The Aeroplane Collection at Hooton Park

30/10/2023

Last open day of the year at Hooton Park. Weather was kind, lots of visitors and great to catch up with good friends. Every time I come there's more that's been done by our wonderful volunteers. This time the Parker Parasol has wings and the Meteor has all its parts in place ready to be fitted back together. I forgot how big they are 😱 Exciting times ahead for next year when the other side of the Hangar should be finished. More planes to be started for restoration and hopefully we can display our Spitfire too!

19/10/2023

Fabulous little visit to the 'Airworld Aviation Museum' at Caernarfon today. Not big but packed with lots of displays and information. A nice T11 Vampire, a 'Flying Flea' and a wooden Spitfire amongst the static displays an also a 'Slingsby' Glider! Sound familiar? 😁 Lots of ideas about future displays for our own museum 🤔 A lovely cafe at the airport and good views of the Emergency Helicopters coming and going. Most definitely worth a visit.

09/10/2023

So does anyone know what happened to this? Quite interesting to find out!

27/08/2023

Some clips from this months open day.

26/08/2023

What pure joy 😍

30/07/2023

Always loved this story as I once lived close by

The Spitfire Bridge carried the A31 (now B3404) Alresford Road over the A33 Wi******er Bypass in Hampshire. It was constructed in the immediate prewar period, and opened in 1940 with the rest of the bypass. It was a concrete parabolic arch bridge. 19 October 1941: P/O George Rogers of 400 Squadron,....

30/07/2023

Another good turnout at Hooton Park today and a real treat to meet this fine Gent! His name is George Aird. He was a test pilot in the 1950's and 60's and was the unwitting star of this famous photo from 1962 when his English Electric Lightning aircraft developed an engine fire and burned through his tail control causing this dramatic 'bailout!' He's landed in a greenhouse and broke his legs, not to mention cut himself to ribbons on all the glass. He's pictured in front of our De Havilland Vampire T.11 in which he taught pilots to fly. An extraordinary man.
Pictured also are Ellesmere Port boat club, who have a fabulous boating lake on site and Wirral ham radio group. Lots of groups to join down at Hooton Park, we're always looking for new volunteers and members whether you like planes, RC boats, vehicles or local history. Lots to 'fix' down here. Open last Sunday of each month for the museum or get in touch via the pages for each group featured. Hooton Park Hangars, The Aeroplane Collection, Ellesmere Port boat club.

01/05/2023

A very busy weekend at Hooton Park Hangars . Great to see so many visitors on Sunday and nice to chat with some very happy and impressed people. The museum continues to improve month by month. Good to get feedback from folk too. Maybe a few more chairs in the hangar and some written info on the planes in addition to the QR code plaques next to them. The Amateur radio guys attracted quite a crowd at times and the cafe was also much appreciated. Roll on next month and here's to the future!

25/04/2023

More photos from Shay Nicol at HPT on Sunday

25/04/2023

A good turnout on Sunday's open day from the Vauxhall owners club, lots of cars which I'm ashamed to say I didn't photograph at all 🙄 sorry guys. Will be more on the ball next time as i think they're planninga return rally. But lovely to see the Miles Messenger up on her undercarriage. Ian, Steve and the guys are doing a fantastic job on the restoration, she's looking great 👍 The museum is filling up. 🤩

11/04/2023

11/04/2023

Devastating news for Cornwall

The Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre was told it must leave its Newquay Airport site by 11 April.

26/03/2023

A huge thank you to everyone who visited for the first open day of the year today!

A exciting piece of news were were able to share with visitors, was Miles Messenger G-AHUI being assembled and standing on its undercarriage for the first time in over 50 years. It has taken around 6 years to get to this point, and is a credit to all of those involved with its restoration to date.

For those that couldn’t make it today, the next open day is Sunday 30th April.

18/03/2023

All hands on deck today cleaning up for next weekends museum opening. Nice to see more exhibits being wheeled in and the Miles Messenger 'off the ground' as it were. Love the new wall paper in reception. Looking great everyone!

08/03/2023

Good morning everyone 🙂

With Spring hopefully just around the corner, we are getting ready for the next open day on Sunday 26th March (10:00 - 16:00).

As well as some new arrivals at the museum, notably Auster AOP.6 VF635 and DH Tiger Moth EM840, we have been busy progressing existing projects.

As a little sneak peek, here is a recent picture of Messenger G-AHUI starting to look like it’s old self once more.

07/11/2022

Interesting visit to Filton last week to Aerospace Bristol. Great to see the Museum Hangars with their Belfast trusses and volunteers just like us beavering away with their planes in the conservation area. The reckoned they were the only museum in the country where the public could come in and see them at work. Had to put them straight on that... 😁

07/11/2022

Sad times

Let’s get 30,000 signatures before midnight tonight! With your help we will do it!

Thank you for everyone who is supporting us, liking and sharing our posts and showing your strength of feeling to those decision makers in local government.

We are blown away with the level of support we have received over the past month or so. THANK YOU!

https://www.change.org/p/save-cornwall-aviation-heritage-centre

02/10/2022

On this day last year we were busy painting the floor. Who would have thought it would look so different 12 months later! 😍

28/08/2022

Another good open day at HP. Plenty of visitors through the gate but we can do better! Please share wherever you can especially towards the end of the month when we have our Sunday open day. The airhraid simulation is especially good!

13/08/2022

12/08/2022

Why not come and visit this coming Sunday! The Hangar will be open 10:00 -16:00 as part of the vintage bus running day being hosted at Hooton Park.

09/02/2022

***SAVE THE DATE***

Saturday 14th May, Hooton Park will be opening to welcome visitors!

There are still a number of details to finalise, and we will share them as soon as we can. Please keep checking back for further updates.

18/01/2022

Great pictures of the work that went in getting G-ADAH ready for transportation to Hooton Park.

19/12/2021

More progress this week with Avian G-EBZM reassembled, and the major parts of Dragon Rapide G-ADAH all fitted.

Our sincere thanks to GJD Services Ltd for the sterling work they are doing!

05/12/2021

Time lapse video of the goings on at Hooton over the last few days :)

04/12/2021

Chipmunk done! Well done everyone!

04/12/2021

Fantastic to see all our planes now here at Hooton park. Big job now assembling them all and definitely in need of a good clean. Working on the Chipmunk today. Going well so far.

01/12/2021

Two more of our aircraft have arrived from the Musuem of Science and Industry, Manchester - Bensen Gyrocopter G-APUD and Flying Flea BAPC.12

24/11/2021

To start our new page off with a bang, a time lapse video of the Triplane being re-assembled at Hooton Park earlier this week after arriving from Manchester. Thanks to GJD Services Ltd for recording the event for posterity!