Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh visited the
World’s largest dedicated rotorcraft collection at The Helicopter Museum
on Friday 20th July.
Accompanied by the
Chairman of the Trustees, Captain Elfan Ap Rees, His Royal Highness
renewed his acquaintance with a number of helicopter types that he flew in
the 1950-1960’s including the sole surviving Queen’s Flight Whirlwind
HCC.Mk.12 helicopter, along with several more modern designs representing
advances in technology.
The Duke also spent
some time discussing some of the restoration projects currently underway
before chatting to volunteers, staff and representatives from
AgustaWestland, Boeing, Eurocopter and other sponsors who have supported
the museum since it officially opened to the public in 1989.
Afterwards, joined
by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Royal couple inspected a Wessex
HCC.Mk.4 helicopter, also formerly of the Queen’s Flight.
“The Queen remarked
on its excellent condition and recalled that she had nick-named it ‘The
Washing Machine’, She commented that she had forgotten how large it was
compared with the S-76 now in Royal Flight service” said Capt. Ap Rees.”
Her Majesty also asked why we didn’t have a Sea King yet in the
collection but I explained that most of them were still in service and we
hoped to add one in due course.”
In his welcome to
The Queen and the Duke, Capt. Ap Rees said that their visit was especially
welcome in this, the Centenary year of the first recognised helicopter
flight, because the new skills training and education support being
introduced at the museum marked the start of a new phase in the
collection’s development “to encourage younger people to share our
enthusiasm”. The Duke then
unveiled a plaque to mark the opening of the new Conservation and
Engineering Hangar.
Providing room for
three large helicopters to be restored at the same time, plus display
space, the new building will also be used for the hands-on training of
future helicopter engineers in conjunction with the City of Bristol
College and other training providers. Funding for the 661 sq m (7200 sq ft )
facility was primarily raised by the Helicopter Museum and its supporters, although a new
Heritage Lottery Fund grant and industry sponsorship will assist with the
fitting out.
The Queen and Duke
later left the museum to return home in the Sikorsky S-76C of The Queen’s
Flight, making the visit the first time that three generations of Royal
helicopters have been together at the same place and same time.
All Images are copyright of © The Helicopter Museum
All Images are copyright of © The Helicopter Museum
