor event in October. Should that not prove possible we will endeavour to arrange for refunds to be made!

We are sorry for any inconvenience these changes may cause, especially to those people and groups who have been working on preparations on their displays for this event for many months. This includes external participants and our own museum members but we are convinced that it is the right decision.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Bournemouth Air Festival Cancelled

Chinook at Bournemouth Air Festival

Joint media release by BCP Council and Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch Destination Management Board

‘Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole take difficult decision to extend the cancellation of outdoor events until end of August 2020.

Major events and festivals including Bournemouth Air Festival that were due to go ahead this summer have been cancelled due to the continued impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

Responding to the government’s guidance on the outbreak, BCP Council – with support of the Destination Management Board – has taken the decision not to permit outdoor events on council public open space until the end of August 2020.

This includes, the cancellation of BCP Council organised events – the Bournemouth Air Festival, Summer Fireworks and summer events programme on Poole Quay. Other events that have had to be cancelled include BSO Concerts in Meyrick Park and Christchurch Food Festival.

Councillor Vikki Slade, Leader of BCP Council, said; “Our immensely popular summer events programme, including the Bournemouth Air Festival, attracts millions of visitors to the area bringing over £32 million income to our local businesses and supports the council’s services through our seafront offering.

“In response to the recent government guidance around the easing of lockdown, it will no longer be possible that events planned to take place this summer in public outdoor open space can go ahead.

“Cancelling major events and festivals is a decision we don’t take lightly. The most important consideration is the health of our residents, and the safety of everyone involved including visitors, festival-goers, exhibitors, traders, staff, contractors, and the many more who contribute and play a part in delivering those much-loved events.

 “Our NHS and emergency services have coped incredibly well during the Covid-19 pandemic and we would not want to risk this changing, or to try to manage events whilst adhering to government measures and advice including on social distancing.

“The government’s guidance indicated that hospitality businesses are not likely to open before July. We know there are many hotels, restaurants, bars and local contractors serving this industry whose livelihoods rely on the summer events programme and we want to assure those businesses – including the 17,000 plus people employed in this sector – that BCP Council will do everything we can to support you and work together with you to come through this.

“We’re looking at every feasible option to help to sustain this industry, and with this we have already committed to deliver a refreshed Air Festival in 2021.”
BCP Council and Destination Management Board for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole will continue to work together in lobbying central government to ensure this vital sector is fully supported through the national recovery plan.

David Bailey, Chairman of the Destination Management Board, said; “The Board fully understands the decision taken by BCP Council. It is very important that as the Destination of Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole we show we are taking the sensible measures and demonstrate that in the future we want to offer visitors and residents the safest environment to enjoy the unique tourism and hospitality offer. We thank BCP Council for its continued support and the confirmation of next year’s Bournemouth Air Festival.”

A Bournemouth Air Festival for next year has been confirmed for Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th September 2021.

Dougie Scarfe, Chief Executive, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, “Our Proms in the Park concerts hosted in partnership with BCP Council are always a highlight of the summer season in Bournemouth; with audiences dancing away to our live music, the series is always a celebratory moment in the BSO year. We know that loyal audiences will be sorry to miss the party this year, and we’ll miss you all too, but we look forward to seeing you next year for a spectacular celebration”.

www.bournemouthair.co.uk

RAF Museum Spitfire marks the 75th anniversary of VE Day

RAF Museum Spitfire VE75

The world’s oldest Supermarine Spitfire Mk1 on display at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford is illuminated red, white and blue to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day.

The Spitfire is the most famous British fighter aircraft in history and a symbol of victory. Its groundbreaking design and superior specifications gave the British a decisive advantage over their rivals. The Spitfire was produced in greater numbers than any other British combat aircraft before or since the War.

The Royal Air Force Museum, the National Army Museum and the National Museum of the Royal Navy are joining forces to host their first tri-service celebration with a Virtual VE Day 75 Festival taking place online from 7-9 May 2020, bringing to life the stories of those who helped deliver Victory in Europe.

Find out more about the Virtual VE Day 75 Festival at www.rafmuseum.org.

Newark F-100 Super Sabre Repaint Update

F-100 Repaint

Just before the Covid-19 Lockdown Newark Air Museum (NAM) volunteers started work on the restoration and repainting of the North American F-100D Super Sabre. This particular aircraft is on long term loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force Collection Management Division (NMUSAF/MUC); located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, USA.

This work has been featured widely in the aviation press and this has led to lots of questions being asked about the new markings that will be applied to the aircraft once the repainting work is complete. It had been thought this may replicate the previous Ohio Air National Guard markings, but this is not the case.

NAM is now pleased to confirm that the aircraft will be painted in the markings of the 494th TFS (Tactical Fighter Squadron). This unit was the last USAFE Squadron to operate the F-100 Super Sabre in Europe, operating with the 48th TFW (Tactical Fighter Wing) at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk.

Despite the limitations of the lockdown, work is already underway to prepare the specific markings for the aircraft, which will carry the distinctive LT code letters and the aircraft serial number 063008. As a special honour to the 494th TFS personnel that operated the type a special nose art is also being prepared that will carry the motto “Last Huns in USAFE”.

Some final measurements need to be taken to finalise the size of the markings on the aircraft. It is hoped that this can be incorporated into one of the essential site maintenance/security check visits that have continued by NAM volunteers during the recent weeks.

In the fullness of time the museum volunteers hope to have some involvement with the 494th TFS, which still flies out of RAF Lakenheath; and the also hope to establish contact with former personnel who operated the type from the Suffolk base.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

Descendants of World War One Aces meet at Aerospace Bristol

Bristol F2B Fighter

Descendants of World War One aces, Canadian Andrew McKeever and Bristolian Leslie Powell, have met for the first time. The two met at Aerospace Bristol, in front of the museum’s replica of the biplane that McKeever and Powell flew with distinction.

McKeever’s great nephew, Ross Thompson, travelled from his home in Canada for the meeting, while Powell’s grand-daughter, Mrs Jan Absolom, has travelled from Berkshire.

The museum’s Bristol F2b Fighter is in the colours of the No. 11 Squadron aircraft in which McKeever and Powell recorded 31 and 19 “kills” respectively in the skies over France, earning national fame and the nicknames of The Hawk and The Gnat.

The Airbus and Rolls-Royce engineers who built the replica Fighter were also there to meet Ross and Jan, and were delighted to have the opportunity to explain how they recreated the WWI aircraft.

Find out more about Aerospace Bristol at www.aerospacebristol.org.

Less than a month until Cockpit-Fest at Newark Air Museum

MiG-23 at Newark Air Museum

Preparations for the 2019 Cockpit-Fest are well underway at Newark Air Museum’s site in eastern Nottinghamshire; close to the border with Lincolnshire. Newark Air Museum is a registered charity located on part of the former site of RAF Winthorpe; its two day Cockpit-Fest event attracts exhibitors from across the UK and Europe to sample what one former-aviation magazine editor calls “grass roots aircraft preservation”.

This will be the twentieth (20th) time that like-minded enthusiasts have displayed their aircraft cockpit sections at the museum. Cockpit-Fest has become a fixture on the aviation calendar and each year attracts many visiting cockpits and associated displays. Cockpit-Fest allows the owners the chance to display their prized exhibits to their fellow enthusiasts and the general public.

At this year’s event a diverse range of aviation will be represented; this includes a range of military jet cockpits including amongst others: Lightning, Harrier, Hunter, Buccaneer and Jet Provost.

For this year’s the museum’s own volunteers are also gearing up to provide the visitors with the opportunity to look inside some of its aircraft. This includes a rare opportunity to view normally inaccessible aircraft like the ex-Russian MiG fighters and the American T-33 trainer. Recent training sessions have been held on these aircraft, thereby allowing a new cohort of volunteers to be able to open these rare aircraft.

Cockpit-Fest 2019 takes place on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd June; and the event is being staged in a single large area on the museum’s Southfield Site, alongside an Aeroboot / Aerojumble aviation and avionics sale. Here enthusiasts and the public can search out those aviation artefacts, books and models.

The event is supported by a range of organisations and individuals; with the visitors being encouraged to have a say in deciding, which is the best cockpit by voting on their favourite display and from these results, prizes are awarded.

Cockpit-Fest also attracts other visiting displays like local history / military vehicle groups; re-enactors; and even more aviation related displays such as clothing and historical artefacts. As an added bonus this year’s event has a flypast on both days by aircraft from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

Full details about the events can be found on the Museum Events page of the museum website at www.newarkairmuseum.org