Boscombe Down Aviation Collection

01/05/2026

Latest BDAC newsletter available now...

https://mcusercontent.com/f48ffd11f2e8b5a46f9c0b246/files/e6542ca4-1f70-fcf6-7dd8-a749444aa526/NB_29.pdf

25/04/2026

18/04/2026

NEW BDAC WEBSITE!

www.boscombedownaviationcollection.co.uk

02/04/2026

Latest BDAC newsletter available now...

https://mcusercontent.com/f48ffd11f2e8b5a46f9c0b246/files/a91e243a-d0ae-4615-ab13-5c566db065c2/NB_28.pdf

08/03/2026

BDAC VOLUNTEERS PRESENTED WITH PRESTIGUOUS VOLUNTARY AWARD

The Boscombe Down Aviation Collection (BDAC) has been proudly awarded the prestigious King’s Award for Voluntary Service, recognising the exceptional contribution of its volunteers to aviation heritage and the local community.

The award was formally presented at a special ceremony held on Monday 2nd March 2026 at the BDAC’s Grade-II* Listed hangars at Old Sarum Airfield, and was well attended by volunteers, supporters, and invited guests. Representatives of the museum were presented the official commemorative crystal award by the Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire, Dame Sarah Troughton DCVO, along with a commemorative certificate, signed by His Majesty King Charles III, in recognition of their outstanding voluntary service.

Speaking at the ceremony, BDAC’s Project Director John Sharpe MBE said:

“It is a tremendous honour to accept the King’s Award for Voluntary Service on behalf of the volunteers of the BDAC. This recognition belongs to every volunteer who has given their time, skill, and passion to preserving our nation’s aviation heritage. From restoring historic aircraft to inspiring the next generation, their selfless dedication keeps these stories alive. We are deeply proud to see their commitment acknowledged at the highest level.”

Often described as the MBE for volunteer groups, the King’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest accolade given to local voluntary organisations in the UK. The honour celebrates the dedication of the museum’s volunteers, who give their time and expertise to preserve historic aircraft, share the story of aviation heritage in the Salisbury, Boscombe Down & Wiltshire region, and inspire future generations through education and engagement.

The award highlights the vital role volunteers play in safeguarding heritage and strengthening community connections, and marks a significant milestone in the museum’s continued success.

The excellent photos included with this post were kindly taken and reproduced with permission from Spencer Mulholland Photography.

25/02/2026

Telling the story of co-operating with the "Big Guns"!

The BDAC are very pleased to share a recent arrival to our historic Grade-listed hangars at Old Sarum, a 1916-made 18-pounder field gun which is kindly on loan from our close friends at the Royal Artillery Museum, who are based locally at the original pre-WW1 Larkhill Flying Sheds.

Following a meticulous restoration by RAM's skilful team, the 18-pounder sits alongside our BE2b replica biplane to tell the story of how the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and Royal Artillery co-operated with each other, maximising the effect of artillery in conflict and how early trials at Larkhill and Salisbury Plain involving the RFC were so pivotal in revolutionising the use of aircraft in conflict.

The gun symbolises the historic connection between the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Artillery when early WW1 artillery batteries relied heavily on the observation of fall of shot corrections provided in morse from BE2 observers. The receiving RFC wireless operators attached to the batteries often faced extreme danger in the heat of battle and played an essential part in developing the principles of army cooperation and future procedures for the Royal Air Force and later the Army Air Corps.

We are indebted to the Royal Artillery Museum for the loan of this unique artillery piece and allowing us to showcase this unique history to our ever-eager visitors.

26/01/2026

Following on from our post a few weeks ago regarding our T.21 glider, it has gone to a new home with the Air Cadet Historic Flight at Nympsfield. The transfer was formalised today as the ACHF team arrived with the rather long(!) trailer to truck the glider up the road to Gloucestershire.

She was lovingly restored by several of our late volunteers and the history of this unique glider will live on to educate even more people on Air Cadet gliding at her new home.

22/01/2026

Throwback Thursday photo here to 2013/14, when the Museum was still housed within one single-span WW1 hangar ahead of our expansion in 2014.

Who has been following us since then? We wouldn't be here without our many friends, supporters, followers and hard-working volunteers!

23/12/2025

Wishing all our supporters, clients, friends and colleagues a very Merry Christmas, and a prosperous year ahead. We all had a great time in 2025 at the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection at Old Sarum, with even bigger plans ahead for 2026.

Our Christmas openings for the week ahead are as follows:-

24-26th Dec: Closed
27-28th Dec: Open
29th Dec: Closed
30-31st Dec: Open
1st Jan: Closed
2nd Jan onwards: open every day except Mondays.

We look forward to seeing you all over the Christmas period, and into the New Year!

20/12/2025

Christmas is almost upon us! And the hard-working team at the BDAC are still opening our doors to you of all ages, keen to learn about Salisbury & South Wiltshire's rich aviation heritage.

Stuck on a Christmas gift for that close family member, friend or colleague? You can purchase tickets to us in-advance, via Love To Visit. Don't forget, up to 5% discount when you use discount code DAYSOUT!

Looking forward to seeing you all soon. 😃

Save up to 20% on family tickets & take an insightful tour through the history of military aircraft and vehicles at Boscombe Down Aviation Collection