The Army Flying Museum at Middle Wallop in Hampshire is celebrating four decades of inspiring the hundreds of thousands of visitors that have walked through the doors and immersed themselves in the history of British Army aviation.
The Museum’s story began in 1946 when the training element of the Air Observation Post was at RAF Andover, a collection of material was started in order to record the history of Army flying for the staff of 43 Operational Training Unit. This material was displayed in a room at Andover and in 1948, moved to a crew room in Hangar 1 at Middle Wallop. The collection was displayed at three other places at Middle Wallop before the Camp Cinema became its permanent home in 1973.
The Museum first opened to the public in November 1974, but quickly outgrew its premises, with only three of the twenty aircraft in the collection able to be displayed. With the Trustees fully aware of the need for a larger building, in 1983, the decision was made to erect a purpose made museum of 16000sq ft on the airfield perimeter. The Museum of Army Flying was opened in 1984 by patron, Prince Michael of Kent, with the location of the Museum integral to the authenticity of the visitor experience, sitting beside the Army Aviation Centre and historic airfield.
The Museum doubled in size in 1989 when an additional hangar was added, generously funded by Sir Jack Hayward. The new building was formally opened by the Duchess of York in 1989 and included a permanent café and shop, as well as a redevelopment to provide a cinema, conference room and offices for staff.
In 1992, Prince Charles became the Colonel in Chief of the Army Air Corps, and later that year, attended a secret visit to Middle Wallop where he officially opened the new Hamilcar exhibit in the Museum. It is said that he also took home two of the distinctive AAC blue berets and two Westland Lynx Helicopter kits for Princes William and Harry, for Christmas.
In 2014, visitor numbers were declining, and the Museum was in urgent need of redevelopment. A project committee was put together, with the appeal named ‘Project Eagle’. Its purpose – to bring the Museum up to date and safeguard its future. The Army Flying Memorial was officially opened in 2017 and following a six-month closure, the Museum reopened in 2019 and saw its biggest growth in over a decade with visitor figures rising by 20% that year.
In response to the challenges that arose from the Covid-19 pandemic, the Museum launched a successful Lockdown Lecture programme, and in 2021, staged the first Wallop Wheels and Wings event, which continues to grow in popularity year on year.
Winning Best Aviation Museum at the Airscene Awards in 2023, the Museum then entered into yet another historic year, with 2024 not only bringing a visit from HRH King Charles III, but also the culmination of Project Eagle with the installation of the Apache AH Mk1 helicopter, the only Museum in Europe to house the impressive airframe.
To celebrate its 40th Anniversary, volunteers, staff, supporters and sponsors were invited to a celebratory evening at the Museum, where the team also launched their Silent Auction to raise funds for the independent charity. Funds raised will enable the Museum to continue to care for and grow their nationally significant collection, with a fabulous array of prizes donated to the Museum for the auction including an aerobatic flight in a Pitts Special, a day’s filming with TV presenter and motorcycle enthusiast Henry Cole and a visit to Anthony Honeyball Racing. The auction will run until Friday 11 October.
Chief Executive of the Army Flying Museum, Lucy Johnson said: “It was wonderful to see so many people coming together at the Museum to celebrate the last 40 years. It has been an amazing year so far at the Museum and we are excited to see what the next decade brings.”
