Gatwick Aviation Museum is pleased to announce that we have been invited by the local council to submit outline planning proposals for a new museum and business units on the current site. As many will know this comes after over twenty years of trying to get permission to construct a new museum and education centre on the site dedicated to British aviation and its history. There are many aspects to this proposal and a wide variety of factors will need to be addressed before it can be submitted. Just a few are; survey to ensure that the Great Crested Newt, if present, will be protected, a survey of the drainage and flood precautions, a complete environmental survey to establish the impact of such a development on the natural habitat of the local area. The building itself will be as “green” as it can be with grassed slopes and solar systems as standard. All of this will be in addition to the cost of the architect’s fees although the survey results will clearly be incorporated in the overall design. The current situation is that a firm of architects is already at work and has shown preliminary drawings.
We are at a very early stage in the process but are very hopeful that in the not too distant future a new modern, environmentally sound building will be built to house the aircraft collection with all of the positive benefits that it will give to the airframes and the whole aviation preservation movement.
Any comments or ideas will be welcome.
By: pagen01 - 19th May 2010 at 17:16
The run wasnt public Pagen, it was specifically for the Branson apprentice’s turbine course.
I thought that was the case, but was just trying to plant the seed of an idea of publicising your engine runs etc a bit.
On a different tilt, but in a similar vein, I, and I’m guessing others here, would probably pay to attend such runs, even us died in the wool enthusiasts enjoy, and learn, from watching experienced hands such as yourself go through running procedures etc.
Have you any other public runs planned soon?
I can appreciate that the engineering takes priority over the publicity!:)
By: mjr - 19th May 2010 at 17:16
Its not an issue, the intake is 7 feet up, and @ fast idle, there is zero chance of fodding the intake.
By: davecurnock - 19th May 2010 at 17:11
They were treated to a run of one of the Gyron Junior engines on the Bucc.
Hope the new place has a ‘FOD-free’ ground run area!
Good luck with the planning.
By: mjr - 19th May 2010 at 17:07
Lucky so and sos!
You ought to have a museum update thread on here (apologies if you have!) so that interested parties can see if you have any events like this coming up, I’m sure some would pay to see and hear a Buccaneer S.1 running!:)
well perhaps we can tag it on here. with all the engineering work we do, its hard to find time to maintain such a thread, but well try between Pete and myself. That is one very lucky bunch of apprentices, I can tell you. 923 is almost triple any of their ages. The run wasnt public Pagen, it was specifically for the Branson apprentice’s turbine course.
.GAMs role for the education and training for these youngsters is really important. Many of the guys had seen a jet run, but this was a real treat for them, to see something with no computers or fancy digital control, and understand how it works at a basic level. There’s no substitute for this sort of thing. They certainly asked a lot of questions about the engineering behind the S1, a pleasure to have them around..
By: Wyvernfan - 19th May 2010 at 16:46
Fantastic news Peter, and boy oh boy what a long wait you have had. Now at last that superb collection of mostly live airframes will have a more safe and secure future :).
By: zoot horn rollo - 19th May 2010 at 15:31
Just to re-inforce the education aspect of the museum we today had a party from a local airline engineering school. They were treated to a run of one of the Gyron Junior engines on the Bucc.
I remember seeing that Bucc fly over Leuchars many many years ago.
By: pagen01 - 19th May 2010 at 15:28
Lucky so and sos!
You ought to have a museum update thread on here (apologies if you have!) so that interested parties can see if you have any events like this coming up, I’m sure some would pay to see and hear a Buccaneer S.1 running!:)
By: Peter Mills - 19th May 2010 at 15:25
Just to re-inforce the education aspect of the museum we today had a party from a local airline engineering school. They were treated to a run of one of the Gyron Junior engines on the Bucc.
By: Peter - 19th May 2010 at 14:34
This is excellent news Peter well done!! You have fought long and hard to get a proper museum building and covered accomodation for your aircraft and it looks very promising. Finally your dream can become a reality!!
By: Arabella-Cox - 19th May 2010 at 11:31
Fantastic news!
By: Blue_2 - 19th May 2010 at 11:16
Brilliant news, I know you guys have had troubles with the powers that be in the past, hope that’s all behind you now and the museum can move ahead 🙂
By: AMB - 19th May 2010 at 11:12
Great news Peter. I am familiar with the battle you have had with the District Council and thank goodness they have come to their senses.
By: RPSmith - 19th May 2010 at 10:46
That is great news and am delighted for you.
Roger Smith.
By: pagen01 - 19th May 2010 at 10:38
Excellent news Peter, well done to you and Milt and everyone involved there.
Will it look anything like the RAFM tower proposal:D
I’ve been involved with the Crested Newt (along with Whiskered Bats & rare Slow Worms!) thing here at St Athan, and it ain’t for the faint hearted, you just got to hope they don’t find any on your site.
The ridiculous thing is that they have been living and breeding in old water tanks and EWSs amongst the aircraft operating areas for years, but now they all heve to be removed, isolated, solid plastic fences arrected to create ‘refugia’, and put in new huge concrete ponds, which then attract more birds.
By: TwinOtter23 - 19th May 2010 at 10:23
Congratulations on a big step forward! 🙂
Now the real fun starts!! 😀
By: Nashio966 - 19th May 2010 at 10:22
What Fantastic News!!!! 🙂 Well done chaps, that really sounds fantastic!
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May 19, 2010 at 10:20 am