We have got some exciting events lined up for this our 40th Anniversary year and below are details of what is currently planned, as the events dates approach more detailed updates and new details will be posted on the News and Information page.
Throughout 2008 Newark Air Museum celebrates a series of anniversaries. To make these special the museum volunteers have put together their most ambitious set of events ever! These are listed in three categories for which different admission rates may apply.

Special event update

Autumn is normally a time of a decline in aviation events and activities however this year Newark Air Museum is finishing its 40th Anniversary year with a flourish.

On-Site Events 2008

27th September: Re-dedication of the memorial plaque to the crew of 619 Squadron Lancaster ME846; including Lancaster flypast.

25th October to 2nd November: Half–Term Open Cockpits – each day during the half-term period at least one cockpit will be open for inspection [a small additional fee is charge to access the cockpit].

Admission for each of the following events is Adults £6.25, Over 60s £5.75, Children £4.00 and Family ticket [2 adults & 3 children] £18.50.

Special On-Site Events 2008

Enthusiast Tours - Further dates for 2008 has now been agreed for the popular Newark Air Museum Enthusiast Tours and these will be on the following days. Please note that the museum is open as normal on these dates.

Monday 6th October 2008
Saturday 25th October 2008

Places are only available by pre-booking and the all-inclusive entrance fee is £15 per person. Tour participants are greeted with a welcome snack before being taken in small escorted groups onto various museum aircraft including: Hastings, Shackleton, Varsity, Vulcan, Canberra & Phantom Cockpit. A special part of each tour is a behind the scenes tour to see “missing airframes” i.e. those undergoing restoration or that are in long-term storage around the site. After the tour, participants are free to wander around the extensive museum site at their leisure. Each Enthusiast Tour is limited to just 12 participants.


Day-Night Photo Shoot – The next date has been selected as Saturday November 1, 2008. The event will commence after the museum closes at 4pm. The event will feature themed ground equipment; uniformed personnel; and illuminated aircraft. The aircraft being featured for this first event will include: Vulcan, Shackleton, Canberra PR7 & Buccaneer; with a firework finale. Admission costs £15 per person and places will be limited to 30 people. Anyone interested is asked to email in for details via the museum website. (photo: Mick Coombes).

Indoor Aeroboot Table Top Sale – On Saturday 22 November [10.00 to 16.00 hours]. Browse through a varied selection of aviation items amongst the aircraft in Hangar 2, up to 20 stalls expected. Special admission price for that day £4.00 per person; Anyone interested in selling goods is asked to email in for details via the museum website.

Off-Site Events 2008

A series of talks based on the Avro Vulcan during five decades of service with the RAF has been arranged at the Holy Trinity Community Centre, Boundary Road, Newark, NG24 4AU.
20 November 2008 @ 2000 hours – Showing the Vulcan – by Squadron Leader David Thomas.
There will be just 100 places available for each talk and tickets will cost just £5.00 per person.

The On-site and Special On-Site events will be held at the museum’s Winthorpe Showground, Site, Newark, Notts, NG24 2NY. Telephone: 01636 707170.

Unless otherwise advised the event opening times will be November to February daily 1000 – 1600 hours; October to March daily 1000 – 1700 hours (including weekends & Bank Holidays).

Unveiling the mysterious world of unmanned aviation
The museum trustees are proud to be one of two venues selected by the University of Nottingham to help lift the lid on the history, role and future of unmanned flight. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have been making the headlines through high profile military deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq. However, they are increasingly being used for civilian purposes.

The temporary exhibition called “The Truth about Unmanned Aerial Vehicles” opened in August 2007 will reveal some of the secrets of unmanned aircraft. With the help of model replicas, hands on demonstrations, and an interactive quiz and video these exhibitions will trace the development of UAVs. They will take visitors back to 1849 when the Austrians used balloons to drop explosives on Venice, through to the 1930’s and the introduction of the first life-sized radio controlled aeroplane, and on to explore the current role of UAVs in the military, the emergency services, and science.
The exhibitions have been put together by experts from the Institute of Engineering, Surveying and Space Geodesy (IESSG).
Dr Chris Hill, Principal Research Officer at the IESSG said: “The IESSG were keen to try and dispel some of the myths about what UAVs can and can’t do currently and to show they can be used to benefit humanitarian and civilian applications, not just high profile military uses”.
UAVs are increasingly being used in the civilian world to keep a remote eye on what is happening. They are ideally suited to long term surveillance – drug trafficking and weather monitoring. They can monitor contaminated regions – in the aftermath of disasters such as Chernobyl. They can minimise the risk to human life – by following criminals, or monitoring hostage situations. But the future is even more extraordinary. Researchers are taking inspiration from nature and developing micro UAVs, so small they can land in the palm of a hand. They can be equipped with tiny sensors to retrieve information and send it back to base. These tiny machines can undertake tasks in confined spaces, such as pipe lines and collapsed buildings in disaster areas.
The project brings together academics from IESSG, experts in the field of sensor and positioning systems and The Department for Aerospace, Power & Sensors at the Royal Military College of Science in Shrivenham, the largest defence-orientated academic institution in Europe.  Funding of £69,000 has been awarded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council as part of their Public Engagement Programme. The programme aims to stimulate a greater understanding about the issues and opportunities that arise from research.