Tag: May

Over 1,000 RAF Veterans and Current Serving Personnel gather for an exclusive London site preview

RAF Day at Hendon
2018 marks the Centenary of the Royal Air Force and the award-winning RAF Museum is set to welcome visitors into a newly transformed site when it formally reopens on Saturday 30 June.

Yesterday, the Museum welcomed over 1,000 RAF veterans and current serving personnel for a special ‘RAF Day’ get together and treated them to a special preview of London’s new Hangar 1, which houses two new, innovative galleries exploring the first 100 years of the RAF, its role today and invites visitors to imagine its future contribution and technology.

The Museum’s RAF Day also enabled us to establish closer relationships with RAF bases around the country and helped to ensure we are sharing their stories. As part of our RAF Centenary Programme, the Museum will also be launching a new digital project called RAF Stories; an online digital project which aims to inspire participants to share accounts of the Royal Air Force. RAF Stories seeks to find stories, not just from former and serving personnel, but also from their friends and family as well as extended partners who work closely with the RAF.

The day’s events also included a welcome speech by Air Marshal Stuart Atha CB DSO MA BSC RAF, live music from the UK’s premier jive and swing band – The Jive Aces, as well as tours, talks, refreshments and the chance to catch up with colleagues old and new. With service men and women joining in from across the country, it was a truly memorable and sentimental gathering.

Event organiser Anji Patel, stated: “RAF Day was a huge success and it was wonderful and emotional to have such a large gathering of both current serving personnel and veterans. We want to make this an annual event and look forward to inviting them again next year.”

The RAF Museum’s RAF Centenary Programme is supported by National Lottery Players through the Heritage Lottery Fund.

For more information about the RAF Museum’s RAF Centenary Programme visit www.rafmuseum.org

Tribute to the V-Force 2018

Newark Air Museum - Tribute to the V Force

Saturday 19th May 2018

The preparatory work for the 2018 Tribute to the V-Force event on Saturday 19th May, 2016 is now almost complete. This will be the sixth time that the museum has hosted a V-Force Reunion event for former personnel who operated Valiant, Victor and Vulcan aircraft. On the day an area will be set up for former V-Force personnel to sign-in, collect their badges and this will be staffed by museum volunteers and some former members of the V-Force.

The event is also open to the general public and museum trustees, volunteers and staff have put together a range of visiting special displays and activities. On both days a number of museum aircraft will be open for people to visit – this will include the Vulcan, Hastings and Varsity. A small additional charge will be made for each aircraft visited (proceeds towards the museum’s various aircraft restoration projects).

There will also be a Vulcan XM594 systems demonstration, which utilises the Rover APU to operate various systems on the aircraft, including opening and closing the huge bomb bay doors.

Visiting Displays

V-Force Display – Gary O’Keefe
Mainly Military Model display
Walk-Round print signing – Garaeth Cooke
Airfield Research Group display
Royal Institute of Navigation – Astrovan c/w Smiths Mk2 periscopic sextants as per the V-Force; Hughes Mk.IX sextants Astro Compass Mk.II
Static display of radio controlled model aircraft
Tony Redding Research/contacts – PhD project
Lesley Hayward-Mudge V-Force log books & photos
Newark Air Museum model display
Grubb Street – Book sales by V Force authors Tony Blackman/Tony Wright
Vulcan to the Sky – table top display
John Cox & museum – Falklands book of remembrance & scrapbook

Programme of 4 V-Force related talks in the Dambusters Hut, these are free but please book a ticket when you arrive at the event.

BBMF Flypast

Saturday 19th May – Dakota

(These will be subject to serviceability & suitable weather conditions)

Normal museum admission rates apply: Adults £9.00, Over 65s £8.00, Children £4.50 and Family ticket [2 adults & 3 children] £24.00.

Opening times; 10am to 5pm; last admission 4pm

Full event details and exhibit lists can be found on the News & Information page of the museum website: www.newarkairmuseum.org

Wings & Wheels at Air Day!

SAS Land Rover at Yeovilton Air Day by Chris Bowman

As wings and wheels always complement each other so well, we’ve made sure that there’s more to Air Day than just aircraft! Our extensive vehicle exhibition includes an array of ex-military vehicles, classic cars and high-performance supercars to view and even sit in.

Significantly, we are delighted to have the Sporting Bears join this year’s Air Day for the sixth year running. They will be displaying a selection of their members’ cars for all to see, including classics, sports and supercars like 2017’s unforgettable £2 million Pagani Huayra! The official HASBRO Optimus Prime truck and his good friend Bumblebee will join them once again.

The Sporting Bears are a club made up of volunteers from across the UK whose sole purpose is to raise funds and smiles for children’s charities. To date, they have raised over £2 million and support over 110 different charities. They are very proud that 100% of all funds raised or donated go directly to the charities.

Alongside the wings and wheels, this show has everything to keep the whole family entertained. There will be a vast range of showground attractions from the latest defence technology exhibitions, engineering fairs and service displays to trade stalls, arena displays, military bands and the chance to meet pilots and even sit in the cockpit! For the thrill seekers, there will be simulators, fairground rides and helicopter pleasure flights to enjoy.

To book tickets and to see the full list of participating aircraft, visit www.royalnavy.mod.uk/yeovilton-airday.

RNZAF Jet To Make 11,000 Mile Journey To Join RAF Cosford Air Show

Royal New Zealand Air Force B757

Travelling from the other side of the globe, the Royal New Zealand Air Force will be celebrating RAF100 alongside the Royal Air Force on Sunday 10th June at the RAF Cosford Air Show, with their B757-2K2 airliner set to perform in the flying display.

The Boeing 757, which first flew in 1982, is more commonly used by commercial airlines and many visitors to the Air Show may have travelled on the aircraft type during their summer holidays! The Royal New Zealand Air Force, however, use their aircraft for strategic airlift operations, carrying cargo and personnel, including VIP transport and humanitarian aid delivery. This includes operations to deliver supplies to research facilities where the aircraft operates from an ice-runway.

On its trip to the UK, the aircraft will carry exhibits from the Air Force Museum of New Zealand which will be on display at the Air Show, spread across the ‘Vintage Village’ ground displays. Air Show Deputy Director, Marilyn Summers, said, “Showcasing the relationships that the Royal Air Force has with countries around the globe is an important part of our RAF100 celebration. It’s fantastic that the RNZAF will be sending their B757 to display at the Air Show and to have input from the Air Force Museum of New Zealand as part of our unique ground displays.”

Tickets for the RAF Cosford Air Show are selling at an unprecedented rate due to the unique nature of this year’s centenary celebrations. Organisers are advising the public that they should buy their Air Show tickets as soon as possible to avoid disappointment as they look set to sell out in the coming weeks. They are available from the Air Show website and a selection of local outlets including Tourist Information Centres and the RAF Museum. Further details can be found at www.cosfordairshow.co.uk.

The RAF100 Baton Relay is en route to Cosford!

RAF100 Baton

Date: 5 May 2018
Time: 10am – 4pm

On 1 April, one hundred years since the formation of the Royal Air Force, a specially designed baton set off on a journey around the UK and abroad. On Saturday 5 May the baton will be heading to the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford and will be an opportunity for members of the public to see and be part of this historic journey.

The baton is being carried by RAF personnel, cadets, veterans and members of the many sporting associations that make up the RAF. Over 100 days the RAF100 Baton will visit sites associated with the RAF, throughout the UK and across the globe.

Amongst many means of travel, the baton will be transported by boat along the River Thames by the RAF Rowing Club, carried by the RAF Falcons as they parachute from an aircraft, be ridden on horseback and power kited along Benbecula.

The relay team will be heading to RAF Cosford on Friday 4 May to meet with Station Commander, Group Captain Tone Baker for a tour of the station and an overnight stay in the Officers’ Mess, before spending a day at the Museum on Saturday 5 May from 10am to 4pm meeting with members of the public.

In addition to meeting the team and plenty of time for a selfie with the baton, the relay team will be offering a free ‘Name Your Plane’ activity for families, a nationwide call to action, inviting schools, community groups and members of the public to commemorate one of the 4,805 British Air Service personnel who lost their lives in the First World War. Visitors can cut out and decorate their plane template, and emblazon the name of a RAF, RFC, RNAS or WRAF service person across the wings. The completed planes from events across the country will then be collected up and included in a display at an iconic location later on in the year. All materials for this free activity will be provided.

The relay began its journey at the Royal Courts of Justice on 1 April 2018, followed by a trip to the RAF Museum’s London site where they were met by CEO Maggie Appleton who ran the last leg of the relay with them. The journey will end 100 days later on 10 July on Horseguards Parade.

RAF Museum Cosford General Manager, Alan Edwards said:
“It’s an honour to be part of the RAF100 celebrations and commemorations and to share in the RAF Baton Relay Team’s journey. We hope that visitors and local residents will show their support by joining us on Saturday 5 May and take the opportunity to speak with the team, participate in the free activity before they set off on the next leg of their journey which will take them on to Tywyn and Snowdonia.”

RAF Cosford Media Officer, Squadron Leader Chris Wilson said:
“The Baton has already been travelling throughout the UK and Cyprus during April so it’s great to see it arrive in Shropshire. Working in conjunction with the RAF Museum we have a unique opportunity to not only highlight some of the great activities that RAF personnel get involved with but to share the Baton with lots of members of the public.”

Keep up to date with the relay team on social media by searching #RAFBatonRelay or for more information about the relay route visit: https://www.raf.mod.uk/raf100/news/raf100-baton-relay/

F-35 Lightning II Model at RNAS Yeovilton Air Day 2017

F-35 Model

The Royal Navy’s next generation carrier strike fighter, the F-35 Lightning II, will be represented at the Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton International Air Day on Saturday 8 July with a full-scale model supplied by Lockheed Martin.

The Lightning II is a single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed for many missions with advanced, integrated sensors built into every aircraft. Missions that were traditionally performed by small numbers of specialized aircraft, such as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and electronic attack missions can now be executed by a squadron of F-35s, bringing new capabilities to UK armed forces.

The Royal Air Force and Royal Navy plan to operate 138 F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing aircraft. British pilots and maintainers are already embedded within the U.S. Marine Corps and their fleet of F-35Bs as part of an Anglo-American training programme. The operational test and evaluation of the UK’s first F-35s is currently taking place at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

Meanwhile in the UK, personnel from RNAS Culdrose, RAF Marham and HMS Queen Elizabeth are well underway with preparations to receive the new aircraft. It is hoped the first F-35Bs will embark on the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier for trials in the next few years.

“I am delighted that we will be able to show the public a full-scale model of the UK’s Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft at our International Air Day. This aircraft will fly off the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth Class carriers from 2018 as they safeguard the UK’s interests well into the future. A great opportunity to get a sense of the fixed wing aircraft that will soon be in service with the Fleet Air Arm” says Commander Terry Tyack, RNAS Yeovilton’s Commander Air.

Air Day will provide a great opportunity to see first-hand the size and stealthy characteristics and hear about the capabilities of the Royal Navy’s F-35B Lighting II. The full-scale model will take its place in the static display alongside other iconic fixed wing carrier aircraft such as the Phantom and Sea Harrier.

Discounted advance tickets are available over the counter at participating Tourist Information Centres and online at www.royalnavy.mod.uk/yeovilton-airday.

More US aircraft join Air Tattoo salute

Osprey

Visitors to this summer’s Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in the Cotswolds will be able to view one of the biggest gatherings of US military aircraft at a UK airshow in recent years.

In addition to the USAF display team the Thunderbirds, a B-1 and B-52 bomber and a stateof-the-art F-22 fighter jet already revealed, the Americans have announced that many more exciting aircraft will be arriving at the air base as the airshow prepares to stage the biggest celebration of the US Air Force’s 70th anniversary anywhere in Europe.

The airshow, which takes place on July 14-16, will also feature two CV-22B Ospreys, whose unique tiltrotors enable them to fly like a helicopter or like a fixed-wing aircraft. The aircraft, one of which will be in the flying programme and the other on display in the static park, has been used as a Special Forces transport aircraft thanks to its impressive speed and manoeuvrability.

Also confirmed for the static park will be two F-16C fighter jets from Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany; an MC-130J Commando II tactical transport and tanker aircraft, based at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, used to support Special Operations; and a massive C-17A Globemaster transport aircraft which will travel all the way from Charleston, South Carolina.

Finally, the United States Navy will be showcasing the world’s most capable maritime patrol aircraft, the Boeing P-8A Poseidon, on the ground at RAF Fairford. The aircraft is on order for the Royal Air Force, who will take delivery of their first example from 2019, based at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland.

Air Tattoo spokesman Richard Arquati said: “The Air Tattoo enjoys a great relationship with the US military which stretches back almost four decades and over the years this has resulted in some very memorable tributes marking key milestones in the USAF’s history.

“Earlier this year the US military promised us their full support in marking their 70th anniversary and now we’re seeing them deliver. It’s fantastic. The range of American military aircraft on display at the Air Tattoo is going to be awesome – and there’s still time for more to be added!”

The Air Tattoo is staged annually at RAF Fairford in support of the RAF Charitable Trust. To view prices and enclosure options, visit www.airtattoo.com. All accompanied under-16s are admitted free of charge. Free parking.

Airfield run returns in September

RAF Cosford Spitfire 10k Run

Date: 3 September 2017
Time: Race starts at 10am
Cost: Standard entry £22.50 per person (15 years and over)

Calling all runners….the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford needs you! The Spitfire 10K will be returning to the RAF Museum Cosford this September and will give participants the unique opportunity to race across the airfield and down the runway at RAF Cosford, in an exclusive charity run raising money for the RAF Museum!

Taking place on Sunday 3 September 2017, registration is now open for runners to sign up and set themselves a new and unique sporting challenge.

Taking-off from the Museum’s Hangar 1, visitors will head outside and begin the race with a loop of the Museum site past iconic aircraft including the VC10, Hercules and Nimrod, before heading onto the airfield at RAF Cosford. Participants will run alongside the wartime hangars, the air traffic control tower and of course, the race wouldn’t be complete without a sprint down the runway! The scenic route around the military airfield will take runners past several historic landmarks along the way and then it’s back onto the Museum site to cross the finish line. Upon completion, runners will be rewarded with a bespoke 2017 Spitfire 10K medal, a perfect and well-earned memento of their day.

RAF Museum Public Events Manager, Abi Betteridge said:
“In 2016 we had over 650 runners participate in the first Spitfire 10K and this year we hope to beat that number and see even more people sprinting down the runway. It’s such a unique event, there really is no other race like it and the feedback from everyone who took part last year was phenomenal. We already have over 300 runners signed up for the 2017 Spitfire 10K and we have been working hard designing the new 2017 medal and t-shirts we’re sure runners will love.”

This UK Athletics licenced race over an accurately measured course is suitable for keen runners and novices alike, so if you’re aged 15 and over why not give it a go? Whether you’ve been running for years, or you’re just getting into the sport for the first time, the race at Cosford is guaranteed to be a fun and memorable one.

Organisers are also encouraging participants to get into the spirit of the Spitfire 10K by dressing in wartime attire – don your victory curls or flying jacket and run this event in style! Or, why not sport a bespoke 2017 Spitfire 10K t-shirt, available to purchase when you register online. The Spitfire 10K will be a fun family day out and spectators are invited to cheer on their loved ones and show their support on the day at the start and finish line. Plus, following the race, visitors have the added bonus of being able to enjoy time wondering round the free Museum, where they will find over 75 historical aircraft on display.

Runners can arrive from 8.00am onwards and it will be ready, steady….scramble at 10.00am sharp!

To register for the event visit the Museum’s website www.rafmuseum.org/cosford. Entry costs £22.50 per person with proceeds going towards the RAF Museum (registered charity number 244708), to support work conserving and sharing the story of the RAF for current and future generations. Armed Forces Personnel and members of UK Athletics affiliated clubs are eligible for the discounted entry fee of £20.50 per person. For further details about the event, visit the Museum’s website or call 01902 376200.

Canadians Return to Lincolnshire Skies

Canadian Hornet

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) is sending one of its CF-18 Hornet fighter jets to the Scampton Airshow, renewing the air arm’s long relationship with Lincolnshire that dates back to the Second World War.

The distinctive twin-engine fighter, a version of the F/A-18 Hornet produced by McDonnell Douglas and Boeing, is the backbone of the Canadian Air Force, and will be one of the stars of the extensive static display in the airshow, which takes place at RAF Scampton on September 9-10.

Thousands of Canadian airmen were based in Lincolnshire during the war serving within the Royal Air Force’s Bomber Command, Coastal Command and Fighter Command. One unit flying bombers, 420 Squadron was formed at RAF Waddington near Lincoln in December 1941, and flew more than 530 sorties in eight months before transferring to Yorkshire where the bulk of the RCAF bomber squadrons were based.

Three land-based Canadian Coastal Command squadrons were located in Lincolnshire at RAF North Coates and RAF Strubby and many of the RCAF’s Fighter Command units were based in the area for periods of the war. One of them, 401 Squadron which flew Spitfires is still operating today flying the CF-18.

Airshow Director Paul Sall said: “The history between Lincolnshire and the Royal Canadian Air Force is undeniably strong with many Canadian Air Force personnel based in the county through the Second World War. The connection with RAF Scampton is particularly of note with 30 members of the legendary 617 ‘Dambusters’ Squadron being Royal Canadian Air Force. To confirm the Royal Canadian Air Force will be sending a CF-18 Hornet to be part of the inaugural Scampton Airshow is just magnificent and reinforces the long standing relationship with Lincolnshire.”

“We’re yet to receive confirmation which unit will be sending the CF-18 but we’re all keeping our fingers’ crossed, that give its links with the county, it will come from 401 Squadron.”

Scampton Airshow tickets can only be purchased in advance at www.scamptonairshow.com. Tickets are priced at £39 with all under 16s able to enjoy the airshow free when accompanied by an adult ticket-holder.

WFS becomes Museum Centenary Partner

WFS

World Fuel Services, with its regional center based in London, United Kingdom, proudly announced this week that they have become a Founding Member of the Royal Air Force (RAF) Museum’s Corporate Membership Programme and a RAF Centenary Partner. With the 100th anniversary of RAF’s founding taking place in June of 2018, World Fuel Services will participate in many of the celebrations and events planned around this milestone.

The museum operates two sites, one in Hendon, North London, and the second in Cosford. Both offer free admission to the public. Its mission is “to tell the story of tell the story of the Royal Air Force through its people and collections” and “to ensure that the Royal Air Force’s story endures and enriches future generations.” The museum accomplishes this through a world-class collection and display of aircraft, special exhibitions, films, interactives, artwork, engines, missiles, photographs, medals, uniforms along with research and education facilities.

“World Fuel Services is delighted to support the RAF Museum as a Founding Member of its Corporate Membership Programme and an RAF Centenary Partner. We are committed to the aviation space, with a long and proud history of delivering aviation fuel, services and solutions to the Military, General and Commercial aviation sectors. It’s very exciting for our company to be able to play our part in sharing the stories and celebrating the RAF’s achievements with the community and the hundreds of thousands of aviation enthusiasts who visit the museum. We look forward to playing our role in many museum and centenary events over the coming years, including the RAF centenary celebrations planned for June 2018,” commented Mark Amor, World Fuel Services’ Vice President of Commercial Development.

“It’s wonderful to have World Fuel Services on board as our Founding Corporate Member; we are looking forward to working together to build a long term relationship for the future.” Says Maggie Appleton MBE, CEO of the Royal Air Force Museum
World Fuel Services’ sponsorship directly supports the ongoing redevelopment efforts of the museum’s Hendon location. This includes new exhibitions showcasing the RAF’s first 100 years and the role of the RAF from the Cold War into the future, along with outdoor renovations and landscaping to bring back the sense of space and place of the historic Hendon Aerodrome.

To learn more about World Fuel Services’ full suite of business and general aviation solutions, join World Fuel Services in stand A67 at the 2017 European Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (EBACE 2017) in Geneva, May 22-24.

www.rafmuseum.org