Went there about 2 years ago, turned up about 5 minutes before they closed, I forgot about mountain time, anyway a guy came out to the car park and said that they had just closed, no problem say’s I, I am staying up at Las Cruses in NM so can pop back tomorrow. As I have found with a lot of US private collections once they know your a Brit, the doors open, within a few minutes the lights were back on and the guy had me sitting in the Mustang that was being returned to flight, could not do enough for me, was very reluctant to take a donation as well, can recommend a visit to anyone who is near there, great collection and great people who run it.

Mmmmm…I wonder:D

My favourite museum by the way!

Good to see you the other morning, hope all went well in Kent:)

I did wonder if it was something like that. Trouble is its current scheme is more appropriate to the Army Air Corps and would tell the story better, especially as the museum already has an ‘original’ Argentinian Huey on display.

Totally agree aeronut, however its a story you will never be able to tell given the MODs rule on NEVER talking about SF ops.

When the helicopter (an A109, BTW) was donated, the Director of Special Forces told the museum it couldn’t be put on public display and the curator has taken him at his word. She won’t even let me photograph it – I have though photographed the blue tarpaulin its sitting under, so I live in expectation of having my windows blown in by ‘the Regiment’.
I wonder if DSFs concern is based on the fact that at a casual glance this aircraft had been flown with no visible markings, not even warnings; that has to be against the rules surely? It took some finding, but it does carry a serial albeit painted in black on a dark charcoal background!
There’s nothing special left in the cockpit and the only thing removed is a piece of kit I recognise from my work at Boscombe, and even then its nothing special, rather its just a piece of kit that’s in short supply.
Is DSF worried that the UK shouldn’t really have it? It was after all found lying about on the Faulklands after the original owners were unable to use it. Does DSF think no one knows about it? If so he’s never done an internet search and found all the information and pictures put there by spotters.
For whatever reason DSF has spoken and the curator has obeyed, she’s that type of girl and the very reason why I know she would never ever be rude to a visitor or a researcher.

I think there may have been a slight misunderstanding with this one, the condition of the loan stipulated that it must not be put on public display in its colour scheme as delivered to the museum, there is no problem with it being refinished in Argentine CAB601 colours and markings and then placed on public display.
This is what has happened with the other ‘trophy’ A109 and it will go on public display in June as part of the Falklands 30 exhibition at FAAM.

To keep it in its current colours and lock it away from anyones sight seems pointless, why preserve it if no one is ever allowed to see it, unless its going to be part of a 30 year rule type of arrangement.

I will throw in on a positive note for the air & space museum in San Diego Ca. I asked a question or two on one of the exhibits and next thing i know I am getting a private tour of thier restoration facility downstairs!! and it wasnt a 10 minute run through either, i bet i was down there for a solid hr! If anyone who works there reads this once again I thank you all. JT

I had exactly the same experience some years ago, got talking to a docent and the next thing I knew the wife and myself were down in the restoration area being given the grand tour. Looking forward to calling in there next weekend as I will be in San Diego.

I’m going to have to step in and defend MAF, whilst one or two of the wardens are a little grumpy to say the least the others are openly helpful to the public. When it comes to the volunteers, I’ve had to step in on occasions and rescue members of the public who were visibly wilting under the weight of information they were recieving. I’ve personally taken members of the public over the barriers (and into the storeroom to show them the helicopter we’re not allowed to put on display;)), opened cockpits and panels for better access for photography.
On the other hand there are members of the public who assume that having paid to enter they can just go where they like/open cockpits/panels, they deserve and get short shrift and will see the grumpy side of even the plesentist of staff.
The Curator at MAF was recently slaged off by someone on another website because she didn’t have the information about RAF Middle Wallop he wanted, the museum after all is the Army Air Corps Regimental museum and it has only little information on the other users. Her polite suggestion that he contacted the RAF museum was seen as being rude and unhelpful (the last thing the curator would ever be is rude), it later transpired that he had already tried Hendon and got nowhere, with some people you just can’t win.
The world is made up of many types of people, grumpy, pleasent, helpfull/unhelpfull, right and wrong, what is certain is that you will find some of each sort on both sides of the counter and life’s too short to lose sleep over personal contacts that get off on the wrong foot.

Sadly we seem to live in a different world these days, people seem much more demanding and have less respect for contents of museums, I have certainly seen the difference in the last 26 years working in a museum. On the other hand there also some very good people who visit and are a pleasure to talk to, even the one that parked a Spitfire on a trailer in the car park yesterday, now where have I come across him before:)
By the way why are you not allowed to show the helicopter you have, as I understand it the stipulation on the gifting was that it had to be returned to its original colours and marking prior to being put on display and that no mention be made of its use from 1983 to 2009.

They had a feature on this on our local news last night. It really was a tight squeeze to get her in, took several attempts as it was down to millimeters either side and the under carriage had to be adjusted to lower her down for the rotorhead to clear the door. The paint scheme did look strange but attrctive and from what I could see it looked as though the tail section had been painted separately then re-attached. The yellow/grey scheme looked as if it had been done on the wrong sides of the folded tail section as it looked all yellow on one side with the tail folded whereas there should of been grey showing (if you see what I mean!). It may of been a trick of the light, they showed that bit so quickly it is hard to say for sure. Anyway, she appeared to be parked into a small dark corner so I doubt that anyone will notice. If anyone is visiting perhaps they could check it out.

I believe that due to the space constraints it will be shown with the tail rotor pylon folded, it has been painted in such a way that the correct colour scheme will be on the correct side when its folded, however when its unfolded it will look strange