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7/31/2019 The Helicopter Museum: Newsletter Vol. 1
1/8
Top right: A cartoon of an RAF football team
taken from a pilots scrap book. Right:
Assistant Manager turned soldier. Bottom
right: A retirement presentation for Lester
Harris retiring in 1982 from Westlands.
Bottom left: A similar presentation forcollections officer Kathryn Tucker. Left: MOD
apprentices working on the Navy Lynx at the
museum. Top Left: The latest aircraft to
enter the collection, An Agusta Bell 206C-1
Jet Ranger from Italy.
7/31/2019 The Helicopter Museum: Newsletter Vol. 1
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Your Museum Needs You.
Dear all,
To the outsider (and one suspects many of the
Volunteers and Friends too) the Museum runs as a well-
financed machine, making a profit year after year. How
one wishes that were true!
In fact the Trustees and management are faced with a
challenge every year to ensure income exceeds
outgoings. Essential bills like power, rates and insurance
never come down and we continue to run on minimum
paid staff to keep costs down. Inevitably that means
relying on volunteers in every department to keep going
and to help raise funds.
Raising funds is essential if the Museum is to cover
building repairs, equipment maintenance and aircraft
restoration to mention just a few needs and that
doesnt include improving the displays, replacing the old
temporary buildings and match-funding grant aid bids.
Traditionally we have been very poor at encouraging our
supporters to raise funds for the Museum, especially
those who are not working volunteers at the Museum.
With the annual HeliDays event on the seafront gone,
there is an immediate 20,000 gap to fill every year. Lastyear the Friends raised just 1,000 among an estimated
200? Members, - 5.00 per head (and getting free
admission and shop discounts too!) So when did you last
organise a car boot or garage sale and donate the
proceeds to the Museum? Or volunteer to come and help
with one of our events?
Please think about it. Your Museum Needs You.
Elfan ap Rees
Chairman of Trustees
The New Newsletter needs your News!
Dear all,
Apologies for the overflow ofNs in the title but the point
remains the same, for the museum newsletter to survive
it needs the support of all that read it... and that means
YOU!
Having been a volunteer myself at the museum for over a
year, I thought it odd that the museum did not have a
volunteer and staff newsletter. The National Trust has
them and so do many smaller museums with half the
number of associates that the Helicopter Museum
possesses. This initial thought process triggered me to
create this very piece you are now reading.
The main aim of the newsletter is undoubtedly to
improve communication, being such a large organisation
and having the sheer number of volunteers we rely on, it
is vital to keep everyone well informed and organised, to
give everyone feedback and most importantly to thank
you all for your ongoing support.
When I eventually came to the planning stage of this
project I was immediately daunted by it. The vast scope
and variety of events happening at the museum meant
that a newsletter originally planned to be produced 3
times a year quickly grew to issues being planned every
two months. I was however, not alone in my endeavour,
many thanks must go to the management team and
volunteers who have taken an active interest in the
development of this project and covered my drafts in the
all too familiar red pen. People have actively been willing
to contribute to the newsletter, writing pieces without
hesitation and for that I must say thank you. This was my
vision for the newsletter and I can only hope that it
continues in a similar fashion.
On that note I must ask everyone who reads this piece to
bear me in mind the next time you start an interesting
project or make an unexpected discovery. Please email
me or even come and find me when such things happen.
Take photos, write up finds, make suggestions, what do
you want to see in the next issue, what was missed from
the last one? The newsletter can only continue if
everyone contributes to it.
I hope you enjoy the newsletter and I look forward to
hearing your comments and suggestions
Regards
John Clews
Do you follow the museum blog?
Keep up to date with the very latest news at the
museum. Follow restoration and conservation projects
and be the first to hear about new events!
To follow the museum blog click on the blog icon on thetop right hand side of our home page at
www.helicoptermuseum.co.ukThis will take you to the
collections blog where you can enter your email address
to be automatically contacted when the blog is updated.
http://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/http://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/http://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/7/31/2019 The Helicopter Museum: Newsletter Vol. 1
3/8
News
The past two months have seen a number of major
events, changes and additions to the museum and the
collection.
New Staff:
A number of new members of staff started employment
at the museum in March, some totally new to the
organisation and some familiar faces. A big welcome to;
Sharon Webber (Assistant Manager)
Rod Holloway (Restoration Officer)
John Clews (Collections Officer)
Falklands conflict anniversary:
One of the museums largest and most ambitious events
to date was held on the 19th
and 20th
of May. The
Falklands anniversary and flight simulation weekend
included a number of memorable activities which drew
crowds from far and wide. The event was a great
accomplishment and is something the museum may be
replicating in the future.
We would like to thank all volunteers and staff who gave
their time to ensure that the event was a great success.
The feedback from the public was extremely positive.
Upcoming events
Throughout the next few months a number of important
events will be taking place at the museum. Extra help is
always appreciated during these times as the museum
will be extremely busy.
July:
20th
-22nd
, Helidays
28th
Stars of time pre show party with live band at 7pm
29th
- Stars of time sci-fi extravaganza
August:
12th
Heli Hobbies
September:
15th WW2 Hangar Dance Tickets now on sale!
If there is any chance you can help out for these events,please contact Lee Mills.
Carabinieri Bell Jet Ranger
Early May saw our newest addition to the museum
collection. The new aircraft is an Agusta Bell Jet Ranger
which is an Italian-built AB206 example, delivered in
September 1974 by Agusta Helicopters to the Italian state
police, the Carabinieri, and based at Pratica di Mare, near
Rome for security and law enforcement operations for
more than 30 years.
Dear volunteers:
Eyes Peeled:
With the increase in visitor numbers, can all volunteers
and staff keep an extra pair of eyes open when walking
through the museum. If anything seems out of place or
amiss please report it to Lee Mills or Sharon Webber.
Calling all volunteers! Your newsletter needs you:
Please can all volunteers and staff contact John Clews
regarding interesting stories and goings on at the
museum. This newsletter is for everyone at THM and will
need your input if it is to be a success.
New Volunteers
The museum has recently been blessed with newvolunteers. Please extend a warm welcome to;
Elliot Stephen Archives (Saturdays)
Linda Hamblyn Restoration (Wednesdays)
7/31/2019 The Helicopter Museum: Newsletter Vol. 1
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Restoration News
MOD apprentices at the museum:
From the 25th
to the 28th
of April the museum extended
a warm welcome to twelve highly skilled MOD
apprentices eager to help the restoration team. They
completed a number of jobs including:
Modifications to the Navy Lynx Restoration of a Whirlwind gear box
General cleaning of aircraft
Restoration of aircraft parts
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the
apprentices that took part and our own volunteers who
guided them through the three days.
Fairey Ultra-Light:
Work is continuing on the Fairey Ultra-Light at a quite
astonishing rate. The Ultra-Light team affectionately
known as the Fairey boys are fast approaching a
number of large projects on the historically important
aircraft.
Interesting visitors:
One of the main aims of the museum is to appeal to an
ever more diverse range of people whilst retaining its
current enthusiasts. The hardest part of introducing
people to the collection is how we present the museum
to groups who have little or no background knowledge in
aviation, a job that is being excellently fulfilled by the tour
guides (Keep it up chaps!). As you will see below the
guides at the museum have to deal with very different
groups all seeking very different experiences; Interesting
visitors in the last two months have included:
SAAB 3rd St Pauls Beavers
Age UK
RAF Wittering
Somerset Volunteers
Tour guide Tutors
Brantly B2-B:
Weekend staff and volunteers will certainly have heard
the hum of the Brantly B2-B, G-OAPR, sister ship to G-
ATFG, flying from the museum lately. The aircraft has an
iconic style and certainly brings in the crowds when
airborne. For those wanting some more information on
this machine here is a short summary provided by ourtour guides:
The B2-B is a conventional layout 2-seat helicopter with
a single-3 bladed rotor and 2-bladed tail rotor and a 180
hp flat-four piston-engine mounted with a vertical shaft
below a gearbox driving main and tail rotors. The cabin
has a wrap-round blown transparency forward of the
engine bulkhead. The fuselage is of a monocoque light
alloy construction. The Aircraft has a Skid undercarriage
with two groundhandling Wheels.
The Brantlys unique feature is its two-piece rotor blade,
in which the drag-hinge is located at about 40 per cent of
the blade radius. This arrangement was devised to give a
smoother ride, and the outer blade can be quickly
detached for packing.
The Palouste engine
from the Ultra-Light
awaiting restoration
in front of G-AOUJ,
one of only two
remaining examples
left of this
helicopter.
7/31/2019 The Helicopter Museum: Newsletter Vol. 1
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Archive News
The Frederick John Jeep Cable Collection:
Recently the museum has acquired a number of
extremely rare items relating to Frederick John Jeep
Cable. Cable began his career as the Tea boy at Cierva,
went on to serve throughout the Second World War and
was tragically killed in the Air Horse crash in 1950.
Among the items obtained by the museum are Cablesphoto albums and scrap books. One of the major
projects that have been started in the archives is the
digitization of these fragile items so that they can be
preserved in the long run. Below are some of the
pictures that have already been scanned.
Uncovered items in Achilles:
The spring clean around the museum has unearthed a
number of items and objects in the Achilles building.
These items will first be quarantined and subsequently
entered on the museum system.
Many thanks to Ryan Campbell for his hard work in
diligently storing and sorting the important items that
were uncovered.
Two minutes with...
For our first volunteer and staff focus I would like to
introduce a more than familiar face around the museum,
our very own general manager Lee Mills.
How long have you been at the museum?
I have been employed at the museum for 6 Years
What did you do before joining the museum?
Supermarket General Manager
What has been your best experience at the museum?
The first large event we organised in December 2006. ( X-
mas family fun-day) This was the first time all the
volunteers really pulled together as a unit and it led the
way for all the different events/shows/functions we have
organised since. We raised a lot of money for our charity
that day and John Ham (who sadly passed away recently)will always be remembered as a truly great Helicopter
Museum Santa Claus.
What would you like to see happen at the museum in
thefuture?
Growth, both in terms of the size of our collection and the
quality of the facility housing it. We want to host a varied
range of events and market the museum to a much wider
audience and demographic. With increased visitor
numbers comes extra revenue which we can invest in
improving our museum. I believe that is what all of us
truly want to see.
Spotters section
Here is the information about the aircraft that have
landed at the museum in the last month for all you
spotters out there:
May:
Date, Type, Registration, Flown From:
04.05.2012, A109E, G-EVIP, Cardiff
08.05.2012, Merlin,?????, Benson
11.05.2012, B206, G-CSTL, Shobdon
13.05.2012, 206, G-BEWY, BSL
16.05.2012, Lynx, XZ616, Odiham
16.05.2012, Lynx, XZ651, Odiham
19.05.2012, Gazelle, G-TIZZ, Bourne Park
25.05.2012, R44, G-ODHB, Gloucester Airport
27.05.2012, 206, G-BEWY, BSL
27.05.2012, 206, G-BEWY, BSL
7/31/2019 The Helicopter Museum: Newsletter Vol. 1
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Announcements
John Ham: (Written by Rod Holloway)It is with great sadness that we must announce the sad
loss of a very dear friend and colleague, John Ham. John
had been with us as a volunteer for quite a number of
years and was an excellent engineer. He was also very
much involved with Helidays over the years and always
drove the minibus to transport the military crews to and
from their respective hotels. The other thing we will all
miss is Johns wicked sense of humour and the girls will
miss the banter and teasing he always found for them.
He always put a smile on Cheryls face and even made
her blush quite a few times!! Even up until the final
hours of his life, John still made me laugh, and he still
insisted that he would be here to see the Landrover
come back! A friend and colleague that will always be
remembered!
Walter: (Written by Rod Holloway)
We recently received the very sad news that Walter, a
friend from the German Army, has been killed in a car
accident in Germany. Walter was the captain of a CH53
and had given thirty plus years of service to the army,
serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and other places. He
came to Helidays a number of times with the CH53 and
his crew were always at the forefront of the fun at the
BBQs on the seafront. He had retired from the German
Army within the last year or so and was still flying with
the Air Ambulance Service in Germany. Another very sad
loss to all of us that knew him.
Spotters section Continued
June:
Date, Type, Registration, Flown From:
09.06.2012, EC145, Air Ambulance, Filton
10.06.2012, 206, G-BEWY, BSL
14.06.2012, Squirrel, ZJ246, Middle Wallop
17.06.2012, 206, G-BEWY, BSL
25.06.2012, Chinook, ZH-902, Odiham
25.06.2012, Chinook, ZA-674, Odiham
25.06.2012, Chinook, ZA-677, Odiham
25.06.2012, Chinook, ZM-902, Odiham
25.06.2012, 206, G-BEWY, BSL
Visitor Feedback
Amazing re-enactment, will live with me
for years
Simply Haunting
Fantastic Visit
Absolutely amazing seen nothing like it
Very enjoyable flight, nice people
Great Value for a family day out
Photograph competition
Over the next issues this section will feature the top three
photos submitted to helicollections@btconnect.com
Photos do not specifically have to be of aircraft but must
be related to the museum in some way (pictures of events
or visits to the museum etc.) For now here are the best
photos I have encountered at the museum thus far.
1st
Place
A particularly strong
trustee takes delivery
of a Wessex blade!
2nd
Place
The bund in the throes
of winter. Is it just me
or does it feel like the
weather has notchanged that much...
3rd
Place
Our one and only G-
AOUJ in flight.
7/31/2019 The Helicopter Museum: Newsletter Vol. 1
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Hire The Museum!
Do you have a Birthday or anniversary coming up? Have you thought about Hiring your village hall for a party?
The Helicopter Museum is available for public hire and is not as expensive as you might think. We already have several
private events booked in for 2012 with groups ranging from 50-500 people. If you are interested in aviation, the
museum can provide a unique backdrop for your special day. Please contact Lee mills or Sharon Webber for details.
Visitor Vouchers
Print out the vouchers below and use them on your next visit to the museum! Vouchers are not to be used in
conjunction with any other offer or vouchers.
How to contact us? Tel: 01934-635227,
Email:helimuseum@btconnect.com
Website:www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk
mailto:helimuseum@btconnect.commailto:helimuseum@btconnect.commailto:helimuseum@btconnect.comhttp://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/http://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/http://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/http://www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk/mailto:helimuseum@btconnect.com7/31/2019 The Helicopter Museum: Newsletter Vol. 1
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HOW YOU CAN HELP
Whilst it is easy to forget, The Helicopter Museum is indeed a charity. Aircraft do not preserve themselves and a big part
of what the museum does is conservation and restoration based. The acquisition, preservation and restoration of
aircraft, some of which are the only existing examples left in the world, takes place on a daily basis at the museum so
that our aircraft can be enjoyed for generations to come. If you would like to help us in our task by contributing to therestoration budget, then please fill in the form below and send it off to us.
Your Donation
I would like to support the Helicopter Museum in their efforts to conserve and restore aircraft and educate the public
about vertical flight history and technology with a gift of:
10 20 30 50 100 Other
Name:
Phone Number:
Email Address:
Home Address:
Postcode:
I enclose a cheque made payable to The Helicopter Museum
Help us further by using gift aid
Thanks to the gift aid scheme we can reclaim money on your donation from the government. For every pound you give
us, we can claim an extra 25p. For example, a donation of 15 becomes 18.75 with gift aid at no extra cost to you.
I am a UK taxpayer and would like The Helicopter Museum to treat all future donations from today as gift aid donations.
I understand that in the relevant tax year I must pay an amount of income tax and/or capital gains tax at least equal to
the tax that the charity reclaims on my donation.
Signature:
Please return this form in an envelope to:
The Helicopter Museum, Locking Moor Road, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS24 8PP
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