VIMY NEWS LATEST – 5 June 2009
BROOKLANDS VIMY APPEAL LAUNCHED WITH SPECIAL LECTURE:
FUNDS RAISED WILL HELP PAY FOR APPEARANCE AT
ALCOCK & BROWN 90TH ANNIVERSARY DISPLAY
Brooklands Museum has celebrated the launch of its Vimy Appeal Fund with a successful initial fund-raising evening. The fund will help the Museum cover some of the costs of the Brooklands Vimy’s farewell flying appearances and permanent display in this, the 90th anniversary year of two great Vimy pioneering flights, the first transatlantic crossing and first flight from England to Australia in 1919.
The Museum’s airworthy Vickers Vimy replica NX71MY is due to revisit Clifden in County Galway, Ireland, to mark the 90th anniversary of Alcock and Brown’s historic landfall there in June 1919. It will also undertake special flights in November to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Smith Brothers’ historic flight to Australia.
This first fund-raising evening was held at short notice on 3rd June, and featured a superbly-illustrated lecture on the Vimy’s three re-enactment flights given by Vimy Triple Crown co-ordinator Jenny Moseley with help from three special guests: the Vimy’s instigator, original owner and pilot, Peter McMillan; the Editor of ‘Aeroplane’, Mick Oakey; and the Museum’s chief pilot, John Dodd.
Jenny also conducted an auction of some super prizes donated by Vimy enthusiasts including Vimy memorabilia, a flight in a vintage Piper Cub, a Tower of London VIP tour and a flight in Brooklands Museum’s new Concorde Simulator. An impressive total of more than £2,400 was raised from the auction proceeds and donations made on the night, which will help offset some of the costs of the aeroplane’s anniversary flight to Ireland.
The Vimy is currently based at Duxford, Cambs, courtesy of the Imperial War Museum. Weather permitting, the aeroplane will be test flown at Duxford next Wednesday (10th June) and depart directly for Galway on the morning of Thursday 11th. On the 12th she is scheduled to fly before the world’s press at the launch of the Connemara Airshow at Galway airport at noon. The Vimy will then appear as the highlight of the show on Saturday 13th June before returning to England on the 14th or 15th.
This coming November, after the Vimy marks the 90th anniversary of the first flight from England to Australia, Brooklands Museum intends (in agreement with its Trustees, the Vimy’s previous owners and the Civil Aviation Authority), to retire the aeroplane as a permanent ’live exhibit’ at Brooklands.
All offers of support including further donations should be sent to Julian Temple, General Manager - Museum Operations, Brooklands Museum, Brooklands Road, Weybridge, Surrey. KT13 0QN. Tel: 01932 857381 ext. 240 or 0787 1085049; email: juliantemple at brooklandsmuseum.com Payments should be made to ‘Brooklands Museum Trust Ltd’.
5 June 2009