Originally Posted by
chevvron
Retired: It wasn't the same when I visited Wroughton in '92. We were shown round by a guy called Ross Sharpe who was ultra keen to open the collection to the public,even to the extent of inviting us (members of the Guild of Air Traffic Controllers) to fly in that day and asking if any of us would like to be a FISO there at weekends.
To say he wasn't enhusiastic would have been a real insult to him and under his 'curatorship' the airfield was opened for several aviation events like the Great Warbirds Display and the PFA Rally.
I don't know why he parted company with the Science Museum but it's never been the same since.
Many years ago, the South Ken Museum's curator was a Dr John Bagley who was at the time a prominent member of the Farnborough Aero Club so I presume that went down hill when he left.
Yes, Ross Sharpe, was a total enthusiast and highly knowledgeable . I believe he is NOW the curator of a museum in the USA.
Not so the present management who are totally and hopelessly out of their depth when it comes to aviation.
I was on the airfield three years ago when a sailplane outlanded. Being a gliding instructor and tow pilot I
Went to offer my assistance. To my utter amazement, the manager, one Matt Moore, had refused permission for an aero tow retrieve, despite perfect facilities and conditions as " it was a hazard to the collection" insisting they derigged, pull a trailer from Dunstable for a road retrieve. Perhaps Moore did not know about the assembly and testing of troop carrying gliders at Wroughton prior to DDay!!! The pilot, an army engineer major, just returned from Iraq on IED disposal was justly apoplectic at this crass decision, by the site manager.
Just one example of how this place is (mis) managed and there is a LOT more like it.
You couldn't, make up some of the nonsense which comes out of the SM .