Helicopter Museum

The Helicopter Museum is situated on the former Weston Airfield just outside of Weston Super Mare. They have over 50 helicopters on display in their hangar, another 3 outside and some spares/reserve machines that can be spotted behind the hangar. The number of exhibits on display is set to increase later this year as a new display hangar has recently been built but is not yet open to the public. The old airfield control tower has been restored and now houses an interesting display on local aviation history.

If you have an interest in aviation it is certainly worth a visit and there is also a canteen area that serves reasonably priced food.

We visited yesterday and this is some of what we saw.

Bill Townsend

Bill Townsend, or more properly William, was a pilot with 617 squadron during WWII and took part in the famous Dambusters raid in 1943. He and his crew were tasked with a secondary target and bombed the Eneppe dam although it was not breached. His Lancaster, landing on three engines, was the last to successfully return to base after the raid. The plaque below is on his boyhood home in Chepstow.

Gloster E28/39

The Gloster E28/39, often referred to as the Gloster Whittle, was the first British turbo jet powered aircraft to fly back in 1941. Its first short flights took place at Brockworth in Gloucestershire using a development engine before being moved to Cranwell for a full first flight test. A stone commemorating the initial short flights can be found at the Brockworth site (complete with nature garden), which is now Gloucester Business Park.

Charles Rolls

Charles Rolls was born in 1877. He was to become a motoring an aviation pioneer who effectively became a household name following his meeting with Henry Royce and the subsequent formation of Rolls-Royce Limited in 1906.His interests then turned more to aviation and he is credited as being the second Briton to go up in an aeroplane when he flew with Wilbur Wright in 1908. He then purchased 6 Wright Flyer aircraft licence built by Short Brothers and after gaining flight experience in March 1910 became the first person to fly across the channel and back without landing. However, in July of that year he became the first Briton to die in a flying accident involving a powered aircraft when the tail of his Wright flyer broke off and he crashed fatally during a flying display near Bournemouth.

Although born in London Rolls had maintained strong links with the family ancestral home near Monmouth and consequently a memorial to him was erected there in 1911 where it has remained ever since. We checked it out yesterday and were surprised to find it was literally yards away from a pub where we had lunch on our honeymoon back in 1985 and I never noticed it. Guess I had other things on my mind!

1985:

Morgan Owners outing

A tenuous link to this blog due to the markings on the car! Anyway, we headed to Norchard for a trip on a steam train (see here) and as we entered we came across this Morgan Owner's outing. They looked quite smart in the spring sunshine so here they are:

Patrouille de France

Seems that practice for the 2025 season has resulted in a coming together of two Alpha Jets of the French national display team. Both planes crashed but pleased to hear that the pilots and a passenger safely ejected before impact.

It's a few years since I last saw them display but here are a couple of shots from then.

Bristol Whitchurch Airport

Whitchurch served as Bristol Airport for 27 years from 1930 until it closed in 1957 and air traffic moved to a new site at Lulsgate. The airfield was one of very few that was open to commercial traffic in WWII and the Air Transport Auxiliary formed No2 Ferry Pilots Pool at Whitchurch in 1940 a year after the airfield was requisitioned by the Air Ministry. The single tarmac East-West Runway and and taxiways were added around this time. The ATA remained active there until 1945.

Post war the airport did not attract many scheduled services and the close proximity of housing estates restricted runway extensions, hence the closure. Today part of the main runway and taxiways still exist as does a large hangar but this is seemingly not being used and the area around it is being redeveloped. The site of the former airport buildings is now a leisure area featuring fast food outlets and an aircraft hardstanding area is covered in trees. Plans have previously been approved to turn most of what is left in to a large housing estate although this is currently uncertain but I would be surprised if the airfield survives as it is in the long term.

Anyway, I was there today and this is what I saw.

Dove down

The DH Dove that has been suspended from the super hangar rafters at Duxford for many years is now on the ground. There were some issues in lowering the under carriage which have largely been dealt with and rhe aircraft is now due yo be moved permanently outside. Here are a couple of recent shots.