Top right: The annual Hangar Dance conga!

Centre right: Flights from the Museum have been very popular this summer. Bottom right: Chris Barrie accompanied by a pink Dalek at this years Stars of Time event. Bottom left: New goodies for the Ultra-Light restoration. Centre Left: An example of just one of the many costumes showed at the Museum during Stars of Time. Top Left: A Royal Navy Merlin lands at the museum; an amazing added bonus for our visitors!

Elfan Ap Rees A Message from the Chairman of the Trustees This is being written at a very frustrating time in the Museums history, with our 4.5 million Heritage Lottery fund bid sadly rejected as too ambitious, and the lease of the adjoining land and buildings still not finalised. Lets look at the latter first. I remain fairly confident that it will happen, but am still not quite sure when and if we can agree all the details. It is fair to say that the developer land-owners are carrying out works in readiness: the low-level-street lighting is in place and they have cleared most of the area, including cutting back hedges and brambles and have demolished the derelict garage building. Hopefully we will be able to agree on the boundary fence next to make the land secure, but Im not holding my breath! On the HLF bid, we had been warned not to expect success this first time around, if only because the backlog of applications is greater than the money available. It therefore seems par for the course that big applications are denied to start with. Having said that, the team that put the bid together did a very thorough job. The business case was sound, our record speaks for itself and the plans and documents submitted were of the highest quality. In our case the HLF is suggesting we should instead consider a phased approach. This is something we will have to work on. We will also clearly need to raise more match funding. To help this effort we have produced a document with the salient information on it, including illustrations and a breakdown of project section costs to encourage sponsorship. If you have a company, group or other funding sources that you can approach, ask Lee or John for a copy that you can use in a laptop or PC presentation. Many Thanks, Elfan Ap Rees Chairman of the Trustees

A Message from the Editor The last four months have been extremely busy for both staff members and volunteers. A plethora of events have taken place over the busy summer period, all of which could not have happened without the help of a dedicated volunteer team. From washing up dishes, parking cars, showing people to their helicopter rides, taking money in the shop and all manner of other jobs, you folks have been amazing. A big thank you must therefore be extended to all our volunteers from the staff members that you have helped. Given the high number of events over the past four months I have decided to make this issue an events roundup special. In the centre fold you will find a number of pictures from the Stars of Time SciFi extravaganza, the World War 2 hangar dance and much much more. I hope you enjoy them. The last paragraph brings me to another point that I should mention. It has indeed been four months since the last newsletter and not the usual two. I must apologise for this, it is entirely my own fault! A heavy dose of dissertation panic did however prevent me from putting digit to keyboard. Thankfully though, despite all the late nights evidenced by my titanic consumption of coffee at the Museum, I have now completed my MA. Thank you to the staff at the Museum for both your kind words of encouragement and your flexibility with my working hours. Similarly I would like to thank all volunteers who took an interest in my work and/or helped out with the odd bit of proof reading. The newsletter will now return to the usual schedule, with articles being put to print every two months. I therefore encourage you to contact me with article ideas, which many of you have already. I really do need your input to make this a useful and interesting feature. I hope that you enjoy this issue, John Clews Collection Officer Scouts As mentioned in a previous newsletter, the Museum now offers Cub and Scout groups the opportunity to complete an Air Activities Badge as part of their visit to the Museum. This has been a most successful avenue for us and the various groups that have visited. Do you know a scout or anyone associated with a scouting group or similar organisation? Why not give us a mention! Contact Shaly at the Museum for more details.

Have you got Facebook? You may be a social media guru or a techno sceptic, but I encourage you all to join the Museums facebook page. Assistant Manager Shaly Dee has recently taken the reins of the page and is doing a great job of renovating and adding new content to this very useful medium. Liking our page will keep you up to date with recent museum events, allowing you to view selected pictures which Museum staff members have posted online. Give us a Like and get following!

News Accreditation Whilst the news regarding our HLF plans may be disappointing, September brought with it some excellent information. I believe a previous issue of this newsletter detailed the Museums process of accreditation renewal, no mean feat which saw staff members tackling question after daunting question. However, we are pleased to announce that the Museum has received full reaccreditation, the Arts Council England being very happy with our answers. To all who do not recall, accreditation is a museum standard to which all professional museums need to aspire to. It encompasses collections care, accessibility and also considers business aspects of an organisation. News that we have successfully achieved this status again is excellent and shows that our organisation is a leader in our respective sector. This news also means that applications for grants and funding can be made in the sure knowledge that the money is being received by an organisation dedicated to preservation and best practice laid out by senior museum experts. Of course the next time we are asked to renew our accreditation status...we hope to be doing so for a much larger museum... Stars of Time This event has become somewhat of a phenomenon over recent years of late, going from strength to strength and attracting more and more celebrity signings each year. This year, for the first time in its history, the event was held over an entire weekend and was very well attended. The show had many highlights, with too many stars to name in this piece; but for most people I think the chance to meet Chris Barrie ranked very high on the cool-meter! As with all the events this year, stars of time was a resounding success. This was only possible due to the dedication of all the volunteers and staff who worked extremely hard over the entire two day period, and the inevitable setting up and packing away periods. Having said that, there is always room for more volunteers to help at events like this, be it parking cars or washing dishes, every little helps. I seriously encourage all who did not help out this year to give it a go next time. You will find that the team dynamic is at its very best during events and it is a real ball and a buzz to be part of something so big, so fun, and so important for the Museums future. October:

Upcoming events

Halloween Themed Fun Day & Open Cockpit Day

November: Christmas Fun Day including Santas Arrival By Helicopter

If any volunteers are available to volunteer their time for these events, please inform either Lee or Shaly. Interesting Visitors: We have had many Interesting groups visit us over the past 4 months, including: Weston Village Cubs U3A Aviation R.A.F Apprentices Portishead Scouts Air Training Corps Cadets Vector Aerospace Apprentices

British Aviation Preservation Council The Museum had the pleasure of hosting the quarterly meeting of this organisation. Hangar Dance The wine and music flowed at the Museum in late September as our annual hangar dance was extremely well attended. A live band played the night away and may I say that the buffet was exceptional! As per usual, the uniforms and costumes worn by volunteers and visitors alike really made the evening; as I looked around the hangar I could see everything from dapper looking squadron leaders, a very stern looking German sergeant and a slightly worse for wear American General! All in all, the event was a great success with everyone having a ball. Again, thank you to all staff and volunteers who made the night such a success. For a host of images taken of the event, please see the centre fold of this issue and be sure to look on the Museums facebook page!

New Aircraft Wombat: (By Chris Hallewell) On 9th July 2013 the unique Julian CD Wombat gyrocopter, G-WBAT, c/n CJ-001, arrived in Westonsuper-Mare, to join the collection on display at The Museum. It had been shipped from Brecqhou, in the Channel Islands, via Guernsey and Southampton.

Restoration News All of Restoration Manager Rod Holloways projects are progressing at their own unique rates. Obviously the larger projects are taking longer than some of the smaller work going on around the Museum, and yet information on all of the projects is extremely interesting; I will do my best to round up the most interesting snippets in this short section. The Fairey boys continue to proceed with the Ultra-Light, the most exciting update being the delivery of the new tail unit from Vector Aerospace; and what a good job the apprentices and Martin Hounsell have made! (Pictured on the front page). Many of you may have noticed a strange Doctor Who like contraption operating in the restoration hangar? This device is none other than a portable spraying machine used to restore G-AVNE to her former glory (pictured below). Great idea chaps!

The Wombat was designed and built in Cornwall by former speedway rider Chris Julian as a progression of the light autogyro technology originated by Igor Bensen in the United States. Julian used his engineering knowhow to carry out significant improvements, performing a series of test flights between late 1991 and early 1997. The Wombat is equipped with Dragon Wings aluminium rotor blades on a 2' 6" hub bar giving a 22 ft diameter rotor. The standard Bensen off-set gimbal rotor is used. A 62hp Rotax 532 VL2V, 2-stroke, two cylinder, liquid-cooled piston engine drives a 60 inch diameter, ground adjustable, GSC three-blade wooden pusher propeller with a light alloy hub. Fixed main wheels and a sprung nose wheel with braking, are fitted. The airframe is constructed from aluminium alloy tube with bolted connections. Rotor control is by push-pull rods from the control column. The conventional rudder has a composite skin with a foam core. No horizontal stabiliser is fitted.

Perhaps the most interesting restoration news is linked to the Queens Flight Wessex. Many of you have undoubtedly been a part of the musical helicopter game played at the Museum throughout the last few months. This process has allowed Westalnds to access the aircraft and begin work on a number of corroded panels. Thanks to everyone who helped in the movement of our exhibits!

Archive News Money! Some exciting news on the archive front! The documentation hub at The Helicopter Museum has been awarded a grant from the South West Federation of Museums and Art Galleries. The grant will be used to fight the ongoing battle against prospective pests seeking a home in the archive store, an especially important task given the upheaval in this part of the museum caused by the floods last year. I would like to extend a big thank you to the awarding body for this funding; it will go a long way to ensuring that we continue the much needed conservation of our artefacts. Donations

Two Minutes with... Museum volunteer Stacie Parker gives us her thoughts and comments on her experiences at the Museum: How long have you been at the museum? I started working at The Museum in July 2013 What did you do before joining the museum? I have been in customer service since I was 19 years old, for 12 years working in hotels, in both America and in the UK. My last job was in a call centre YUCK :) What has been your best experience at the museum? Everything! Everyone is eager to share knowledge of aircraft. I also enjoy the responsibility in my roles which have led me to be a helpful team player. Everyone is kind, helpful, friendly made me feel part of the Museum since day one. Its a great place to come and spend time with great people. I enjoy not being stuck doing just one thing and love getting involved in all sectors of the Museum. What would you like to see happen at the museum in the future?

The Museum has received a number of new and interesting donations over the past four months. A particularly large donation was made from John Ferrall, and came all the way from Ireland. Among the vast collection of boxes now safely stored in my office, there are a number of technical publications, company brochures, and perhaps most interesting of all, helicopter incident and crash reports and copies of legal cases involving helicopters. Whilst the former are interesting in their own right, the latter make for particularly fascinating reading and give an insight into the murky world of helicopter politics. Also of note is a clever little aircraft maintenance system developed by Bristow engineers. (Pictured below).

To continue growing and expanding, to see more visitors walk through the door and to have some more unique aircraft enter the collection. I would like to see new ideas on how to bring in new business implemented as I find the business sector of the Museum very interesting. I would also like to see the Museum obtain more volunteers from the surrounding neighbourhood to help. A Photograph from the Archive Just one of our amazing images held in the media store at the Museum! Squadron Leader Jeep Cable next to a R4.

Spotters Section June

Visitor Feedback Here are just a few of the comments that people have taken the time to write in our visitor book and publish on our Facebook page. Thank you for your feedback.

Date, Type, Registration, Flown From: 05.06.2013, Bell Jet Ranger 3, G-BCBW, Shrewsbury Helistrip 03.06.2013, Merlin 3, ???, RAF Benson 09.06.2013, Bell 206, G-BEWY, Urchinwood 16.06.2013, Bell 206, G-BEWY, Urchinwood 19.06.2013, Chinook, ???, RAF Odiham 21.06.2013, Lynx Mk. 9, ???, RNAS Yeovilton 22.06.2013, R.A.F Squirrel, ZJ 267, R.A.F Shawbury

Repeat

visit, always good

Educational Absolutely splendid museum Awesome, powerful, learnt a lot Like a Kid in a sweet shop Brilliant exhibition Fantastic Museum Well done Lovely collection Interesting day out Feel at home Loved every minute Especially loved the flight, thanks! Kids enjoyed it...so did the big kids masquerading as adults Super interesting
Hearing such great remarks from our happy customers is truly the most rewarding aspect at working at The Helicopter Museum. Remember, if you have had a particularly excellent day out please write your comments down in the visitor book. Even more importantly, if something has prevented you from enjoying yourself during your visit it is vital we are told what and why!

July August Date, Type, Registration, Flown From: 01.08.2013, Merlin, ZJ127, R.A.F Benson 02.08.2013, 2 x Lynx, ??? Middle Wallop 04.08.2013, Bell 206, G-XBOX, Congresbury 06.08.2013, Chinook, ???, Odiham 07.08.2013, Merlin, ???, Culdrose 07.08.2013, Jet Ranger, G-XBOX, Bristol 10.08.2013, R44, G-CHAP, Wolverhampton 13.08.2013, Squirrel, ZJ249, Middle Wallop 18.08.2013, Alouette 3, G-BVSD, Cheltenham 20.8.2013, R44, G-PGGY, Redhill 22.08.2013, R44, G-CDWK, ??? 25.08.2013, Jet Ranger, G-MFMF, ??? 28.08.2013, Jet Ranger, G-MFMF, Congresbury Date, Type, Registration, Flown From: 14.07.2013, Bell 206B, G-BEWY, Urchinwood 17.07.2013, R22, G-CBXK, Bristol Airport 23.07.2013, Lynx, ZE378, R.A.F St Mawgan 24.07.2013, Chinook, ???, ??? 31.07.2013, Merlin, ???, R.A.F Benson

September Date, Type, Registration, Flown From: 25.08.2013, Jet Ranger, G-MFMF, Chard 25.08.2013, Jet Ranger, G-MFMF, Chard AS350, M-GMOM, ??? 18.09.2013, Lynx Mk.8, XZ892, Yeovilton

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 Shaly Dee for details.

Other Ways You Can Help?

There are many ways in which you can volunteer at The Helicopter Museum. Many of us have our own set duties in our own little section of the museum; but there are many times throughout the year when volunteers can branch out and get involved in a number of ways, raising funds being one of the main ones. If volunteers would like to play their part and help the museum raise funds and secure its future, please have a chat with either Lee or Shaly. The museum is always desperate for volunteers to help out at its events and you can play your part in many ways. When was the last time you took some museum leaflets to your local pub, club or school? Have you ever pinned up a museum event flyer on your local village notice board? Could you give up an hour or so to help prepare for an event? Have you given unwanted items to a charity shop recently, could they have been given to the museum to sell on their bric-a-brac stalls? Please don't just leave it for other people to do, play your part and support the museum you volunteer at.

Your Museum Needs You!

How to contact us?

Tel: 01934-635227, Email: helimuseum@btconnect.com Website: www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk

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 the restoration 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 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 20 30 50 100 Other