Here at Newark Air Museum, a registered charity, we’re already starting to make plans for our 2023 special events. 2023 is a significant year in the museum’s long history as it will be celebrating 50 years of being officially open to the public and we hoped that you might be able feature them in your event listing sections.

11th & 12th February 2023 – Vulcan delivery 40th Anniversary

On the weekend of 11th/12th February 2023 it will be forty (40) years since Avro Vulcan XM594 landed (actual landing date 07.02.83) on the former wartime runway at Winthorpe Showground to go on display at the museum; the year 2023 it is also the 60th anniversary of its entry into RAF service.

To mark the anniversary, the museum trustees will allow members of the museum’s Cockpit Opening Team to provide FREE cockpit access to the Vulcan on the weekend – this will be available for visitors who pay to come into the museum and who advise the museum in advance of their plan to participate.

The museum will be open from 1000 to 1600 hours, with last admissions to the site being at 1500 hours. Admission costs to the museum site will be: Adults £10.00, Over 60s £9.00 and Children £5.50.

*NOTE This event was first advertised early in December and there is now a reserve list for cockpit access to the Vulcan.

15 & 16 April 2023 – 50th Anniversary Gala & Aeroboot / Aerojumble

This two-day event is being hosted at the museum, to mark fifty years since the museum was officially opened to the public, on 14th April 1973. The original opening ceremony was led by AVM Sir Ralph Cochrane KBE, the former Officer Commanding 5 Group Bomber Command at the time of the famous Dambusters Raid; he was introduced to the gathered enthusiasts by the museum’s then President, Air Cdr David Bonham-Carter.

Since those humble beginnings, with just eight aircraft on display the museum has developed into one of the UK’s largest volunteer managed aviation collections, which now displays around one hundred aircraft and cockpit sections from across the history of aviation. Several of the current exhibits are unique to UK aviation museums and they always attract particular interest and attention.

Various displays will illustrate how the museum has developed across those fifty years, and members of the museum’s open cockpit team will be on hand to give visitors the opportunity to look inside our aircraft; (a small additional charge will be made for aircraft access).

An outdoor Aeroboot/Aerojumble event will run alongside the Anniversary Gala, with sellers from across the UK expected to attend.

24 & 25 June 2013 – Cockpit-Fest 2013 & Aeroboot / Aerojumble aviation and avionics sale; 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}

www.newarkairmuseum.org

On the weekend of 11th/12th February 2023 it will be forty (40) years since Avro Vulcan XM594 landed (actual landing date 07.02.83) on the former wartime runway at Winthorpe Showground to go on display at the Newark Air Museum, 2023 it is also the 60th anniversary of its entry into RAF service.

To mark the anniversary, the museum trustees will allow members of the museum’s Cockpit Opening Team to provide FREE cockpit access to the Vulcan on the weekend – this will be available for visitors who pay to come into the museum and who advise the museum in advance of their plan to participate.

The museum will be open from 1000 to 1600 hours, with last admissions to the site being at 1500 hours. Admission costs to the museum site are: Adults £10.00, Over 60s £9.00 and Children £5.50.

The museum trustees anticipate that this will be a popular event, so to try and ensure that people have sufficient time inside the cockpit and that they are not waiting around outside, they are implementing a timed ticket system for going on board Vulcan XM594.

To help the museum formulate the timed ticket schedule they need to hear from people who plan to visit on the weekend and we would ask them to email in the following bits of information by 1600 hours on 1st February 2023: Estimated arrival time and The likely number of people in your group & their approximate ages

Once this information has been submitted the museum will draw up the timed visit schedule for people to go on board XM594 and notify people of their allocated time. The museum does reserve the right to close the offer before the stated date if the uptake is so great that it cannot cope with the number of visitors requesting the free access to the Vulcan. Further details will be posted on the News & Information page of the museum website at www.newarkairmuseum.org

Please be aware that because of the restricted space in the cockpit the Vulcan can only take 3-4 people at a time; please also be aware that access to the Vulcan is also dependent on a height restriction and visitors to the aircraft will have to be at least 1.00m (one metre) in height.

If you would like to look inside the Vulcan for FREE on the weekend please send the museum an email with the requested information via admin@newarkairmuseum.org to indicate your interest, and please state “FREE Vulcan 40th Anniversary Visit” in the subject / topic section of your email.

In addition, a series of talks by ex-Vulcan aircrew is planned to take place throughout the weekend – further details will follow.

Of course a donation towards museum funds would always be appreciated for anyone taking part in this activity!!

www.newarkairmuseum.org

On Friday 19th August, 2022 the Newark Air Museum (NAM) took delivery of the Reid and Sigrist (RS) Desford aircraft onto its site in north eastern Nottinghamshire. This was the culmination of months of organisation in association with Leicestershire County Council (LCC), who has transferred ownership of the unique aircraft to the museum; and with Windmill Aviation, who restored the aircraft.

The delivery flight was completed onto part of the former RAF Winthorpe site. This was made possible thanks to the generous support and co-operation of the Newark and Nottinghamshire Agricultural Society and the Newark Motor Auction company, plus all of their staff.

After defueling and the removal of some items, the RS Desford was moved into a temporary undercover display location in Hangar 2 at the museum. Since delivery day, the museum, trustees, volunteers and staff have been busy with behind the scenes preparations for moving the RS Desford into its final display location in Hangar 1.

During the museum’s discussions with LLC over the transfer of ownership of the RS Desford, an Interpretation Plan was drawn up for the aircraft. This will include a new display that will utilise some of the archive material that was transferred to NAM along with the aircraft. This will be implemented after NAM finalises the required work schedule to move the RS Desford into Hangar 1, where it will be housed alongside some contemporary exhibits.

Some aspects of this relocation project have already been completed, including repositioning the Tiger Moth; and folding the wings on the Monospar, which is now ready for its temporary move. Additional planning work is also underway with regards to other tasks required to ensure that the various temporary airframe moves can be implemented in a safe and choreographed manner, and hopefully without too much disruption.

At a more detailed level NAM engineers have been undertaking an assessment of the RS Desford to see how it can become part of various events and activities at the museum in a safe way, that befits its unique status. Any future activities will be undertaken in accordance with NAM’s obligations as an Accredited Museum and for the long-term protection of the airframe.

www.newarkairmuseum.org

From its humble beginnings in the 1960s, when a group of like-minded aviation enthusiasts set out with a desire to own a Spitfire, over the years the Newark Air Museum has evolved into one of the UK’s leading volunteer managed aviation museums. Open to the public for forty-nine years; the museum is located just to the north of Newark-on-Trent; on part of what is the former World War II training airfield of RAF Winthorpe, which is in eastern Nottinghamshire.

Administered by Arts Council England on behalf of the UK Accreditation Partnership, Accreditation is the benchmark for well-run Museums and Galleries.

It means that Newark Air Museum is properly managed and governed to the nationally agreed industry standard and shows the museum takes proper care of its collections, sharing them with visitors and keeping them safe for future generations.

Accreditation opens up exciting funding opportunities, allows museums to host touring exhibitions and gives access to professional advice and support. It also gives confidence to donors and sponsors who may wish to support the museum in preserving heritage and inspiring future generations.

Accreditation covers museums of all types and sizes – from the smallest volunteer-run museums to national museums – and more than 1,700 museums are currently taking part in the scheme across the UK.

More information about the Accreditation scheme can be found here.

Colin Savill, Museum Trustee said: “The renewal of our Accreditation with Arts Council England has been running throughout the Covid-19 crisis and we are grateful for everyone’s support in us finally being able to secure this prestigious award.”

Liz Johnson, Director Museums and Cultural Property at Arts Council England said: “We’re delighted that Newark Air Museum has been successful in gaining their Accreditation status. This means that their Collections will be looked after and maintained offering inspiration, enjoyment and learning for the local community and visitors to enjoy now and in the future.”

www.newarkairmuseum.org

The trustees and volunteers at the Newark Air Museum (NAM) have received a fund raising boost thanks to the generosity of the British Aviation Research Group (BARG). Having been advised about the museum’s much needed refurbishment and repainting work on Avro Vulcan XM594, members of the BARG DVD Implementation Team have kindly agreed to meet the cost of the paint and associated materials.

In December 2021 the museum took ownership of Vulcan XM594 and this was undertaken in the knowledge that some significant structural repairs and repainting work was required on the huge delta winged aircraft.

During spring 2022, the museum received a letter from BARG asking if they had any military aircraft preservation projects that required financial support. In response the museum submitted an application to BARG in relation to the materials required for the Vulcan repaint.

BARG’s history dates back to the 1950s, which is longer than the museum’s. This is when a group of young enthusiast started a monthly publication reporting aircraft sightings at Blackbushe Airport (then London’s second airport). The group expanded and became a byword for military aviation enthusiasts. Eventually BARG transferred their publications and research data onto searchable DVDs, which were sold around the world. The proceeds from these sales have enabled BARG to support projects like NAM’s Vulcan repaint project.

“We are extremely grateful to BARG for their generous support of the repainting work on Vulcan XM594.” Said Newark Air Museum trustee Howard Heeley, he concluded, “Their contribution is being made as and when we purchase the paint, and it allows us to proceed at a steady pace that makes the most of the sometimes changeable British weather.”

www.newarkairmuseum.org

The trustees of the Newark Air Museum (NAM) are delighted to announce that they have entered into an agreement with MBDA UK Limited (MBDA) to accept on loan what is believed to be the only complete example of the company’s famous Rapier Field Standard C (FSC) Ground Based Air Defence system.

The recently deactivated, and now inert, system was delivered to NAM’s site in north eastern Nottinghamshire on Monday 27th June 2022, and will form a display that is unique from any museum in the United Kingdom.

In service since 1971, some Rapier systems are still defending military assets around the world today. Rapier FSC was also the last air defence system used by RAF Regiments to protect its airfields, before the British Army took on that responsibility.

Rapier was even used to help protect the 2012 London Olympics, and had a brief on screen Hollywood appearance when seen in the 2014 film ‘Kingsmen: The Secret Service’.

The Rapier FSC system complements the museum’s stated wider Collecting Policy and more specifically of that of displaying “Equipment used for the maintenance of aircraft and for the running of airfields, both military … etc.”

Undercover display space has been found for the Rapier Field Standard C System in the south-western section of Display Hangar 2. Not only will the unit’s complement NAM’s existing RAF Regiment displays, but they will also support the recently opened Royal Air Force (RAF) Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) display, which are located in the same display area.

“We are excited and extremely proud to have secured the loan of such a unique set of objects for the collection,” commented museum Curator, Mike Smith. He concluded, “We are especially grateful for the assistance provided by the staff at MBDA, in helping us to establish this loan agreement and to complete the safe move of this Rapier Field Standard C System to Newark.”

“We are proud of our heritage of producing equipment for our Armed Forces that protected our troops, airfields and the UK” said Al Byford, a retired RAF Air Commodore now an advisor at MBDA. He added, “Equipment such as this Rapier FSC is of historical military significance and it is only right we share it with NAM, so those that are interested in such piece of RAF history can visit and see it preserved.” www.newarkairmuseum.org

Preparations for the 2022 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; this year’s Cockpit-Fest event moves back to its more traditional June time-slot; on Saturday 25th & Sunday 26th June, 2022.

This will be the twenty first (21st) 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 and civilian types; plus, several of the on-loan cockpits that resident at the museum. This includes several cockpits that will be displayed at the event for the very first time.

In addition, a diverse range of visiting cockpit related exhibits are also expected to be displayed around the 16-acre 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.

Full details about the events and a full list of visiting cockpits and displays can be found on the Museum Events page of the museum website at www.newarkairmuseum.org

In the last twenty-four hours the museum has launched two fundraising campaigns to assist on major projects on two of our Avro airframes, Shackleton WR977 and Vulcan XM594.

In December 2021 the museum took ownership of Shackleton WR977 and this was undertaken in the knowledge that some significant structural repairs were required on both main undercarriage structures.

Until this work has been completed we are unable to re-open this particular aircraft for our fabulous cockpit tours. So that we can undertake this work in a safe and secure manner we need to construct two concrete jacking plinths; one under each aircraft wing. Design work has been undertaken for these plinths; so much so the excavation work and pouring of the concrete is due to be taken before the end of May.

In addition to this civils engineering work, we also need to fabricate jacking pads/heads to fit on the jacks that we purchased last autumn. We have tried to source these amongst the aviation community but without success. The construction of the jacking plinths is due to take place during the week commencing 23rd May 2022; followed by the fabrication of the jacking pads/heads. Support for this project can be made via this weblink: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/Shackleton-WR977-U-C-Repair-2022

Also during week commencing 23rd May, 2022 scaffolding will be erected at the nose and on the starboard wing of Vulcan XM594, which was also acquired in December 2021. This will allow museum Painting Teams to move onto the aircraft to carry out some much needed refurbishment and repainting work during the summertime.

It is anticipated that this work will take up to ten (10) weeks and on certain occasions it could limit the public access to the aircraft. In the coming days we will be introducing a short fund raising campaign to support this vital restoration work, which will help secure the long-term future of this particular exhibit.

This work should not interrupt the external tours of XM594, which have been a regular feature of our weekend opening sessions. These are led by former Vulcan crew members and provide a fascinating insight into Vulcan operations during the Cold War. Support for this project can be made via this weblink: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/Vulcan-XM594-Repaint-2022

www.newarkairmuseum.org

On Newark Air Museum’s site in eastern Nottinghamshire; close to the border with Lincolnshire preparations are well in hand for the Falklands 40th & Cold War Call Up event, which takes place on Saturday 30th April and Sunday 1st May, 2022.

This two-day event has been organised to tie in with the commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of the successful Black Buck 1 Vulcan bombing raid on the runway at Port Stanley Airport in the Falkland Islands. The raid was co-ordinated by the Vulcan Wing at nearby RAF Waddington, Lincs; in conjunction with the Victor Tanker Wing at RAF Marham, Norfolk; and launched from Ascension Island on April 30th 1982.

Whilst our Vulcan XM594 was part of the Waddington Vulcan Wing it did not fly in the Falkland War, unlike our Sea Harrier aircraft ZA176, which flew Combat Air Patrols off HMS Hermes during the successful campaign to liberate the Falkland Islands. These aircraft will form a central element of the event, which will be supported by a host of visiting displays and exhibits dispersed around our 16-acre site.

On Saturday 30th April, an RAF Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Memorial will be dedicated in the Museum Memorial Garden at 11.00 hours, in a short service led by Rev Alan Boyd. This will be followed by the official unveiling of the new RAF EOD Display in Hangar 2. On Saturday afternoon and throughout the day on Sunday, Sqn Ldr Mick Haygarth will also host various Question & Answer sessions about his time in the RAF and with various RAF EOD units; he will also be available to sell and sign copies of his book: “From The Cold War To The War On Terror”.

Another aspect of the displays will aim to remind visitors of the tremendous role undertaken by many aircraft and aircrews during the Cold War Era and helped maintain a relatively peaceful situation in Europe for many years. Plus, we will be hosting an Outdoor Aeroboot aviation sale on our Southfield Site.

For members of the general public normal museum admission rates apply and full listing details about the events can be found on the Museum Events page of the museum website at www.newarkairmuseum.org

The date for our first Day-Night Photo Shoot event in 2022 has now been set for Saturday March 26, 2022.

The event will formally commence after the museum closes to the public at 5pm; however anyone signing up for the event will be eligible to arrive at the museum from 1000 hours onwards on March 26th so that they can enjoy a whole day taking pictures around the museum site.

The event will feature themed ground equipment; uniformed personnel; and illuminated aircraft.

The aircraft being featured for this event will include the T-33; Wessex; Dove; Vulcan & munitions; plus also the Jaguar T2A; Hunter T.7; Lightning T.5 & Meteor NF.14.

Admission cost for Day-Night Photo Shoot event is £40 per person and places will be limited to 50 people.

Various payment options are detailed on the booking form, or you can call in at the museum in person.

We will aim to acknowledge the receipt of your emailed booking applications within 24 hours!

http://www.newarkairmuseum.org/Day-Night_Photo_Shoot