RAF and Army to support North Hampshire museum with flypasts

The Army Flying Museum at Middle Wallop near Andover say their summer ‘Wallop, Wheels & Wings’ event will be a 'major fundraiser' for them.

A Battle of Britain memorial flight Hurricane, and modern-day helicopters in the form of an Army Wildcat and an RAF Puma have been added to the growing list of participants.

Lucy Johnson is the museum’s chief executive:

"I think that's key really, we are doing it as a fundraiser so for the museum it's really, really important it's getting us back on the map and showing everybody we haven't stood still, even though we've been closed for eight and a half months out of twelve we are going to keep pushing forward and hopefully really engage people with it."

In the year before the pandemic struck the museum had recorded a 20% increase in visitor numbers.

Lucy admits to being frustrated that the museum has to wait until May 17 to re-open:

"Our whole business is based on people coming through the doors and hearing the chatter of families and grandparents telling their grandchildren stories from the war. It is frustrating the reality of it is it's going to take us a good number of years to recover from this and that's why we need events like 'Wallop, Wheels & Wings' to bring some cash into the business"

Details

Wallop Wheels and Wings, which is due to take place at the Army Flying Museum and the airfield at the Army Air Corps Centre at Middle Wallop, on Saturday 3 July, will bring together 300 super and classic cars and bikes as well as 40 classic aircraft.

For more information, visit: www.armyflying.com/events.

For details of the museum click here

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