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.

On-Site Events 2008

Admission for each of the following on-site events is Adults £6.25, Over 60s £5.75, Children £4.00 and Family ticket [2 adults & 3 children] £18.50.
7 February: Celebrations to mark the 25th Anniversary of Vulcan XM594 being flown in to Winthorpe Airfield; Free admission to the Vulcan cockpit on this day for anyone paying to visit the museum.
9 to 17 February: 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]
13 March: Buccaneer Anniversary Markings – unveiling of a set of temporary anniversary markings on XN964 to celebrate the types 50th Anniversary and the 20th Anniversary of XN964 being delivered to the museum.
24 & 25 May: Fighter Cockpit Days – special opening & viewing of some of the museum’s fighters.
14 & 15 June: Cockpit-Fest 2008 & Aeroboot – Annual display of visiting cockpits from around the country & the traditional Aeroboot avionics and aviation goods sale.
13 & 14 September: Battle of Britain Open Cockpits - special opening & viewing of some of the museum’s cockpits and a range of visiting displays.

Special On-Site Events 2008

Enthusiast Tours - These popular Newark Air Museum Enthusiast Tours are again being run throughout the year and specific dates are listed on the News Page of the website. Please note that the museum is open as normal on these dates
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 first date has been selected as Saturday May 24, 2008. The event will commence after the museum closes at 5pm.
The event will feature themed ground equipment; uniformed personnel; and illuminated aircraft.
The aircraft being featured for this first event will include: Vulcan, Shackleton, Hastings & Buccaneer.
Admission costs £20 per person and places will be limited to 50 people. Anyone interested is asked to email in for details via the museum website. (photo: Mick Coombes)

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.
22 May 2008 @ 2000 hours – Flying the Vulcan – by Group Captain John Laycock.
21 August 2008 @ 2000 hours – Fighting the Vulcan – by Squadron Leader High Prior.
20 November 2008 @ 2000 hours – Showing the Vulcan – by Squadron Leader David Thomas.
There will be just 200 places available for each talk and tickets will cost just £5.00 per person. Details of ticket availability will be announced shortly on the News Page of the website.

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.