Top right: A Chinook paying the museum a

visit. Centre right: Lauren and Linda getting

stuck in with the restoration team. Bottom

right: We do get some shady characters at

the museum. Bottom left: The day an army

Apache landed at the museum. Centre Left:

Private Helga Geerhart (Kim Hartman) just

one of the Allo Allo stars at the museum for

the stars of time convention. Top Left: Heli-

Hobbies 2012 proves a great success with

many impressive pieces on display.

News

The museum has been completely packed since the last

newsletter went out we have had over 5000 visitors in 5

weeks. On regular days there has been a steady flow of

people through the doors but the special events the

museum has hosted have been the real crowd pleasers.

Heli Days: This year Helidays was held on the museum

helipad where a Lynx from the German Navy and her

crew were stationed for the weekend. The crew were a

humorous bunch and were more than generous with

their time and knowledge, showing many lucky visitors

around their aircraft.

Heli-Hobbies: Yet another very successful event held at

the museum, Heli-Hobbies attracted many modellers

from all over the country. The pieces on display were

magnificent and the event had a real community spirit to

it.

Stars of Time: Well what an event, a record number of

customers entered the museum to be treated to Dalek

shows, star wars characters, Bond girls, celebrities and

many different Sci- Fi merchants; all with valuable

treasures to sell to fans and enthusiasts.

A big thanks to all who helped make this event so

successful, it ended up being the most successful event

the museum has ever presented; a record number of

people entering the museum in a day.

Upcoming events

September:

9th - Open cockpit day and pleasure flights

15th – WW2 themed hangar dance – 7:30 pm

22nd – 23rd – Behind the scenes spotters weekend.

October:

14th – Open cockpit day and pleasure flights.

Boiled Fruit Cake

Knowing how fond all our volunteers and staff are of

Cheryl’s cakes, she has kindly provided us with the recipe

for an old favourite.

1 tin of crushed Pineapple

4oz Marg

4oz Brown Sugar

1 ½ lb Mixed Fruit

1 tsp Bi-Carb

2 Eggs Beaten

8oz Self Raising Flower

1 tsp Cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg,

Mix in the remaining eggs, flour and spices and Grease a 9

inch round tin. Cook on 150 Degrees C for 1 hour and 15

minutes and vuala! Dear volunteers:

Please keep an eye out for any signs of corrosion and

water damage on any of our aircraft, if something does

not seem right then let us know! Whilst we have a highly

trained team dedicated to checking and conserving our

collection, with a collection of over 80 aircraft, it may

take some time before certain problems are assessed.

Keep your eyes peeled on your journey to the cafe for a

cup of tea and let John Clews know of any findings.

New Volunteers and Staff

Please extend a warm welcome to;

Mike Costello – Archives

Lauren Shipway - Restoration

Stephanie Bennett – Front Desk

Simon Bell – Cafe

Interesting visitors:

The past few months have seen a number of different

groups enjoy the museum collection; a big thanks must go

to the tour guides for their commitment to making sure

these guests get the most out of their visits. Our visitors

include:

Action for Children

Engineers from EDF Nuclear

Waverly Court

Holiday Club

Royal British Legion (Gurkhas)

Bring to the

boil and

simmer for 15

mins, then

cool.

Restoration News

Team G-AVNE - Vs - Corrosion:

Initial inspection of G-AVNE's cabin in April 2008 showed

that most of the original furnishings and fittings were

still in place and in good condition. First glances

indicated that the interior airframe was sound, but,

when the ceiling trim panels were removed it was clear

that serious corrosion had taken hold, perhaps because

of restricted ventilation.

After making this initial discovery the Wessex 60 team

have been working hard and using a number of methods

to combat the erosion that they have encountered on

the project.

After cleaning, an etch primer was applied, which

chemically eats into the metal and bonds a thin coat of

primer paint onto the surface. A second coat of primer

was often required before final painting took place.

By the beginning of 2011 much of the extensive

corrosion, found on G-AVNE's cabin interior, had been

treated and final painting had taken place in several

areas. Small areas of corrosion continue to be

discovered however, usually where least expected.

Whilst this process is sure to be a painstaking one the

work completed by the team is top notch, keep it up!

Tour guide Tutors

This week’s piece comes from Martin Degg, he has put

together a number of facts about the Agusta-Bell 206C-1

Jet Ranger II (MM80927) :CC-49. (our most recent

helicopter to enter the hangar)

“This aircraft was built by Agusta as Cascina Costa in 1974

and allocated the c/n 9151.

It was delivered to the Carabinieri in September 1974 and

was based at Practica di Mare, 25K south-west of Rome. It

remained in service until 2008, when it was put into

storage as the type was being replaced by both the

AB.412 and the AW.109N.

20 of the surplus Jet Rangers are being transferred to the

Argentine Army.

After a period of storage, CC-49 was taken to the Agusta

factory at Frosinone where it was fully restored to static

condition by company workers.

With regard the serial, not actually worn on Carabinieri

aircraft, all Italian military aircraft are allocated a serial

which begins with “MM”, standing for Matriculare

Militare, or Military Serial. Carabinieri machines only wear

their codes, i.e CC-49, or Corps Carabinieri number 49.

The Carabinieri was founded in 1814, to defend the Italian

nation and keep public order. It was initially part of the

Italian Army until 2001, when it became the fourth armed

forces component, after the Army, Navy & Air Force.

The Carabinieri is a paramilitary force, with both civil and

military police duties and a primary responsibility in the

fields of organised crime, fraud, public health and riot

control. On the military front, personnel have served in

such places as Somalia, Lebanon, Kosovo, Bosnis, Iraq and

Afghanistan, on UN peace keeping duties.

Archive News

The Great British Summer:

Work in the archive has been busy as per usual,

however, a few worrying occurrences were dealt with at

the start of the month to ensure the safety of our

artefacts.

Due to the freak weather over the past month the

archive door had begun to rot badly, letting all kind of

nasties in from the cold; the main protagonists being

beetles. A new door was bought and fitted and the

situation on the bug front now seems to be back to

normal (FEW)!

Added to this we had a number high humidity readings

from the data loggers near the exterior wall in the main

archive store, on closer inspection water was seeping

into certain places on the exterior wall. After a couple of

minutes with some silicone filler the problem was

resolved and humidity and temperature readings are

now within their normal limits.

(an example of the data we receive from our data

loggers in the archive.)

Rooivalk Memorabilia:

At the start of July we were lucky enough to be visited by

a former design engineer on the Rooivalk AH-2. The gent

in question was extremely generous in donating a

number of rare documents and artefacts relating to the

South African venture; one of the most interesting being

a limited edition print signed by the whole design team.

Included with this was a photograph of the artist (T,

Volster) painting the original picture.

Two minutes with...

This time up in the interrogation chair we have Chris

Hallewell . A long time volunteer currently working to

restore the Wessex 60.

How long have you been at the museum?

“I became a volunteer at the museum in 1994, following my first visit. So that’s about 18 years.”

What did you do before joining the museum?

“Worked as an electronics engineer at ITV and BBC Studio centres in London and Birmingham.”

What has been your best experience at the museum?

“My very first flight in a helicopter, Elfan's Brantly B.2B, G-OAPR. I enjoyed following the visible remains of the old Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway trackbed which can be clearly seen beyond Worle and towards Clevedon.” What would you like to see happen at the museum in

the future?

“I would like to see a three year moratorium on the acquisition of helicopters until more storage and display space can be made available.” “Increasingly tight packing of exhibits is frustrating for visitors (especially photographers) and staff, sometimes turning routine cleaning and maintenance into a test of agility.”

“Successful fund-raising events should be tailored to increase public awareness of the museum itself, enhancing the future revenue stream.” Cheers Chris some interesting thoughts for everyone regardless of their role at the museum.

Spotters section

Here is the information about the aircraft that have

landed at the museum in the last month for all you

spotters out there:

July:

Date, Type, Registration, Flown From:

7.7.2012, R44, G-CMAP, ?

8.7.2012, 206, G-BEWY, BSL

18.7.2012, Chinook, V-525, Odiham

20.7.2012, Lynx-Mk88A, 83+06, ETMN Nordhols

25.7.2012, 206, MFMF, Cardiff

28.7.2012, A109, ZR723, RAF Northolt

Announcements

Exam Results:

A number of our younger volunteers and staff members

have been on tender hooks for a month or so due to the

upcoming release of exam results. The following

members of staff have all managed to carry on their

good work whilst concentrating on their revision.

Congratulations folks!

Eliott Stephen: GCSE’s – Passed with flying

colours and is looking at a number of options;

the world is your oyster Eliott.

Belinda Hill: Numerous A Levels – Received

fantastic results, studying Psychology at Cardiff

University. Congratulations!

Au Revoir Thomas!

Thomas, an engineering student from France will be

leaving us this month. He has integrated well with the

restoration team as well as making friends all around the

museum. We will all be sad to see him depart (Panini

sales in the cafe will certainly take a hit) but we are

certain the experience he has gained here will serve him

well in the future.

Stop the Rot:

The stop the rot conference for 2012 has been organised

for the 6th of October. Any and all conservation and

restoration volunteers wanting more information or to

attend should contact either the restoration manager

Rod Holloway or Collections Officer John Clews.

Spotters section – Continued

August:

Date, Type, Registration, Flown From:

3.8.2012, Apache, ZJ 170, Middle Wallop

4.8.2012, EC135, G-CHSU, Filton

11.8.2012, R66, N4 562G, Wellesbourne

16.8.2012, Chinook, ZH901, RAF Odiham

21.8.2012, Chinook, ZA7B, Sailsbury Plain

21.8.2012, Chinook, ZA67, Sailsbury Plain

23.8.2012, Chinook, ?, Odiham

30.8.2012, Merlin, ?, Benson

31.8.2012, Chinook ?, Odiham

Visitor Feedback

“Fantastic , Great stuff”

“Enjoyed being told all about the

different helicopters.”

“Fantastic day, will return soon”

“Did not know helicopters have been

about so long”

“Very Interesting, grandchildren loved

it”

“Informative and Excellent”

Photograph competition

A number of great photos have come my way since the

last issue, all of them extremely varied. The amount of

events and special occasions has produced some real

gems.

1st Place: Sharon Webber

Incoming Apache over

the museum helipad;

what a great snap!

2nd Place: Eliott Stephen

G-AOUJ looking in great

shape and probably the

most complete it has been

for a long time.

3rd Place: Lee Mills

Museum staff and

volunteers handing over

funds to Falklands

veterans from the South

Atlantic Medal

Association.

Hire The Museum!

Do you have a Birthday or anniversary coming up? Have you thought about Hiring your village hall for a party?

The Helicopter Museum is available for public hire and is not as expensive as you might think. We already have several

‘private’ events booked in for 2012 with groups ranging from 50-500 people. If you are interested in aviation, the

museum can provide a unique backdrop for your special day. Please contact Lee mills or Sharon Webber for details.

Other Ways You Can Help?

There are many ways in which you can volunteer at The Helicopter Museum. Many of us have our own set duties in our

own little section of the museum; but there are many times throughout the year when volunteers can branch out and

get involved in a number of ways, raising funds being one of the main ones. If volunteers would like to play their part

and help the museum raise funds and secure its future, please have a chat with either Lee or Sharon.

The museum is always desperate for volunteers to help out at its events and you can play your part in many ways.

When was the last time you took some museum leaflets to your local pub, club or school?

Have you ever pinned up a museum event flyer on your local village notice board?

Could you give up an hour or so to help prepare for an event?

Have you given unwanted items to a charity shop recently, could they have been given to the museum to sell on

their bric-a-brac stalls?

Please don't just leave it for other people to do, play your part and support the museum you volunteer at.

Your Museum Needs You!

How to contact us? Tel: 01934-635227,

Email: helimuseum@btconnect.com

Website: www.helicoptermuseum.co.uk

HOW YOU CAN HELP

Whilst it is easy to forget, The Helicopter Museum is indeed a charity. Aircraft do not preserve themselves and a big part

of what the museum does is conservation and restoration based. The acquisition, preservation and restoration of

aircraft, some of which are the only existing examples left in the world, takes place on a daily basis at the museum so

that our aircraft can be enjoyed for generations to come. If you would like to help us in our task by contributing to the

restoration budget, then please fill in the form below and send it off to us.

Your Donation

I would like to support the Helicopter Museum in their efforts to conserve and restore aircraft and educate the public

about vertical flight history and technology with a gift of:

£10 £20 £30 £50 £100 Other £

Name:

Phone Number:

Email Address:

Home Address:

Postcode:

I enclose a cheque made payable to The Helicopter Museum

Help us further by using gift aid

Thanks to the gift aid scheme we can reclaim money on your donation from the government. For every pound you give

us, we can claim an extra 25p. For example, a donation of £15 becomes £18.75 with gift aid at no extra cost to you.

I am a UK taxpayer and would like The Helicopter Museum to treat all future donations from today as gift aid donations.

I understand that in the relevant tax year I must pay an amount of income tax and/or capital gains tax at least equal to

the tax that the charity reclaims on my donation.

Signature:

Please return this form in an envelope to:

The Helicopter Museum, Locking Moor Road, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, BS24 8PP