Here Here to Millom Museum

Just like to say lads/Laddettes ,

I am really impressed at how you have managed to recover all this stuff , and saving it from the scrap yard,its VERY comendable,

I hope one day with lots of hard work we too can be as professional and forefront as you are,

I have a cockpit to restore which i cant wait to get my teeth into, But one day i wish to aquire a Engine to restore, and run,
Our museum when we finally get going will be prodomenantly Wreckology at the start, from the local area, then maybe a few airframes, but i will try to turn the cockpit into some sort of “live” lights and sounds exhibit, and to have a engine to run up on open days would be a bonus, Just hope there will be some left in a few years time,
As for us ,we have to take it slow, which can be frustrating, But the right desicion, as the last thing we want to do is take on too much, and we end up,with no means to restore,
Its comendable that your museum, has the manpower, and resources to
undertake such a important task, isnt it Ironic, that its people with private funded museums try there BEST , for the future generations, and our heritage, and yet the Govt/Lottery commision dont seem to do a thing.
I hope this will one day embarress the Govt into realising ,if people like yourselves “Had’nt ” pulled the stops out, and recovered these treasures, then we would have lost alot of Rich aviation history,
I wish you Best of Luck with your Venture,
Kind regards
Chris
RAF westonzoyland project 😀

canberra nose wh887

Whats the scoop on the Canberra Cockpit? Surely someone could take it and give it a good home?

Yep have done so pete,

am chuffed to bits ,cant wait to start work on her, and for me she is extra important as she served with 542 Sqn, at the start of her working life
and 542 was at WestonZoyland
allready told the 542 Sqn Assoc, there chuffed she will be saved,
just hope she is reasonably intact 😮

Staverton

My biggest worry is the Meteor T.7 Vulcan nose, Vampire ,etc etc, stored outside near Dowtys in gloucestershire
I wondered is there any news about these poor airframes, it is such a shame that the Jet age Museum are in dificulties, especailly with such a rich collection,
but it seems to me that these airframes have been through no fault of the individual owners left outside,
as for the Meteor,T.7 she is my favourite and when westonzoyland starts properly the Meteor T.7 would be at the TOP of our wish list , as they flew for so many years from zoyland with 12FTS, and also quite a few aircraft were lost in the area that were from 12 FTS ,
I doubt very much though when the time comes that there would be “Any” T.7s left that we could static restore because they are just so desirable,
20 years ago maybe but now so many 50s aircraft are getting rare or nearly as rare as 1940s aircraft, and seeing these aircraft are over 50 years old in most cases , is it any wonder none are left,
But it not just Aquirring them , its the funding, the jigs , tools, manpower, transportation,storage, this can be a nightmare, and sadly i also see the HSE and safety issues with some museums when the aircraft have been outside for many years, they become dangerous to the public,
we have all ready seen museums suffer with the “Rules” on Instruments which have Radium radioactive paint , which is my speciality as i am a radiograher, and frankly from a professional point of view it is all tosh , unless you Licked and digested the paint there is no risk to public health, you would hav to be sat in a cockpit for 10 years continueus to get any kind of radiation dose,
that might be detremental to health, it is utter tosh and just more paperwork,
it is sad that our govt, and lottery dont Value every one in the UKs heritage.
if it was a art centre for the blind, they would pump 10000s into it, but it seems our current govt are ashamed of our very colourful past,
until they change there aptitude, i worry that more small museums will one day come under the knife of modernisation and change, be it land ,scrap value, ,logistics, or plain and simple Cash to keep going ,:(

Weston Zoyland as it stands,

Hi Group,
thanks for your support and interest,

the proposals are, to initailly turn the “Dead” half of the airfield “Live” again,
this has the longest of runway and a grass stripp will be placed along side,
the land at the moment has NO buildings apart from a very large dilapitated cow shed,
Howevor, the airfield is not just a “Field” we have a Massive Concrete hard standing where the Hangers “Used ” to be, also the perimeter track, a peritrack to the main runway , we also have the Main Runway , which is in very good condition,
so Ok we have no buildings as such at the Mo, but to put that infrastructure that is all ready on site in place would have been probably the MOST expensive thing to build , we havent because it is allready there, because the concrete hardstanding is so vast, there is easily enough room for 2 hangers , and a museum, my pal who is organising this has got some good financail funding for the erection of 2 60ft x 100 ft hanger type buildings,this is what we are looking for at the moment , to purchase and erect for the “live aircraft”
the Local flying club wants to come over to “Our” side as soon as they can,for various reasons that i wont go into,
there you have a rent base , that can be put towards the upkeep,
I believe a small clubhouse would be on the cards for them also,
now we are getting somewhere, a local flying club, on site and ,More importantly, that runway is back alive again,
then we hope to invite a very small business to open perhaps a summer tea room/Cafe, for visiting pilots , etc, now we are getting like Compton abbas airfield,
by this time i hope the museum is all set to go, with everybody implace and exhibits due in ,(which i may have secured some good exhibits allready)
I could go on and on, but it is a slow process, the main thing is clearing up 40 years of muck and filth , old tyres, earth etc from the airfield,
I believe the Museum is very important to the area, but it will only work with a proper airfield infrastructure around it, that is the only thing i can see Making it a definate sucess, the museum it self WILL be part of the airfield an NOT a seperate entity, so the fly ins etc, aeromarts, carboots, drag /swift racing, Military vehicle shows etc etc, the list is endless, Believe it or not Zoyland looks like its in the middle of nowhere, but it is only really 5 minutes from the motorway, and is central to the south west,
so because of its location, the infrastructure allready in place there, and its easy access, I believe its going to be a winner,
and take it from me gents, If I had anything to do with this project or not, it would still happen, as i am only a very small fish in a very big cog,not the best PR man i know , but i will try my best,
its basicly going to happen, and when i was asked to join in and get things going I gladly accepted, to be involved and not be on the sidelines for a change was a wonderful oportunity i could not miss, I just hope i havent bitten off More than i can Chew,

Many thanks for your continued support, and remember s soon as i know something ,you will all too,
Chris C:D

thanks

Thanks Guys,

firstly we dont have any buildings as such, but funding is to be supplied for a 100 ft x 60ft building or something of that size, (anyone know af anything that big for sale give us a PM)
I believe this is to host the flying club, and live aircraft, paying rent towards the airfield ,and towards its up keep,
at the moment we have a dilapitated building big enough for roughly 3 aircraft of Piston provost size, (its a start)

the museum, is the last but very important link to the whole project, and is going to take a few years to come into action,
Howevor, there is NO aircraft recovery groups left in the south west, only smal bands of people, I would like to propose now there is to be somewhere to show the south west aviation heritage, that hopefully a band of these people can come together for the greater cause, and have a laugh at the same time,gathering info ,active recovery from the area, and mainly a interest in seeing this thing through so that everyone involved can get something out of it,whatever there personal reasons.
I know its a tall order, But my mate who has started this for his own reasons
will see this through, I have watched him, build 2 aircraft from scratch to FLY,with little money, and then to sell his house to restore a Hulk of a 75ft MTB,which is now Beautifullyrestored, and really i got to say it ALL BY HIMSELF, with a little help from his friends, even living in a caravan for 2 years, he suffered to see his dream through, so because this man i find so remarkable, the fact is, when he says he is going to do something , He 99.9%
does every time , hence after knowing him for ten years i believe every word he says, he has never let me down, or more importantly himself down,
all i can say about him is ,i wish him the BEST, cos i know he will try his BEST,
😀