RAF Museum London – Page 4

Women in Aviation, Science and Engineering

On Saturday 19 March the Royal Air Force Museum, in partnership with Techmaids are holding an event in honour and celebration of women in science and engineering. The Month of March marks International Women’s Day and Women’s history Month.

Date: Saturday 19th March

Location: Historic Hangars, RAF Museum London

Time: 1100 – 1545

Entrance: FREE

We will be hosting various women who work in science and engineering who will be giving pop up lectures beneath our Bristol Beaufighter.

Event Schedule and Speakers

11.00 Maggie Appleton MBE, Chief Executive Officer at the Royal Air Force Museum

11.30 Hillary Taylor, Director, Zumiya Consulting

12.00 Linsey Birkett, Technical Engineer, Interserve Industrial Services – Power Division

12.30 Noor Ul-Ain, Graduate Engineer, Reading University

13.00 Claire Curtis-Thomas, Chief Executive Officer at the British Board of Agrement

13.30 Carla Curtis-Tansley, Student at the Royal College of Art, Imperial College London

14.00 Q&A: Meet the British Airways aircrew

14.45 Francesca Perona, Fab Lab London

15.15 Rahmat Iyabode Balogun, Founder of TechMaids

15.45 Cassie Kolyda, Founder & CEO of StraDia Coaching

About the Speakers

Maggie Appleton MBE, Chief Executive Officer, Royal Air Force Museum

Maggie took up her current post as Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Air Force Museum in January 2015.

Maggie has 25 years’ experience in the sector and is passionate about the difference that museums and culture can make to people’s lives. Before joining the Royal Air Force Museum, Maggie worked in Luton for 12 years, for six as director of museums and latterly as the Chief Executive of Luton Culture, the charity that comprises the arts, libraries, community centres and museums in the town. Her previous roles were in Stevenage and at the Royal Armouries.

Maggie led the consultation, fundraising and development of the HLF-funded Stockwood Discovery Centre in Luton that opened in 2008 and welcomes over 200,000 visitors a year. She was also responsible for securing the medieval Wenlok Jug for the UK after it was export stopped in 2006.

Maggie is also the Vice President of the Museums Association, Board Member of the Heritage Lottery Fund East of England Committee and the co-Chair of the Women Leaders in Museums Network.

Maggie is married with two boys and is a keen cyclist and reader.

Hillary Taylor, Director, Zumiya Consulting

I have lived and travelled the world, learned different languages and worked on ground-breaking projects. In parallel I work for and with communities to develop individuals, communities and communication, both in formal and informal roles. Opportunities exist every day for new and exciting challenges. In addition to technology, I’m also very involved in working to equal access for all (regardless of backgrounds, with or without disabilities) to our exciting STEAM (STEM including Arts and creativity) world and futures. I’m a published writer, work in a range of networks and am also very part time artist.

From my original degree in Electrical Engineering, through software, hardware, manufacturing, test and business development, today I work in creative thinking in tech, arts and social worlds. Problem solving, (technical, business, or other), I help develop strategies, understand risk, project, organisation and personal development. I take part in various community/ arts development and individual projects.

Linsey Birkett, Technical Engineer, Interserve Industrial Services – Power Division

Linsey Birkett is a Technical Engineer in the Power Division at Interserve Industrial Services. She fell into the Power Industry by accident 8 years ago and has thrived in the electrical arena, studying part time for an ONC and then a HNC in Electrical Engineering the latter of which she graduated from in June 2015 with a Distinction. Her day to day role is to provide support to the Extra High Voltage Underground team in the form of cable system design including cable calculations, cable pulling tensions and outage planning. In addition, she is heavily involved in the tendering, development and planning of projects anywhere from £5k to £25m for a wide range of Clients.

Noor Ul-Ain, Graduate Engineer, Reading University

Noor Ul-Ain, was born in a small village in Pakistan and moved to the UK when she was 11. Noor grew up in Swansea, studying at Dylan Community School. Her first introduction to engineering was a Saturday taster course in Electronics and Mechanic in year 9.

Noor then did her BEng and MEng at the University of Reading. Growing in a conservative family, she really enjoyed the freedom in University. It provided her with a great platform to further pursue her interest in Engineering. During her degree, she undertook a 6 month placement with EnSilica, an Engineering consultancy firm in Wokingham. Noor absolutely loved her time there, returning after graduation.

Ensilica is an SME, which has provided great opportunities for Noor. Working in smaller teams ensures that she is handed greater responsibilities than you what you would expect in a graduate position. The range of work projects are also highly varied, making her job very interesting. Noor has learnt to create PCB designs to do place and route. Also applying the same theory on a chip level. She have learnt a variety of skills schematic drawing, PBC layout, timing simulations, FPGA programing and numerous learning programming languages.

Claire Curtis-Thomas, Chief Executive at the British Board of Agrement

Claire Curtis-Thomas graduated in Mechanical Engineering from University College, Cardiff, and went on to obtain an MBA at Aston University. She also has an honorary PhD in Technology.

Her industry experience was gained with Shell UK. This was followed with roles at Birmingham City Council, initially as Head of Corporate Affairs and later as Chief Executive of Birmingham City Council Laboratories. Claire then returned to university life as Dean of the Engineering and Business Department of the University of Wales, Newport, before moving into politics when she was elected MP for Crosby.

During her time in parliament, Claire championed a number of issues on behalf of the construction industry and sat on three select committees: Trade & Industry, Home Affairs and Science & Technology. She also chaired All-Party Parliamentary Committees on Construction and Utility related subjects and founded the Construction & Development Partnership, a charity dedicated to bringing schools and education to the children of Sierra Leone.

Claire left politics in 2010 and before joining the BBA in 2013, she was Chief Executive of the Institution of Gas Engineers and Managers (IGEM), a Chartered Institution providing services, training, and standards to the gas industry.

Francesca Perona, Fab Lab London

Francesca Perona is a London-based interdisciplinary designer, FabLab London associate, Ravensbourne Sessional Lecturer and STEM educator. Trained and experienced as textile designer, she graduated with a MA in Computational Arts at Goldsmiths Department of Computing in 2012 and with a Fabacademy diploma at FabLab Barcelona/MIT in 2015.

Francesca’s practice sits at the intersection of experimental materials and digital technologies. She has run a number of workshops and courses on interactive technologies in local schools, community centres and Universities in the UK and abroad. Having worked on research projects for companies such as Unilever and Philips, she has also won digital arts residencies and presented her work at institutions such as the V&A, Abertay University and UCA Canterbury.

Rahmat Iyabode Balogun, Founder of TechMaids

After working for many years in corporate IT, based on the challenges faced during her professional career Rahmat decided to set up TechMaids to enable young people especially women into STEM careers and non traditional professions.

Rahmat has trained a significant number of women in Grahame Park. She continues to trailblaze by promoting gender diversity and awareness of digital skills to improve personal and economic wellbeing.

Rahmat is a STEM finalist, ambassador and role model. She is on a mission to inspire social change and empower the next generation for a digital economy.

Cassie Kolyda, Founder & CEO of StraDia Coaching

Female Engineer and Founder & CEO of StraDia Coaching, an international company helping High Powered Women to start and grow profitable businesses or successful careers in the corporate arena doing what they are passionate about.

Her true passion is to empower women to raise their Profile in male dominated arenas, develop unique personal brand to stand out, market their expertise, monetize their knowledge, leverage their time, add new revenue streams, not settle for less than they are worth!

www.rafmuseum.org

Discover the Secret Life of… Spitfires and Hurricanes

RAF Museum London Hurricane

The RAF Museum is offering enthusiasts and visitors a rare chance to get ‘under the skin’ of some of their iconic Battle of Britain aircraft.

The Museum is conducting an ‘open’ condition survey of its aircraft as part of its on-going plans to commemorate and celebrate the RAF’s Centenary in 2018.

The first of these surveys is now underway in the Battle of Britain Hall at its London site and will last until November. During this time visitors will be able to see under the skin of some of the aircraft as panels are removed and parts are dismantled for a closer inspection.

For the first time ever, the Museum is enabling visitors to see the ‘nuts and bolts’ under the panels as qualified technicians asses each aircraft and is also encouraging public photography and filming of the process.

Watch this video: www.rafmuseum.org.uk/london/whats-going-on/news/london-museum-aircraft-survey-announced/

If you would like to learn more about the Museum’s plans for the RAF Centenary in 2018 please sign up to our RAF Centenary Programme e-Newsletter. To do this, just go to the bottom of any page on our main website www.rafmuseum.org, and click on the e-Newsletter link.

Carole Vorderman Open News Exhibition at RAF Museum

RAF Museum Carole Vorderman

The RAF Museum is pleased to announce the launch of its newest temporary exhibition ‘Venture and Adventure’ which marks the 75th Anniversary of the formation of the RAF Air Cadets*

Air cadet officers have been working closely with the Museum’s team to produce the exhibition which chronicles the exciting story of the Air Training Corps, from 1941 when it was established, right through to the very latest developments.

Together with a range of other anniversary events across the UK to mark the organisation’s 75th year, the exhibition aims intended to raise public awareness of what is one of the finest national voluntary youth organisations in the world.

As honorary ambassador for the Air Cadets, TV personality Carol Voderman was on hand to open the exhibition at an event attended by RAF VIP’s, local cadets from Barnet and the Mayors of Barnet and Harrow.

Project Officer, Flt Lt Roger Starling said: “This fascinating exhibition will be located in the Art Gallery area on the first floor of the museum’s main building and will use specially designed panels to illustrate key cadet activities. There will also be some historic artefacts on display, including an original uniform from 1941.”

A second, smaller exhibition will feature at the museum’s other site at RAF Cosford, Shropshire. Admission to both exhibitions is free and they will run until November 11 next year (2016).

*The RAF Air Cadets comprises both the Air Training Corps and the Combined Cadet Force (RAF).

www.rafmuseum.org

Museum WINS National Lottery Award

Today (Tuesday 1 September 2015) musician and actor Martin Kemp presented staff at the RAF Museum in Colindale with a National Lottery Award trophy.

The star of Spandau Ballet hits like ‘Gold’ and ‘True’ famously took to the skies back in 2008 for Martin Kemp: The Battle of Britain. As part of a TV series the daredevil boarded a World War II fighter plane to recreate a Battle of Britain dogfight. Today it was his turn to try out World War I planes instead- albeit on the ground!

Martin took time out from tour preparations to help staff at the RAF Museum celebrate its award-winning exhibition.

The museum’s First World War in the Air exhibition received over 7,000 votes to be named the UK’s Best Heritage project in this year’s National Lottery Awards – the annual search to find the UK’s favourite Lottery funded projects.

The museum wins a £2,000 cash prize, an iconic National Lottery Awards trophy and will attend a star-studded Awards ceremony, The National Lottery Stars, broadcast on BBC One on 21 September.

The Royal Air Force Museum’s popular First World War in the Air gallery brings to life the compelling stories of the people, innovations, engineering and aircraft of the Great War. Over 65,000 people have visited the exhibition in the last six months, with thousands more accessing information on the Museum’s websites.

Martin Kemp said: “This is a fantastic project, not just for aviation fans like me. It is great that National Lottery Players have helped to preserve these wonderful flying machines for so many young families and people of all ages to appreciate.”

Karen Whitting, Director of Public Programmes , RAF Museum added: “This award is special because it is voted for by the British public. We hope our success will give us even more of a national and international profile and help to attract more National Lottery Players and visitors.”

www.rafmuseum.org

Take a Seat in Our Spitfire

RAF Museum Spitfire

Dreams come true at the RAF Museum this August as we unveil our new sit-in ‘Spitfire Experience’.

For the first time ever, visitors can now climb inside our Mk XVI Spitfire, take the pilot’s seat, learn about the Aircraft and feel the thrill of sitting in one of the most iconic cockpits

Tickets: £4 per person (BoB 75th offer limited to end of September)

Location: Historic Hangars, RAF Museum London

September is the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain and to mark this occasion, we are offering a special price of £4 per person to access to Spitfire MK16 Cockpit.

All tickets for the Spitfire Experience contribute towards the ‘Historic Hendon Appeal’.

The RAF Museum receives funding from the MoD that allows the Museum to open its doors to visitors. In order to conserve our collection and improve the Museum we rely on the museum’s supporters – the Museum needs your help. 2018 will mark the 100th anniversary of the RAF and we are looking to transform the Museum through 4 new exhibitions, new learning programmes and better facilities for visitors.

We have already completed part of this project through the new First World War in the Air exhibition and have raised over £12milion towards future works (out of £23milion).

All donations made through the ‘Spitfire Experience’ will support the ‘Historic Hendon’ phase of the project which will tell the story of the museum’s former life as an airfield, it was on the airfield where the museum now stands that Spitfires departed for the Battle of Britain and Winston Churchill first learnt to fly. Donations will also help to ensure that the museum is enjoyed by the local community for generations to come.

www.rafmuseum.org

Museum to be official charity for 2016 Farnborough International Airshow

Farnborough International Ltd, organisers of the Farnborough International Airshow, today confirmed that the RAF Museum Centenary Campaign has been selected as the lead charity partner for the 2016 show taking place from 11-17 July. In the lead up to the RAF Centenary in 2018, the Museum, located at Hendon, will be implementing a major capital project and exhibition development that will improve access and focus on telling the stories of the RAF and its people to engage a wider audience, locally, nationally and globally.

Speaking about the decision, FIL Chief Executive, Shaun Ormrod, said, “We are delighted to support the RAF Museum in its fundraising efforts for its centenary campaign. The 100 year anniversary marks a milestones event in the formation of the first truly independent air force and has become one of the most respected air forces in the world. We anticipate that FIA18 will see a strong RAF presence.”

Ormrod further added “Like Farnborough, Hendon has strong historical aviation connections and as the former home to the airshow, it seems appropriate that we support the Museum. The Farnborough International Airshow, has a huge audience on a corporate level as well as during the public weekend and as such the perfect location to raise awareness of this important museum and historic occasion.”

Maggie Appleton, Chief Executive of the RAF Museum also added; “It’s an honour for the Museum to be appointed as lead charity partner at FIA16. As the airshow engages both industry and the general public, it allows us a unique opportunity to share our ambitions for the museum.”

As well as a presence at the show itself, FIA will support the centenary campaign in the 12 month lead-up to the show including promoting the charity in FIA sales and marketing initiatives and the opportunity to engage aerospace businesses at key industry functions.

www.rafmuseum.org

RAF Museum Launches Battle of Britain Blog for #BoB75

John Bidsee

For the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain, the Royal Air Force Museum is now publishing a daily blog about the Battle of Britain on its website www.rafmuseum.org/blog

Entries for this blog will be taken from the diary of a young pilot John Bisdee of No.609 (West Riding) Squadron, Auxiliary Air Force; and will describe not only his combat sorties but also his hopes and fears as well as his life off duty. On days when there are no diary entries the blog will reproduce information from the Air Staff Operational Summaries.

The dates of 10th July to 31st October were selected as the blog’s publication dates as this period in 1940 was later laid down by the Royal Air Force for the allocation of Battle of Britain honours to units, and for aircrew to qualify for the Battle of Britain clasp.

Peter Elliott, the Head of Archives for the Royal Air Force Museum:

“First-hand accounts, written at the time of the Battle, are rare. Bisdee’s diary shows that life on the front line could be a mixture of intense action and off-duty relaxation.

We tend to think of the Battle as taking place over the South-East but Bisdee’s squadron, based in Hampshire, saw action over an area stretching from the outskirts of London to Bristol. There are some gaps, but we have filled these with extracts from the daily Air Staff Operational Summaries, to give a picture of the overall campaign and we have also added relevant material from the Museum’s collections, such as portraits of Bisdee and some of his colleagues and a number of the squadron’s combat reports.

The blog gives an opportunity to see the Battle of Britain unfold through the eyes of a young man who went on to become one of the RAF’s more successful fighter pilots; and it provides us with an added insight into what it was really like to be one of ‘The Few’. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank John Bisdee’s family for granting us permission to share his account, as a young man, with the Museum’s online audience.”

John Bisdee was born in Weston-Super-Mare in 1915 and joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in 1937. He saw action over Dunkirk in June 1940 and remained with 609 Squadron throughout the Battle of Britain being awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross and an OBE by the end of the war. He left the service in 1945 to resume his career with Unilever, before dying in October 2000.

To view his blog please visit www.rafmuseum.org/blog

Royal Air Force Museum secures National Lottery Investment for RAF Centenary Programme

HLF

The Royal Air Force Museum is delighted to announce that it has been awarded £4.89million* from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for its RAF Centenary Programme – The First 100 Years.

2018 will mark the centenary of the RAF and will be an occasion of national celebration and commemoration. As the oldest and longest serving air force in the world, the RAF has affected the lives of millions, driven technological innovations, pushed the boundaries of human achievement and become part of the UK’s cultural identity.

As custodians of the RAF story, the Museum is planning an ambitious programme of activities and events for the summer of 2018. Having opened, the HLF funded ‘First World War in the Air’, in December 2014, the Museum now aims to deliver the next phase of work, which will tell the story of the first 100 years of the RAF by sharing the experiences of its service men and women and international partners.

The HLF support will act as a significant contribution towards the Museum’s fundraising campaign for its RAF Centenary Programme with the HLF development grant award of £404,100 enabling the Museum to progress its plans developing designs for new exhibitions ahead of a full £4.89million grant application.*

The Museum’s plans include a re-landscaping of its London site with a view to enhancing the visitor experience and celebrating its heritage as the cradle of British aviation. Under the HLF funded project there will also be a new visitor centre with a café, shop, soft play area and community spaces. A currently derelict 1930s RAF supply building will be transformed into a new restaurant.

A series of new permanent exhibitions will open in the summer of 2018. ‘The First 100 Years of the RAF’ and ‘Now and the Future’ exhibitions will enable visitors to understand the story of the RAF from its earliest years in the First World War to its global role today.

The Museum is also rolling out a new digital programme, “My RAF Story”, which will collect and share personal stories of the men and women of the Service to ensure they are preserved for future generations.

A new learning programme will aim to inspire young people in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects. Additionally, new apprenticeships and volunteering activities will help the Museum conserve and display more of the incredible 1.2 million objects within its collection representing the national memory of the RAF at work and play, war and peace.

Further planned phases of the RAF Centenary Programme will bring to life the stories of the London Aerodrome and RAF Hendon – from which the first airmail, parachute jump, night flight and aerial defence of a city took place. It will evoke memories of being a major centre of First World War aircraft production and later playing a role in the Battle of Britain.

Maggie Appleton, CEO of the Royal Air Force Museum, said: “I’d like to thank the Heritage Lottery Fund on behalf of all our staff and Trustees for the generous support they have given us – we could not be happier! The story of the RAF is one of bravery, ingenuity and dedication which echoes within all our lives and will endure and enrich future generations. We are very excited to be given the opportunity to tell this story through the Museum’s collections and the voices of the individual men and women who served in the RAF and whose lives have been influenced by it.”

Sir Peter Luff, Chair of HLF, said: “The foundation of the Royal Air Force is one of the most significant legacies of the First World War. It’s wonderful that National Lottery players have made it possible to mark the RAF’s centenary so fittingly. I’m sure they will enjoy the museum’s outstanding collections of aviation technology combined with the extraordinary stories and courage of the men and women who have served in the RAF over those one hundred years.”

www.rafmuseum.org

On your marks, get set… SCRAMBLE!

Spitfire 10K RunDate: Sunday 6th September 2015

Time: 9.00 am

Location: RAF Museum London

Commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain in style with this brand new event starting and finishing in the magnificent surroundings of the RAF Museum in North West London.

There will be an onsite warm up session conducted in 1940’s period style. The race begins in the shadow of one of the RAF Spitfires and takes you on a special journey, including a section through the Bomber Hangar and around the iconic Lancaster, before leaving the Museum for two loops of a flat road course. Your finish will be commemorated with an exclusive Spitfire medal.

Entrants are also welcome to run in period costume

Entry form: http://www.nice-work.org.uk/assets/Spitfire%2010k%202015%20Entry%20Form.pdf

Museum Signs MOU With Pembroke Dock Sunderland Trust

PDST

The Royal Air Force Museum is proud to announce its official association with the Pembroke Dock Sunderland Trust.

Today a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was formally signed between the Royal Air Force Museum and the Pembroke Dock Sunderland Trust (PDST) in the presence of the Museum’s CEO Maggie Appleton MBE and PDST Chairman, William McNamara, OBE.

The MOU will see the RAF Museum and Pembroke Dock Sunderland Trust establish a partnership to foster the interests of both parties through collaborative programmes and events. It will also offer professional development for staff, apprentices and volunteers and develop opportunities for complementary fundraising.

RAF Museum CEO Maggie Appleton says: “The Trustees and team of the Royal Air Force Museum are delighted to have the opportunity to work with the Pembroke Dock Sunderland Trust. As a National Museum we see it as our responsibility to share our expertise and experience with other organisations and equally look forward to learning from them. This arrangement will enable staff from both organisations to develop relationships as well as provide a substantial legacy for our respective local communities. We look forward to this important collaboration and to working with our new partner.”

Pembroke Dock Sunderland Trust Chairman William McNamara added: “Pembroke Dock’s military heritage includes very important maritime aviation chapters which feature at our Heritage Centre. Our new partnership with RAFM is an important milestone for us. It is an exciting prospect for all involved in the Sunderland Trust – trustees, staff and our skilled and dedicated volunteer team – to be able to work in collaboration with the national aviation museum. Pembroke Dock Sunderland Trust will be able to benefit in so many ways from this partnership and we look forward to a prosperous and beneficial future on many projects.”