Our aerodrome and aeronautical heritage should come with a health warning, I fear.

Time is not on our side, but in time it will be proven that our aerodromes were important, but only after it’s too late. .

Aviation heritage suffers the normal fate of all heritage objects that they are unappreciated until they are nearly instinct, look at the treatment the Sphinx got until the mid 20th Century.

Aviation suffers particularly as many of the population are not involved directly, and although achieving its centenary in recent times, it typically doesnt consist of sandstone or bluestone to show its age.

I consider the 20th Century will become the most researched century of the past, for future generations.

Its the first to be so well documented, photos, films, TV, sound etc and experienced many of the major technology developments to date other than steam, sail and the wheel.

So too aviation heritage from the early 20th century will be far more greatly valued than it is today, – the UK / Australia / Canada have just celebrated their centenaries of first flights, but most of the general public / media have shown little interest – we have made aviation so safe, so mundane its like catching buses.

With a bit of luck war between developed nations may be a thing of the past, or at least on global scales, and WW2 will continue to be studied from the political, social and technological impacts.

“IF” our early aviation sites can last long enough they will become appreciated and protected.

In Australia we have managed to get Point Cook added to our National Heritage List, the highest protection available, a turnaround from the late 1990’s when Government belt tightening, and its coastal location made it a prime target for sale and residential redevelopments. – Instead only just avoiding the Hendon and Wigham outcomes and becoming the third commonwealth Air Force Museum not to be located on an active airfield!

Regards

Mark Pilkington