Ulster Aviation Society

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Ulster Aviation Society
Logo of the Ulster Aviation Society.png
Ulster Aviation Society
Established1968
LocationLong Kesh, Lisburn, Northern Ireland, UK
Coordinates 54°29′28″N6°06′45″W / 54.4911°N 6.11249°W / 54.4911; -6.11249
TypeAviation museum
ChairpersonRaymond Burrows MBE
Employees0
Nearest parking100 yards (91 m)
Website www.ulsteraviationsociety.org

The Ulster Aviation Society (UAS) is a charitable organisation run entirely by volunteers with a wide interest in aviation, with a focus of "furthering a public interest in the history of aviation". It has a Heritage Collection based at Long Kesh, Lisburn, Northern Ireland. housing around 40 military and civil aircraft and rotorcraft along with vehicles and a large number of related items.

Contents

History

The UAS started in 1968, originally located at Newtownards Aerodrome, and had moved to the disused airfield of RAF Langford Lodge by 1994, [1] occupying buildings including the control tower and half a hangar as their Heritage Centre.

The UAS Wildcat at Newtownards Air Show in 1984 Wildcat, Newtownards Air Show, June 1984 (04).jpg
The UAS Wildcat at Newtownards Air Show in 1984

An early member was Ernie Cromie, who was the society’s chairman from 1982 until handing over to Ray Burrows in 2012, and was awarded the British Empire Medal for his efforts. Cromie and Burrows were keen researchers into aircraft wrecks in Northern Ireland. They would examine records of crashes and, with other interested members of the society, visit the crash sites, often recovering aircraft parts to build their collection. [2] The society's first full airframe, acquired in 1984, was a Grumman Wildcat, known by the Royal Navy as the Martlet, which, with the help of other groups and a British Army helicopter, had been recovered from a nearby lake, Portmore Lough. Its restoration has been slow and painstaking, but was nearing completion in 2024. [3]

The collection moved to Long Kesh in 2005/6, where it occupies the old airfield's only remaining hangars, which, during WW2, were used by Short Brothers for the production of Short Stirling bombers. The huge hangars are scheduled monuments. [4] [5] The society's early years at the new location were dogged by doubts about its lease and use of the site (it is on part of the site of the former Maze prison) [6] [7] but these were resolved in early 2024. [8]

Registered as a charity (registered number NIC100128) in 2014, [9] the society was awarded The Queen's Award for Voluntary Service in 2018, [10] at which time it had over 670 volunteers. [11] Chairman Ray Burrows was awarded the MBE in the 2020 New Years Honours list, "For services to the Ulster Aviation Society, Heritage Sector and to the community in Northern Ireland". [12]

Current activities

Panavia Tornado GR.4 ZG771 in 1916, gifted to UAS in 2021 Panavia Tornado GR.4 'ZG771' (35593165941).jpg
Panavia Tornado GR.4 ZG771 in 1916, gifted to UAS in 2021

In the early 2020s the UAS has been very active, acquiring several new exhibits, especially from the British armed forces. The society has developed a strong relationship with the RAF, with several RAF aircraft having been acquired for no charge, except for transport. [8] The volunteers work on numerous projects, and also are available to guide visitors, encouraging them to sit in cockpits and touch most of the exhibits. For this reason they prefer that the facility is called a collection, avoiding the more formal title of museum. The volunteers take items such as cockpit sections to outside public events, and there are also open days at the Long Kesh site.

As there are no formal staff, casual public walk-in visits are not allowed, and all visitors must pre-book to ensure that volunteers are available and gates and hangars are open. There is no charge for visits, but donations are welcome. [13]

The society has a large collection of aviation-related material, including cockpit sections from a Tornado, a Canberra, and a de Havilland Devon, a restored tail-gun turret, and a Learjet 45 test airframe (built by Short in Belfast). There are also several themed display rooms, a library, and advanced PC-based flight simulators with VR capability and controls for fast jets, helicopters, and propeller aircraft. [14]

Collection

As of January 2025 [14] [15]

Military aircraft
Red Arrows Hawk XX260 in 2002 British Aerospace Hawk T1A, UK - Air Force AN0273444.jpg
Red Arrows Hawk XX260 in 2002
Tucano G-BTUC at the Farnborough Airshow in 1990 G-BTUC Embraer EMB-312 Tucano (cn 312007) Royal Air Force. (5644644890).jpg
Tucano G-BTUC at the Farnborough Airshow in 1990
Gloster Meteor WA634 at Cosford in 2017 Gloster Meteor T7 (Modified) (32892996861).jpg
Gloster Meteor WA634 at Cosford in 2017
IAC Reims Rocket 203 at Baldonnel in 2008 203 Cessna FR.172H Skyhawk 2 Wing 204 Sqdn; Irish Air Corps, Baldonell (3236389635).jpg
IAC Reims Rocket 203 at Baldonnel in 2008
Civil aircraft
Rotorcraft
Bristol Sycamore XJ918 at its previous home in 1990 Bristol Sycamore HR14 (cn 13413, sn XJ918) 1990-05-01 Andre Gerwing Collection ID 017905.jpg
Bristol Sycamore XJ918 at its previous home in 1990
RAF Puma XW222 over Norway in 2006 RAF Puma Helicopter MOD 45146942.jpg
RAF Puma XW222 over Norway in 2006
Other aircraft
Vehicles

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References

  1. ↑ Ellis, Ken (1994). Wrecks & Relics (14th ed.). Leicester, UK: Midland Publishing Limited. p. 249. ISBN   1-85780-025-7.
  2. ↑ Spence, Julie-Ann (20 July 2021). "The sad passing of an aviation legend". Northern Ireland World. National World Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 10 January 2025.
  3. ↑ "Wildcat FM-1". Ulster Aviation Society. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  4. ↑ "The changing face of Maze Long Kesh". MazeLongKesh. Northern Ireland Executive. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  5. ↑ "Historic Building details HB19/04/030 J". Department for Communities. Northern Ireland Executive. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  6. ↑ "Ulster Aviation Society cancels open day over Maze deadlock". BBC News. 5 August 2015. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  7. ↑ Black, Rebecca (18 November 2016). "Ulster Aviation Society hopes Maze air ambulance deal will end their problems at site". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  8. 1 2 Rainey, Mark (13 July 2024). "The sky's the limit for motivated enthusiasts at the Ulster Aviation Society". NewsLetter. National World Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  9. ↑ "Ulster Aviation Society". The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  10. ↑ "Awardees". The King's Award for Voluntary Service. dcms.gov.uk. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  11. ↑ "UAS awarded the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service". Ulster Aviation Society. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  12. ↑ "New Year Honours list 2020" (PDF). GOV.UK. UK Government. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  13. ↑ "Visit the UAS". Ulster Aviation Society. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  14. 1 2 "UAS Heritage Collection". Ulster Aviation Society. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  15. ↑ "Ulster Aviation Society Heritage Collection, Long Kesh, NI". North West Air News. 13 August 2024. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
  16. ↑ "Red Arrow Hawk Jet donated to Ulster Aviation Society by Royal Air Force". ITV News. ITV Consumer Limited. 30 August 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
  17. 1 2 Ellis, Ken (2002). Wrecks & Relics (18th ed.). Hinckley, UK: Midland Publishing. pp. 298, 299. ISBN   1-85780-133-4.
  18. ↑ "Fairchild Argus taking shape in Northern Ireland". Key.aero. Key Publishing Ltd. 31 March 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  19. 1 2 "Aviation Heritage UK Register" (PDF). Air-Britain. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  20. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Ellis, Ken (2014). Wrecks & Relics (24th ed.). Manchester, UK: Crécy Publishing. p. 330. ISBN   978-085979-1779.
  21. 1 2 Harmsworth, Tony (23 December 2022). "Ulster gets ejection trials Meteor". Key.Aero`. Key Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  22. 1 2 3 Riley, Stephen (30 June 2017). "Ireland's Largest". Key.aero. Key Publishing Ltd. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  23. ↑ "Long Kesh, County Antrim, N.I." Demobbed. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  24. 1 2 3 4 Ellis, Ken (2024). Wrecks & Relics (29th ed.). Manchester, UK: Crécy Publishing. pp. 311–313. ISBN   9781800353046.
  25. ↑ "Ulster Aviation Society". LinkedIn. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  26. ↑ Waugh, Brian. "A FRED from Norn Iron". Clutton FRED. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  27. ↑ "Eurowing Goldwing cn EW-22 cr G-MJWS". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  28. ↑ "Short SD-330 G-BDBS". Airliner World: 82. January 2011.
  29. ↑ "Ulster Aviation Society EI-CNG". Facebook. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  30. 1 2 "Displaying Serials in range XZ". UK Serials Resource Centre. Wolverhampton Aviation Group. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  31. ↑ "Aerospatiale SA330E Puma C/N 1157". Helis.com. Retrieved 2 January 2025.

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