Museums Archives - Golf Hotel Whiskey

The Classic Air Force exhibit is set to open on March 29th

This is Cornwell has reported that preparations for the opening of the Classic Air Force attraction in March are well under way with the first flyable aircraft already having arrived on the tarmac at the former RAF St Mawgan air base. The Classic Aircraft Trust and Newquay Airport are working on creating a permanent home for around 40-plus aircraft that will include an ex-RAF Gloster Meteor T7 and three De Havilland Dragon Rapide biplanes – the latter will be available for pleasure flights.

Aircraft that have already arrived or have been put in place include an Auster J1 Autocrat G-JAYI, two static Hawker Hunters, a newly-acquired Hawker Sea Hawk and the fuselage of a Vickers Varsity WJ945 (acquired from the Imperial War Museum at Duxford Airfield in Cambridgeshire) that will soon be joined by the wings and engines. Other aircraft from the combined Classic Aircraft Trust and Air Atlantique fleets will either be flown in or moved in by road over the coming weeks depending upon weather, pilot availability and whether they are serviceable.

The Classic Aircraft Trust had announced its move to Newquay back in July of last year because of development plans at Coventry. Since then, the Cornwall Council and the trust have spent considerable time and money to upgrade and renovate the former RAF facilities as Hangar 404 offers 70,000 square feet for aircraft related displays. Moreover, the The Classic Aircraft Trust intends to acquire more historic aircraft to house at the site in order to build up a display showing the heyday of British aviation manufacturing in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.

An official opening day is being scheduled for March 29th and its hoped that the display becomes a major tourist attraction for aviation history buffs. To keep track of the latest updates regarding the opening and what will be put on display, check out the Classic Air Force’s webpage where you can sign up for an emailed newsletter.

The Autumn Air Show at IWM Duxford is coming this weekend

The last air show of the season for Britain will be the Imperial War Museum’s (IWM) Autumn Air Show this coming Sunday ( October 14) at Duxford with a number of “thrilling” displays to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the first flight of the Merlin-engine Mustang. That first flight was a pivotal moment in aviation history that began thanks to events at RAF Duxford.

The story there begins during World War II when the Air Fighting Development Unit (AFDU) was based at RAF Duxford where it provided technical intelligence to the RAF, developed operational tactics and tested captured enemy aircraft. Wing Commander Ian Campbell-Orde, Commanding Officer of the AFDU at RAF Duxford, had called Ronnie Harker, a Rolls-Royce service-liaison pilot, to start the sequence of events leading to the Mustang aircraft and the Rolls-Royce engine being combined.

Harker was offered the chance to fly one of the new Allison-engine Mustangs that had recently arrived at RAF Duxford (which he did on April 30, 1942) and he was impressed with its maneuverability, speed and agility but he also thought that combining it with Merlin 61 would lead to even more outstanding results.

Ultimately and after subsequent visits by Rolls-Royce personnel and coordination with the American Embassy, North American Aviation (the aircraft manufacturer making the Mustang) and the Air Ministry, the first aircraft was assigned for conversion and the rest is history.

With that in mind, a major highlight of the IWM Duxford air show will be a display by P-51Mustang Ferocious Frankie alongside Spitfire IX from the Old Flying Machine Company – aircraft equipped with the Merlin engines. Also flying will be North American TF-51 Mustang Miss Velma from The Fighter Collection.

Displays worth highlighting will include the Black Cats Lynx Pair from 702 Naval Air Squadron, RNAS Yeovilton, the Apache helicopter from the Army Air Corps at RAF Wattisham, BAE Systems Hawk from 208 Squadron at RAF Valley, Shorts Tucano from the Central Flying School Flight at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, Beechcraft King Air from 45 Squadron at RAF Cranwell and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Douglas DC-3 Dakota. In addition, there will also be displays by B-17 Flying Fortress Sally B, North American F-86 Sabre, two Spitfires, two Curtiss P-40 Warhawks and a Goodyear Corsair.

IWM Duxford will be open from 8 am to 6 pm with the flying display scheduled to start at 1.30 pm and finish at around 4.30 pm. For more information, call 01223 499353 or visit the Imperial War Museum’s website here. However, advance ticket booking is now closed but tickets will be available on the day of the event (Click here for the prices). There is also an Air Show app with the latest information plus a library of over 100 aircraft that can be downloaded here.

The Solway Aviation Museum at Carlisle Airport faces uncertainty

Last weekend, the Carlisle’s News & Star profiled the Solway Aviation Museum at the Carlisle Airport in Cumbria and the museum’s uncertain future as the airport potentially expands.

In case you have never visited the Solway Aviation Museum, it’s the home of a collection of aircraft, aviation artifacts and displays that show how Britain was a world leader in aircraft design and innovation at the beginning of the jet age and the role Cumbria played during the War and the years after it ended. Noteworthy Solway exhibits include a 52-ton B2 Vulcan bomber (one of only 16 left in the world), a Phantom and an English Electric Canberra T4 WE188 – a high-altitude, jet-powered medium bomber that was intended to replace the Mosquito.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2CzqyGCW_A&w=480]

However, the volunteer staff who has built up the museum’s collection over the last 50 years are concerned about plans by Stobart Air to convert the site into a 394,000 sq ft distribution centre as well as plans to upgrade its civil aviation facilities. Moreover, restrictions on the museum’s lease prevents it from applying for funding.

The museum has been offered a five-year lease with an option that would give them six months notice to quit should the owners deem it necessary but that restriction probably still means its unlikely they will ever win the funding needed to expand the museum. And should they be forced to move, the Vulcan, the Canberra and the twin engine Percival Sea Prince would likely need to be scrapped.

However, the Solway Aviation Museum already attracts more than 4,000 visitors a year but volunteers believe they could double that number if they had the funds to upgrade the facilities plus its also one of the few remaining airport museums in the UK that is managed by a registered charity.

Penrith and the Border MP Rory Stewart has already pledged to find a way for the museum to continue operating at the site and it should be noted that Stobart Group chief executive Andrew Tinkler has stated that he has no issue with the museum staying at its current site as there are no plans to build on that plot of land but any proposed long-term lease would have to be approved by the Stobart Group board.

Hence, let’s hope some kind of compromise can be worked out that would allow for the airport to expand while giving the museum a more solid foothold so they can upgrade their facilities and exhibits.

Flying a 45-foot paper airplane

Last week, the PIMA Air & Space Museum in Tucson Arizona launched the largest paper airplane in history – a 45-foot or 13.7 meter giant! Of course and as anyone who has ever experimented with folding paper airplanes, the stunt did not go without a few hitches. In fact, the paper “aircraft” buckled under its own weight a few hours before it went airborne with the help of a helicopter. Then paper airplane began to pull the chopper in a strong gust and had to be quickly cut loose:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3f49oEyk5bw&w=480]

Obviously the paper airplane stunt was a great publicity event for the museum and they have even set up a website with videos and more photos at greatpaperairplane.org. However, there are plenty of other reasons to visit the PIMA Air & Space Museum along with the Arizona Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) facility which is next door as the former has around 300 aircraft while the later has around 4,300 as it’s a “boneyard” for retired military aircraft. Nevertheless, the paper airplane stunt should grab the attention of aviation enthusiasts and non-aviation buffs alike!

On-board the delivery flight for a new British Airways 777

I love visiting aircraft factories and this is why, when British Airways invited me to fly to Seattle and witness the delivery of a new 777-300ER airliner, I jumped at the chance. I fly a lot, both as a pilot and a passenger, and I really wanted to see how Boeing built them and what a new plane actually felt like.

I flew out with a few other invited guests (full disclosure: BA paid for my trip. Thanks, guys!) a couple of days before the delivery. This gave me the chance to visit the Concorde Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 5. Normally reserved for the elite of the elite frequent flyers, this isn’t your regular lounge. Waitress service, food at your seat or in a private dining room, vintage Bollinger on tap, private cabanas for a nap or shower – it’s more like a deluxe resort hotel.

We spent a day visiting the Museum of Flight and an afternoon in Seattle. It’s a fantastic museum for avianerds like me. Lots of planes to look at, inside and out, plus a a tour round an ex-Air Force One and a B-29 wrapped in plastic like a billionaire kid’s Christmas present.

In the evening we had dinner with the BA team who were taking delivery of the aircraft – engineers, pilots, crew and, of course, finance people to handle the multi-hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars transaction. And, no, they wouldn’t tell me how much the paid for the plane but they did let me hold the receipt!

We had a ground floor tour of the factory. It is the biggest building in the world and it’s amazing to see plane parts being moved around like they were were oranges in a basket. And the 747-8 and 777 production lines were very impressive with six aircraft at various stages. We also saw the 787 line but, at Boeing’s request, nobody took pictures.

Then, a massive birthday surprise, they invited me to cut the ribbon.

The plane was due to fly us back to Cardiff where it would undergo final checks and have the rest of its seats installed but it wasn’t like a regular flight. For one thing, there were only 20 or 30 people on board and so the captain could do a full power take off. I’ve only ever had this experience three times before, twice on Concorde where you can feel the power being applied, and once on a 767 departing out of John Wayne Airport. Basically, it’s a full throttle, maximum acceleration, maximum rate of climb departure and it *was* quick.

One of the Boeing staff filmed it:

Another big difference was the interior. The plane only had premium economy and economy seats so the First and Club World cabins were completely empty. It was very weird – everyone had this big grin on their face. I won’t say that we played football in there on the flight back but nobody can prove that we didn’t.

We also got to see the crew rest area, which is more like a submarine that anything else but I think it must be more comfortable than sitting in a chair for the whole flight.

The highlight of the flight back was the view of the Northern Lights over Greenland. I’ve never seen them before and it was an awesome experience in the true sense of the word. Unfortunately, my camera didn’t do a good job with it so all I can show you is the passengers all craning for a better view.

To cap the trip off, when we arrived at Cardiff, we had a tour of the BA Maintenance facility there. They had 747s stripped back to their bare metal for scheduled maintenance and at the end of the hangar were all the seats for our plane.

It’s very impressive and the guys there take a lot of pride in their work. Not least the staff in the canteen who provided us with a proper Welsh breakfast after our flight.

It’s an extraordinary experience being on a plane where you sort of know everyone there. It’s more like a party than a flight. I think everyone was very excited to be part of the inaugural flight of a brand new plane. And it was brand new. Everything was shiny and clean. All the seat belts were nicely folded. The screens and windows were unsmudged and there was no stale old coffee under the galley floor. If you’ve ever bought a new car, that’s what it was like. And yes, it did have that new plane smell.

PS One of the other guests on this trip has written up a great post about it. Check it out!

The top 10 aviation attractions in the USA

If you are planning a vacation to the US, Travel site TripAdvisor has recently unveiled its list of the top 10 aviation related attractions in the US that were selected according to traveler ratings and TripAdvisor Flights experts. These attractions give visitors the opportunity to learn more about all aspects of aviation from airplanes and gliders to the space shuttle:

The National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC . Easily the number 1 aviation related attraction in the world, the National Air and Space Museum houses the original 1903 Wright Flyer along with one of the largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world. And the best part is that admission is free.
Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum, New York, New York. Centered on the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid, this floating museum offers a number of exhibits for aviation enthusiasts. The deck and hangar bay of the ship has a collection of some 30 aircraft plus a Concorde supersonic jet that is on loan from British Airways is on the Intrepid pier and can be explored inside and out. Admission is US$22 for adults and US$17 for children.
Wright Brothers National Memorial, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. Located on the site where Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved the first successful aerial flight over one hundred years ago, visitors can re-trace the routes that the Wright brothers used to test their first aircraft. In addition, an on-site museum offers a collection of models, tools and machines used by the brothers. Admission is US$4 for adults and free for children.
National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, Florida. Military aviation buffs would be interested in visiting the National Naval Aviation Museum which boasts more than 4,000 aviation artifacts and 150 aircraft from the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Admission is free.
Museum of Flight, Seattle. This museum is the home to more than 85 aircraft ranging from antiques to examples of modern aviation. In addition, the museum features a number of unique exhibits, including an air traffic control tower at Boeing Field, flight attendant uniforms from the 1930s to the 1980s and even an Air Force One aircraft that carried presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon. Admission is US$15 for adults, US$8 for youths and free for children 4 and under.
Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona. As one of the largest aviation museums in the world, the Pima Air & Museum features more than 300 aircraft and spacecraft in its collection plus more than 125,000 artifacts of modern aviation. Aircraft on display include the B-29 Superfortress, SR-71 Blackbird and World War II German V-1 “buzz bomb.” Admission is US$13.75 for adults, US$8 for youths and free for children 6 and under.
Boeing Aircraft Factory Tour, Everett, Washington. Visitors here can actually take a tour of the production facility to get a bird’s eye view of how aircraft are made. The tour also covers the production of several Boeing models, including the 787 Dreamliner, plus features an aviation museum. Admission is US$15 for adults and US$8 for children.
Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Hawaii. Built in the aircraft hangars that survived the attack on Pearl Harbor, this museum offers tens of thousands of square feet of aviation exhibits including a large collection of military aircraft dating from the World War II era. Visitors can also use the museum’s flight simulator where they can simulate take offs and landings on aircraft carriers and take part in a aerial battles. Admission is US$15 for adults and US$8 for children.
Gravelly Point Park, Arlington, Virginia. Just north of the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and across the Potomac River from Washington DC, Gravelly Point Park is a great place to watch planes take off and land as they pass right overhead. Admission is free.
Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, McMinnville, Oregon. This museum is the home for a wide range of aircraft, from cargo planes and commercial jets to bombers and spacecraft. The museum also houses Howard Hughes’s famous wooden “Spruce Goose,” the largest plane of its time. Admission is US$20 for adults, US$18 for youths and free for children 4 and under.

We would also like to ask our readers in the USA: Are there any other aviation related attractions worth noting and visiting that should be added to this list?