All articles in Aviation
16th May, 2018 in Aviation, Military
Nine things you may not know about the Dambusters
On 16 May 1943, 19 RAF Lancaster aircraft set off to make history in Operation Chastise. The events of the Dams Raid is legendary – from the technical creation of ‘bouncing bombs’ to the top secret strategy of flying at only 60 feet above enemy territory. But what about the…
28th March, 2018 in Aviation, History, Military
The RAF and Imperial War Museums
As the centenary of the First World War came to an end in 2018, it was also the centenary of the RAF. Founded in 1918, the Royal Air Force has a remarkable place within the collections and history of Imperial War Museums (IWM). IWM Duxford, formerly RAF Duxford, was an early RAF…
13th March, 2018 in Aviation
The showgirl and the Schneider trophy
In 1931 Britain had a unique opportunity to win the Schneider Trophy outright and bring much added prestige for British achievements with aircraft and their engines. However, this seemed impossible at a time of worldwide depression due to outright opposition from the then Chancel…
8th March, 2018 in Aviation, Biography & Memoir, Military, Women in History
Stella Rutter: Spitfire draughtswoman and D-Day secret keeper
Stella Rutter was the only female draughtswoman working at the Vickers-Supermarine Aircraft Company during World War II. Her artistic and creative talents led to a very interesting career and some unique wartime experiences in what was a very male-dominated environment and line o…
5th March, 2018 in Aviation
The first flight of the Gloster Meteor
5 March 2018 marked the 75th anniversary of the first flight of the first ever British and Allied jet fighter, the Gloster Meteor, in 1943. It was the first British combat aircraft to be powered by Frank Whittle’s revolutionary invention, the jet engine. At the controls at RAF Cr…
10th October, 2017 in Aviation, Military
The captured RAF Chaplain-in-Chief’s cross
Many of the objects included in The RAF in 100 Objects offer poignant reminders of extremely difficult times in remote places far away from home. One such object that shows courage under adversity is a standing metal cross that once belonged to The Venerable (Air Vice-Marshal) Al…
9th October, 2017 in Aviation, Military
Early aerial warfare: Darfur 1916
Dramatic images on news broadcasts of stealth jets striking targets in the world’s trouble spots with radar-guided bombs are the epitome of modern technological warfare. But such methods can be traced back to a far less sophisticated beginning on a spring day in 1916 when a 19-ye…
4th October, 2017 in Aviation, Biography & Memoir, Military
A view from the RAF front line during the Cold War
I was a 20-year old pilot when I arrived on No 16 Squadron, based at RAF Laarbruch in what was then West Germany. It was May 1964 and I was joining an operational RAF squadron whose primary role was to fly at low level, by day and night, to deliver tactical nuclear bombs to…
2nd October, 2017 in Aviation, Local & Family History
Aviation landmarks of Norfolk and Suffolk
Throughout Norfolk and Suffolk many landmarks still remain which point to the strategic importance of these counties in the First and Second World Wars and during the Cold War. These include airfields and traces of their buildings, remains of former radar stations, decoy airfield…
12th June, 2017 in Aviation, Military, Women in History
‘Doing their bit’: The female fighter pilots of World War II
No, they told me again and again, there was nothing special about them. They were just ‘doing their bit’ for their country. Modest to a fault, these women faced danger, sudden death, serious injury or bereavement on an almost daily basis. Yet there was nothing, they insisted, rem…
18th May, 2017 in Aviation, Biography & Memoir, Women in History
Amelia Earhart and Neta Snook: Pioneering aviators
What made Amelia Earhart push the boundaries of aviation? Her peripatetic early childhood took her from place to place and opened her eyes to new experiences. Due to her father’s job working for railroad companies, Amelia moved from house to house and school to school, which she…
8th May, 2017 in Aviation, Military
UFOs and the Cold War
For centuries, strange lights, objects and celestial wonders in the sky have warned of impending doom. This sense of unease at the sighting of extraordinary objects flying above rang especially true during the Cold War. In the early 20th Century mystery lights over Great Britain…