A small group of members went to explore the Fleet Air Arm museum at Yeovilton on Wednesday the 22nd March 2023.
There were some early examples of spotter planes , examples of planes taking off from small boats and many more interesting photos and displays recording the development of aircraft at sea.
One of the main attractions was a Concorde which was used for test flights, it is certainly an amazing sight.
There is a new display of the inside of an aircraft carrier which is very well done using much of the equipment from the Ark Royal. The different displays are described by full size films of naval personnel which added to the experience.
We were particularly fortunate to have Peter Walmsley with us who had flown many of the helicopters on display and served on Ark Royal during his military career. Peter gave us some fascinating insights into the displays.
We saw a wide range of historic flying machines and associated equipment. On display were items varying from the curious, like the converted ice cream sellers bike used for flight control training, to the truly awesome like the reconstruction of the flight deck and control centres on the Ark Royal from the 1970s.
The trip was much enjoyed by all.
