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: HeliHobbies 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.

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.

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)

Boiled Fruit Cake Knowing how fond all our volunteers and staff are of Cheryls cakes, she has kindly provided us with the recipe for an old favourite. 1 tin of crushed Pineapple Bring to the 4oz Marg boil and 4oz Brown Sugar simmer for 15 1 lb Mixed Fruit mins, then 1 tsp Bi-Carb cool. 2 Eggs Beaten 8oz Self Raising Flower 1 tsp Cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg,

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. 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.

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! New Volunteers and Staff Please extend a warm welcome to; Mike Costello Archives Lauren Shipway - Restoration Stephanie Bennett Front Desk Simon Bell Cafe

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.

Tour guide Tutors This weeks 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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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 thats 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, GOAPR. 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.

(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.

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

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 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: GCSEs 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!

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!

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.

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 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 20 30 50 100 Other