Latest news with #RoyalAirForceMuseum
BBC News
02-07-2025
- BBC News
More than 50,000 move from Stafford to Cosford RAF museum
More than 50,000 historical objects are being moved to a new hub at the Royal Air Force Museum in the museum in Shropshire is trying to raise money to fund the transfer of the items, which are currently stored in MoD than 1% of the museum's collection is on public display, and when they are moved to Cosford they will be accessible to the public for the first curator Ewen Cameron said preparation for the move equated to "over 31,000 hours of work identifying and cataloguing each individual object, assessing its condition, carrying out essential conservation work, and carefully cleaning and packing the objects." The museum's "vast storage facility" at Stafford, where the objects are currently housed, is described as an "Aladdin's cave of aviation heritage" holding everything from aircraft and ejector seats to uniforms, medals and memorabilia. Individual giving manager at the museum Ella Hewitt said the fundraising campaign was not "just about moving objects".She added it was "about bringing hidden RAF stories of bravery, innovation and sacrifice to light".Donors can pay £30 to be one of four names on a box or £100 to have their name exclusively added to a box. Large object sponsorships are available from £1, logistical operation marks one part of the wider transformation of the museum site. Due to be finished in the summer of 2027, the transformation will include a new permanent exhibition exploring the role of the RAF from 1980 through to space and cyber defence, along with a learning centre and expanded green spaces. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
NZ Herald
25-05-2025
- Business
- NZ Herald
On the Up: Mount Maunganui's Classic Flyers marks 21 years with free open day
Gormlie said that when it all began, he often thought about what the museum would be like in the next 20 years. According to the museum's marketing manager, Corey Tyler, Classic Flyers began with an effort to preserve a 1940s hangar at Tauranga Airfield. 'Though the hangar couldn't be saved, the project evolved into building a purpose-built aviation museum, officially opening on May 28, 2005, with a major airshow.' Since then, Tyler said the facility had hosted several airshows, with crowds of 20,000 people across a weekend. They'd since had to shrink numbers to between 5000 and 10,000, he said. Gormlie said another reason for the more recent growth at Classic Flyers could be attributed to the student training. 'We see a lot of kids now. Youth training has been a slow burn, but it's a really cool thing. 'It gives you a cool feeling to sit down the back of the airliner and go: 'Well, that boy there used to wash my aeroplane, and he's a grown man now'.' Gormlie said none of it would have been possible without the volunteers who'd helped build displays, kept up with maintenance and hosted events to help the museum take off. 'The whole place is about the volunteer and community spirit. They give a lot of time and energy and expertise to the place.' Another key aspect that had helped the museum had been the financial support from the community. 'We're lucky enough, fortunate enough, to get small grants all the time throughout the year from people.' Roughly a decade or so ago, 'a lovely friend' donated about $260,000 from his deceased estate to the museum. 'He didn't have any family. He had a fair bit of stuff, and we just happened to be one of them. He really liked us, and we liked him.' Ross Brown started volunteering at Classic Flyers because of his long-standing interest in aviation. He had been there three years and did not plan on stopping any time soon. Regular visitors may often see Brown in the gift shop, where he can make the most of his expertise. 'It's an amazing thing to come out here. You see little 2-year-olds, 3-year-olds running around and enjoying themselves in the pedal cars, and we've put new things online like the flight simulator and things like that. 'There's always something happening.' One of the things Brown enjoyed most was when groups of 10 seniors toured the museum, dressed up in flight suits, and took pictures. Brown, who recently visited the Royal Air Force Museum in Christchurch, said it was brilliant, but it missed what Classic Flyers had. 'Everything is quite ironed and pretty and tidy. Here it's more hands-on, and you're actually like you're in a living museum. 'You'll see somebody walking around in some overalls with a bolt and he's fixing this, and somebody else is pushing a plane out.' To celebrate the anniversary, Classic Flyers will hold a free open day on May 28. On King's Birthday weekend, there will be a bigger celebration – where every entry ticket sold would be entered into a prize draw.
