Gatwick Aviation Museum Open Day

June 21, 2010 Off-topic

We got to Gatwick Aviation Museum, and had a pleasant day looking round.

Not only do they have one of the only live Shackletons in the world, but their Buccaneer is now runnable. Sadly no Shackleton engine runs are currently planned because of the cost – starting at £600-£800 and going up depending on maintenance requirements.

Several of the aircraft are newly painted, but the weather is slowly taking its toll on them. News from the Museum is that they are putting in for planning permission to replace the temporary buildings and grass site with a hanger, which would provide the aircraft being restored (and the people working on them) with some protection from the elements.

Another notable addition was some of the owner’s photographs. He had some beautiful photographs of the Gatwick Airport frozen while the volcanic ash limited flights, with row upon row of stationery planes.

A small and unadvertised gem, this museum really is a must-see for anyone really interested in classic aircraft or aircraft restoration.

Museum Links

• Gatwick Aviation Museum
• On GoogleMaps

Suggestion: zoom in three times and let the image clear:

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