Museum Re-opening for 2022
March has seen a very busy month at the museum with our team of volunteers working hard to prepare the museum for opening and we’re pleased to announce the museum will be re-opening to the public on Saturday 9th April and Sunday 10th April from 11am in the morning with last admittances at 3pm, so please come along if you can.
The museum will then be open from 10am to 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays until late September.
Our volunteers also work in the museum on Mondays and Tuesday from 10am to 2pm, visitors are also welcome.
We have several new exhibits including one featuring the history of the space rockets built on the Isle of Wight during the 1950’s and 60’s. This also features a newly created full size replica of the Prospero Satellite built by a local team of volunteers. Prospero was launched into orbit on the 28th October 1971 using a Black Arrow rocket and to date is the only UK built satellite launched on a British built rocket.
The Wight Aviation Museum Rocket Island Awards
As part of our outreach programme, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, we held our first award ceremony to celebrate our team of young media volunteers who have worked on range of audio and video productions to help us celebrate the 50th anniversary of the launch of Black Arrow R3.
Through the project they were given the opportunity to learn video production skills and studio protocols and were given the responsibility of putting these new skills to use to create video material for the museum’s schools and education programme.
Helen Blake museum chair stated, “We are very proud of our “Rocket Island Production Team” and held an “Awards Evening” to celebrate their creativity and achievements”.
“It’s wonderful to see the way all these young people were so engaged in creating these video programmes.
“The Wight Aviation Museum considers our schools and education projects as vital to the whole aim of the museum, to celebrate and educate about the aviation and aerospace history and heritage of the Isle of Wight.
The Awards Evening celebrated the creativity and achievements of a group of young people who came together creating a number of video programmes for the museum’s schools and education project.
All of the team received media vouchers as a thankyou for all their hard work and dedication.
Get inspired and join the team:
We are planning to continue the Rocket Island Production Team into this coming season and hope that more young people will be inspired to come and join the team.
Liam Cox said, “Honestly, being able to come and help out with the whole project was a real treat.”
For more information email “Rocket Island Production Team” to wightaviationmuseum@gmail.com or phone or text to 07949 704 052.
Vintage afternoon at the Museum
We we’re also pleased to welcome members of the 1940’s Recreation Group who joined us for “Afternoon Tea”, in the “Ops Room” and a look round the museum.
They even went as far as “recreating a dramatic impression” at our RAF “Battle of Britain” Plotting Table!
Look out for a future exciting event at WAM – a “1940’s WW2 Weekend” with vintage vehicles and costumed re-enactors – later in the summer!
New Volunteers always welcome
If your looking for “something new to do”, volunteering at the Wight Aviation Museum is a great way to spend your time.
We have a range of activities you can do, from meeting and greeting visitors to museum, giving guided tours, working on new exhibits and displays, restoring historical artefacts, fundraising, helping with media work and a range of office tasks.
To join the crew please contact us on:
email: wightaviationmuseum@gmail.com or call or text us on: 07949 704 052 an one of our team will contact you shortly.