The Yorkshire Air Museum is reopening to the public with “Aviation: Yorkshire’s Greatest Invention” on Saturday (22 May).
The opening ceremony will take place at 10:30am in front of the main display hangar.
It will be 115 years to the day after the Wright Brothers were granted a patent for “new and useful improvement in Flying Machines”.
After long months of being closed due to the pandemic, the museum is bursting back to life with a season of celebration of Yorkshire engineering ingenuity and aviation.
Taking centre stage within the museum’s enormous aircraft hangar will be the Cayley Glider, the very first manned flying machine.
Museum director Barbara George explains: “This year, we have decided to celebrate Yorkshire aviation.
Very few people know that Scarborough born Sir George Cayley designed the very first glider strong enough to carry an adult in 1853. He was a visionary and made history with amazing advance in aviation which earned him the deserved title of ‘Father of aviation’.”
Passion for history
This summer visitors will be able to see iconic Yorkshire designed aircraft, such as the Blackburn Mercury and the Buccaneer – including the museum’s own unique Second World War Halifax Mk. III bomber, Friday the 13th.
D-Day veterans Doug Petty, Sid Metcalfe and Ken Cooke, and 9 year-old Yorkshire Air Museum Ambassador Oliver Vaines will be present to celebrate the reopening, and will unveil a new aircraft display.
Oliver’s passion for history started after his father took him to the museum when he was about 5 years old.
“It means a lot to us that we can connect young generations to their heritage. We hope to inspire them by learning about the experience of their ancestors,” comments Ian Richardson, Head of Memorials and Heritage.
Last year Oliver was inspired by Sir Captain Tom Moore and he started fundraising for the Children’s Heart Surgery in Leeds. Oliver himself has a rare heart condition. His efforts were rewarded when Sir Tom sent him a special message to thank him.
The team at Yorkshire Air Museum have been hard at work to get the museum ready for visitors again, with safety measures put in place and the reimagining of the collection on display.
To book your admission tickets, please visit the Yorkshire Air Museum website.