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Normal Topic Activities at Bruntingthorpe Airfield 2014 - Cold War Jets (Read 5,088 times)
Dave Lowry
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Activities at Bruntingthorpe Airfield 2014 - Cold War Jets
18.12.2013 at 12:42:36
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For those interested I have copied the visitors' note giving details of the Bruntingthorpe Open Days 2014. You can find more on the website:

www.bruntingthorpeaviation.com

In addition to the Cold War Jets the Lightning Preservation Group (LPG) are also located, with 2 x F6s, on the airfield in an ex-Wattisham Q Shed. They hold additional events with details at:

www.lightnings.org.uk

Cold War Jets Museum Visitors' Note:

We hope that you enjoy your visit to the airfield and that it lives up to your expectations. You will realise that we cannot guarantee that any particular aircraft will have their engines started, or be moved from their existing positions, even if this is only by a tow tractor. However, if you come to one of the two open days that we have each year, we will put as many aircraft as possible in front of you as we can. Although they do not fly, for no-one here could afford the cost that that would require, they do make full blast take-off runs down the runway and figure of eight demonstrations in front of you. The crowd line is ten metres back from the edge of the runway, so you are much, much nearer the aircraft than at any airshow.
All the aircraft here are maintained by owners and volunteers, and the aim is to have as many as possible able to make take-off runs under their own power. That number is slowly increasing as more aircraft are brought up to that standard. At the moment, the number is 17, and consists of the Comet, the Nimrod, the Victor, the VC.l0, 2 x Lightnings, the Canberra, 3 Buccaneers, a Twin Seat Hunter, 4 x Jet Provosts, the Iskra, and the Delfin. The single seat Hunter could also be ready by then. As you would expect things can go wrong with essenlal aircraft systems, be that something connected with electricity, hydraulics, mechanics, etc, and there are always jobs to do. Consequently, we are always looking for new volunteers.

ARE YOU INTERESTED? Could you give the occasional Saturday or Sunday to help? You do not have to be a brilliant engineer, with a superb engineering background. Most of the volunteers aren't anyway, but you do need to have an interest in aircraft and a willingness to 'muck in'. Some volunteers do have an engineering background of some sort, which, of course, is of enormous help. If you are interested, please contact Brendan Johnston via his e-mail: xm715@hotmail.co.uk

The next Open Day, with up to 17, possibly 18, aircraft making full blast take-off runs down the runway, will be on the Bank Holiday Sunday, 25th May, 2014. The gate will open at 9.00am and the first run is scheduled for 11.00 am. The second Open day will be on Sunday, 24th August 2014.


In addition to the Open Days mentioned in the note above, the Cold War Jets are open almost every Sunday in the year from 1000 - 1600. Just turn up at the Airfield Gate. It's the type of museum for real enthusiasts. You can get up close to the jets and 'touch'. Some are likely to be in pieces with the enthusiastic owners and volunteers working on them. You will be welcome to chat and take any photos of the aircraft you like. An ex-Airbus Guppy is usually open and a climb into it's cockpit is a journey in to the past. Current non-runners include a Sea Vixen, a Sea Harrier, an F104G, a Dassault Mystere and a Jaguar. There are others in bits.

Odd private light aircraft are scattered around and come and go from the grass strip. The useable hardened runway is about 2 miles in length and is used to fly in large civil aircraft, including 747s, for storage or scrapping. These are not accessible to visitors.

Rgds

Dave Lowry
  
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