Army Flying Museum Ticket Portal

What do Mozart, beating Blofeld, and saving lives have in common?

The answer, of course, is rotary winged flight! Join Tony Bray for a fascinating talk as he explores how rotary winged flight has changed our world.

Hear about the transition from fixed wing to rotary wing flight and the brave people who risked their lives to overcome the myriad of challenges they had to face.

The initial flight of the Sikorski VS300 in September 1939 set the standards for future helicopter design, but was he the first? Be ready for some surprises!

Using photos, maps, and video clips, Tony will examine how the early prototypes developed into the wide variety of specialist machines we have today. The fast pace of development was inevitably driven by huge defence budgets, resulting from the never-ending series of World conflicts.

Drones are having a far-reaching effect on warfare and are re-writing the way future officers of all three services are being trained. Drones are also being used for so many different civilian uses, and Tony will look at some of them.

A special anniversary talk on Operation MARKET GARDEN will take place in the Museum's Conference Room on Wednesday 17 September at 10.30am.

Lt Col (Retd) Derek Armitage, a registered battlefield guide for over 20 years, who has led tours to Arnhem, will be conducting the talk on the Allied operation into Holland, to clear a route into Germany, in September 1944.

The main objective of the operation was to capture a series of bridges in The Netherlands by combined airborne and ground operations. The airborne element was to land ahead whilst the ground troops would fight North to reach them from the Dutch/Belgian border.

The Glider Pilot Regiment would deliver troops, weapons and the equipment of the 1st Airborne Division to take the bridge at Arnhem.

Book tickets to find out more.

Join Paul Beaver in the Museum at 7pm on Monday 20th October to hear about RJ Mitchell, the father of the Spitfire, and about the iconic fighter aircraft and its impact on the Battle of Britain. It is an emotive subject and Middle Wallop is the place to set the record straight and put events in perspective.

Join us in the Museum for a fascinating and richly illustrated talk tracing the origins and evolution of Britain’s Air Observation Post (AOP) units — the small aircraft that made a big difference.

From humble beginnings in the First World War trenches to daring low-level flights over enemy territory in North Africa, Normandy, and the Far East, this talk explores the unique partnership between the British Army and the Royal Air Force in a chapter of aviation history too often overlooked.

Packed with vivid stories of courage, improvisation, and innovation — including daring escapes, unarmed aircraft facing ground fire, and the peculiar perils of flying in monsoon season — this is the story of the pilots and soldiers whose quiet heroism shaped the future of battlefield aviation.

Mike will be joined by Wally Steward, a former New Zealand Army artillery officer and trained AOP pilot, who flew Auster aircraft in the jungles of Borneo during the Indonesia–Malaysia Confrontation. Wally will share first-hand memories of Operation Blunt in 1964, along with the challenges of flying light aircraft in harsh tropical conditions during a largely forgotten conflict. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear the personal testimony of an AOP pilot who was there.

That Cyril Babbage survived two of the Second World War’s most momentous events unscathed – the Battle of Britain and the Normandy invasion – is testament not just to his skill as a pilot, but also to his extraordinary good fortune. Shot down three times, once by a Luftwaffe Experten and Knight’s Cross holder, he went on to claim the first Fw 190 lost in aerial combat, disposing of another holder of the Ritterkreuz in the process.

Amongst his fascinating experiences are tales of the famous names who briefly crossed his path, Amy Johnson and Douglas Bader amongst them, as well as lesser-known heroes: the youngsters with whom he served on Spitfire and Mosquito squadrons, and an intrepid SAS team operating behind enemy lines after D-Day. Unlike Babbage himself, who eventually retired as a wing commander, sadly all too many of these brave men were unable to enjoy the peace that victory brought.

Join Black Robertson in the Museum at 7pm on Monday 17th November to find out more.