Fleet Air Arm Museum

Fleet Air Arm Museum Europe's largest naval aviation Museum plus Concorde and the immersive Aircraft Carrier Experience. Standard opening Hours: 10am-4.30pm, Wednesday to Sunday.
(2415)

Situated alongside RNAS Yeovilton, the Fleet Air Arm Museum will thrill the whole family. Get up close and personal with Europe’s largest collection of Naval aircraft and see the first British Concorde.

Today, something changes. Not the aircraft. Not the stories. But how we tell them.Behind every aircraft in our collectio...
22/05/2026

Today, something changes. Not the aircraft. Not the stories. But how we tell them.

Behind every aircraft in our collection is a person. A pilot. An engineer. A family waiting at home. Someone who served, innovated, took risks or changed the course of history.

At the heart of our new vision is storytelling, linking Navy and Nation with inspiring stories and experiences. From pioneering flights and aircraft carriers to moments of conflict, resilience and discovery, we’ll be sharing the human stories behind naval aviation.

Because history does not live in aircraft alone. It lives in the people connected to them.

As Royal Navy Museums, we’re inviting you to get closer, discover these stories and explore why they still matter today.

You’ll start to see more from across our museums and collections over at Royal Navy Museums, including updates, behind-the-scenes moments and the people behind naval history.

We’d love you to join us there.

https://orlo.uk/ZTE8S

Flight Sub-Lieutenant Reginald "Rex" Warneford was a true pioneer of naval aviation.A courageous and talented pilot, War...
19/05/2026

Flight Sub-Lieutenant Reginald "Rex" Warneford was a true pioneer of naval aviation.

A courageous and talented pilot, Warneford made history during the First World War when he attacked and destroyed the German Army Airship LZ 37 over Belgium — the first Zeppelin ever brought down in air combat. After the explosion overturned his aircraft and stopped his engine, he crash-landed behind enemy lines, calmly repaired his plane, and made his escape within just 35 minutes.

Awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery — the first Royal Navy pilot to receive this highest honour — Warneford became a national hero.

Tragically, he lost his life only days later during a test flight, at just 23 years old. Thousands turned out to mourn the young pilot who showed extraordinary courage in the face of the enemy.

See his flying helmet, goggles and incredible Victoria Cross on display in Hall One - https://bit.ly/3Sa1N5U

✈️ Happy !Plan your visit to the Fleet Air Arm Museum and step onto the flight deck. You're not just reading history - ...
18/05/2026

✈️ Happy !
Plan your visit to the Fleet Air Arm Museum and step onto the flight deck. You're not just reading history - you're standing inside it. Climb aboard real aircraft, uncover the stories of the pilots who changed the world, and see how we keep their legacy alive.
📍 Yeovilton | 🅿️ Free parking | ⏰ Wednesday to Sunday, 10am until 4:30pm
Plan your visit → https://bit.ly/3Sa1N5U

Join us this Thursday for Active Aviators with Aggie Weston's - Beautiful Bugs.🗓️ Thursday 21 May⏰10.30am – 12pmCrawl, f...
18/05/2026

Join us this Thursday for Active Aviators with Aggie Weston's - Beautiful Bugs.
🗓️ Thursday 21 May
⏰10.30am – 12pm

Crawl, flutter, and fly into a world of wonder at the Fleet Air Arm Museum!

A morning made for mini aviators and their crew – mums, dads, grandparents, carers – come along and be part of the excitement!

Your Flight Plan for Fun:

🦋 Bug-tastic crafts – create colourful masterpieces
🐞 Storytime adventures – tales of buzzing bees, fluttering butterflies, and wriggly worms
🐛 Sing and wiggle - lively songs to get little ones moving like bugs
🐜 Playtime - toys, games, and smiles all around

…while your mini pilots soar, you can unwind with a comforting drink and a well-earned breather.

Join us for a morning of creativity, laughter, and nature-inspired fun – where beautiful bugs take flight!

Book your places - https://orlo.uk/L4icZ

Spaces are limited and all tickets must be pre-booked.
£5 per adult, with up to 3 accompanying under 5s.
Or
Free with a valid museum ticket or Annual Pass.

✈️ Courage under fire.Lieutenant Robert Hampton "Hammy" Gray joined the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) i...
17/05/2026

✈️ Courage under fire.

Lieutenant Robert Hampton "Hammy" Gray joined the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR) in July 1940. He volunteered for the Fleet Air Arm and, after qualifying as a pilot, arrived at RNAS Yeovilton for operational training in 1941.

Before his service in the Pacific Theatre in 1945, Gray earned recognition as an accomplished pilot. He was Mentioned in Dispatches for his part in the attack on the German battleship Tirpitz, where his “undaunted courage, skill and determination” were commended.

In July 1945, Gray achieved another significant feat, sinking a Japanese destroyer near Tokyo, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

On 9 August 1945, Gray led his flight of Corsairs in a strike from 1841 and 1842 Naval Air Squadrons against Japanese vessels in a heavily defended harbour. Despite his aircraft being hit by enemy fire, Gray maintained control long enough to bomb and sink an enemy ship before crashing into the water. His body was never recovered, but for his extraordinary bravery, he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.

Remarkably, on the same day Gray was awarded the VC, an atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. Japan surrendered just six days later, on 15 August 1945, making Gray’s actions the final VC-winning act of the Second World War.

🔍 Plan your visit today to learn more and explore Europe's largest naval aviation museum - https://bit.ly/3Sa1N5U

Meet Louis Gerrard — the first Royal Marine to become a pilot!Commissioned into the Royal Marine Light Infantry in 1900,...
15/05/2026

Meet Louis Gerrard — the first Royal Marine to become a pilot!

Commissioned into the Royal Marine Light Infantry in 1900, Gerrard was one of the very first officers handpicked for flying training under the Royal Flying Corps. By 1911, he was flying high — literally — setting altitude records with passengers at the Central Flying School.

During the First World War, Gerrard led from the skies: he commanded No. 1 Squadron, Royal Naval Air Service, launched daring raids like the attack on the Düsseldorf Airship Sheds, and later commanded a wing in the eastern Mediterranean, earning the DSO for leadership.

Fun fact: before all this, he was the meteorologist aboard the airship Mayfly — admitting, “of course I knew nothing of Meteorology, but nor did anyone else!”

Gerrard helped shape early military aviation before transferring to the newly formed RAF in 1918, finally retiring in 1929.

🔍 Plan your visit today to learn more and explore Europe's largest naval aviation museum - https://bit.ly/3Sa1N5U

✈️ Captain Eric “Winkle” Brown: A legend in the skiesTest pilot. Naval aviator. Record breaker.Captain Eric “Winkle” Bro...
13/05/2026

✈️ Captain Eric “Winkle” Brown: A legend in the skies

Test pilot. Naval aviator. Record breaker.

Captain Eric “Winkle” Brown flew an astonishing 487 different types of aircraft - a world record that still stands. He performed more carrier deck landings than any other pilot and made history with the world’s first carrier landing of a jet aircraft on 3 December 1945.

Serving with both the Fleet Air Arm and the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Brown tested everything from cutting-edge British aircraft to captured German planes after the Second World War.

Nicknamed "Winkle" for his small frame - a trait that may have saved his life in tight cockpit crashes - Brown's career spanned some of aviation’s most dangerous and pioneering moments.

One of his most human stories? Before the war, Brown flew gliders with German test pilot Hanna Reitsch. After the war, when their paths crossed again under very different circumstances, she handed him her flying goggles - a symbol of shared skies in a divided world.

🛩️ DON'T MISS - Eric Brown's actual de Havilland Sea Vampire, in which he completed the 3 Dec 1945 carrier landing, is on display in Hall Two - https://bit.ly/3Sa1N5U

🗓️ 11 May is Somerset Day, celebrating all things quintessentially Somerset! Whether you're a fan of crisp cider, excel...
11/05/2026

🗓️ 11 May is Somerset Day, celebrating all things quintessentially Somerset!

Whether you're a fan of crisp cider, excellent cheese, picturesque countryside or fascinating museums 😉 , there's something for everyone to enjoy.

✈️ Why not join us at the Fleet Air Arm Museum?

We've been a part of Somerset since 1964, with roots dating back to 1940. Come explore our rich history and celebrate Somerset's heritage with us!

🔍 Plan your visit today to learn more and explore Europe's largest naval aviation museum - https://bit.ly/3Sa1N5U

in 1945, the message the world had waited for finally came:"Tuesday 8th May repetition 8th May is VE Day."Just a few w...
08/05/2026

in 1945, the message the world had waited for finally came:

"Tuesday 8th May repetition 8th May is VE Day."

Just a few words. But they carried the weight of years of loss, longing, courage and endurance.

VE Day didn’t mean the war was over everywhere. But for millions across Britain and Europe, it meant something they hadn’t had in years - hope.

🗓️ - 7 May 1947705 Naval Air Squadron became the first Fleet Air Arm squadron to be equipped solely with helicopters.W...
07/05/2026

🗓️ - 7 May 1947

705 Naval Air Squadron became the first Fleet Air Arm squadron to be equipped solely with helicopters.

With a fleet of seven Sikorsky Hoverfly helicopters, 705 NAS carried out early operational trials and took on the vital task of training aircrew and maintainers.

The same squadron flew Swordfish biplanes from battlecruisers when they were originally formed in 1936 and now they were learning to hover and pioneering the Royal Navy's use of helicopters at sea.

From biplanes to rotor blades, 705 NAS helped shape the future of naval aviation.

These fascinating images show the squadron members in Gosport in 1946, and another captures a Hoverfly on the water in Portland in 1949.

🔍 Plan your visit today to learn more and explore Europe's largest naval aviation museum - https://bit.ly/3Sa1N5U

Address

RNAS Yeovilton
Ilchester
BA228HT

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm
Thursday 10am - 4:30pm
Friday 10am - 4:30pm
Saturday 10am - 4:30pm
Sunday 10am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+441935840565

Website

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