The Helicopter Museum.

Press Release 03rd May 2007

FALKLANDS EXHIBITION OPENS

As the world remembers the events of 25 years ago, when for the first time since the Second World War, British Sovereign soil was invaded by a foreign power, The Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mare is commemorating the 1982 Falkland Island Conflict in its own unique way.

A nationally advertised exhibition charting the ‘helicopter perspective’ of the war opens this Wednesday ( May 9^th) following months of preparation at the museum, during which volunteers have been hard at work assembling the display.

“It’s our main headline exhibition of 2007” said Operations Manager Lee Mills “and it is very different from the exhibitions the museum has done in the past”

‘The Falklands Conflict’ features a detailed script by one of the museums resident aviation historians detailing the major events of the war and the stories of the various helicopters that saw action plus a plethora of photographs and artefacts on kind loan from collectors and ex-servicemen, and an audio introduction commentary complete with atmospherics.

Due to the opening of the exhibition, the month of May looks to be a very busy one indeed for volunteer tour guides Ray Caple and Peter Noyle.

“We’ve got more group bookings this month than we have had so far all year” said Ray Caple “ with local schools , clubs and aviation groups all keen to visit the museum and view the new exhibit”.

Museum tours are free for all pre-booked group visits and last between one and two hours.

Also in May the museum is hosting two bank holiday ‘helicopter flight’ weekends and its ever popular Open Cockpit Day is on Sunday May 13^th.

The exhibition will run throughout the summer season.

In addition to the exhibition the Helicopter Museum is also selling signed copies of the book ‘N.P.1840, The Loss Of The Atlantic Conveyor’ on behalf of its author, Mr Charles Drought. This is to enable him to make a commemorative return to the Falkland Islands where he served as the Senior Third Officer on the ill fated ship. He retired in 1996 due to deteriorating health. “It’s a very worthwhile cause and we do hope that we can raise some money to enable him to make the trip that literally is halfway around the world” said Museum volunteer Steve Sullivan, a personal friend of Mr Drought.