Encouraging a child’s interest in aircraft.

[darren9]

Since the start of this school-term my 10 year old has been doing WWII as a topic in school. He’s developing a particular interest in the aircraft. Particularly the B17, Lancaster, spitfire and Hurricane.

I’m aware that I’ve missed the Battle of Britain day at Duxford yesterday (terrible organisation on my part meant we were elsewhere) and I’d presume it’s the end of the show season now?

I’m going to try and book Sunday off work next weekend. Where is best to go to keep this passion going?

Is Duxford our best bet? I know they have the best collection of aircraft. I’d like him to see something flying so they’re not *just* static exhibits for him and he can see/hear/smell the aircraft.

[AlexIT]

Just bring him everywhere he can see airplanes.
When we lived in France, my son (3 years back then) would spend literally hours by the beach near Nice airport just looking at them taking off and landing.

Since then every opportunity has been a good one to watch planes. I've been with him to several airshows, museums and other related stuff.

11 years later he just started aviation technical high school here in Italy. Not sure if anything similar exists in UK as well, but I would think it does.

[eltawater]

Shuttleworth Race Weekend should have a spitfire flying on Saturday 2nd October:

https://www.shuttleworth.org/product/raceweekend/

Failing that, the following weekend Duxford will be hosting their Best of Flying Day on Saturday 9th October which should have the Spitfire and Hurricane flying:

https://www.iwm.org.uk/airshows/events/october-fly...

[BrettMRC]

Head to a live MOD airbase, they'll usually be something up

[LP12]

https://www.iwm.org.uk/airshows

Last Duxford show of the year is on Sat 9 Oct.

[Chainsaw Rebuild]

It’s not in the same league as Duxford of course, but if you are anywhere near Redhill Aerodrome I recommend the cafe the pilots hub.

Sit outside and you can watch a few light aircraft taking off whilst you have breakfast. The food is nice too.

[The Road Crew]

BBMF at RAF Coningsby?

[darren9]

Thanks everyone. Having looked at the options I think (as long as I can get time off) we’ll go to Duxford on Sunday. There’s plenty of the aircraft he’s been learning about and if we’re lucky there might even be something flying and If not there’s a decent souvenir shop to keep his interest.

I looked at sywell and it’s a little too far just for the spit vs me109

I love visiting Jane at the Lincolnshire aviation centre but she’s only running on Saturday and he’s got taekwondo grading then which is a shame as it looks to be families day at conningsby which would include bbmf displays.

[DJFish]

Most lively Uk bases have spotter areas, I often pass Coningsby when I have to go to Grimsby & occasionally stop for a leg stretch.

[xeny]

darren9 said:

Thanks everyone. Having looked at the options I think (as long as I can get time off) we’ll go to Duxford on Sunday. There’s plenty of the aircraft he’s been learning about and if we’re lucky there might even be something flying and If not there’s a decent souvenir shop to keep his interest.

If the weather is half decent there's generally some flying at Duxford. If you get as far as doing air displays, I've always found Shuttleworth more enjoyable than Duxford.

[anonymous-user]

Fleet Air alarm museum is good but sounds like it may be a trek, Yeoviltom isn’t as busy as it used to be but then something in the air too

[anonymous-user]

darren9 said:

Since the start of this school-term my 10 year old has been doing WWII as a topic in school. He’s developing a particular interest in the aircraft. Particularly the B17, Lancaster, spitfire and Hurricane.

I’m aware that I’ve missed the Battle of Britain day at Duxford yesterday (terrible organisation on my part meant we were elsewhere) and I’d presume it’s the end of the show season now?

I’m going to try and book Sunday off work next weekend. Where is best to go to keep this passion going?

Is Duxford our best bet? I know they have the best collection of aircraft. I’d like him to see something flying so they’re not *just* static exhibits for him and he can see/hear/smell the aircraft.

Duxford is the best museum and had some amazing sights, there’s often a spitfire doing joyflights from there so you might see that? Not sure how you could check maybe ring them up and see?

Think it might be this lot

https://www.aerialcollective.co.uk/aircraft/spitfi...

My kids loved duxford.

Not sure I’d be encouraging an interest in aircraft though, they might want to be pilots and then you might be shelling out £££,£££ to help them achieve it.

[take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey]

Left field but if you have decent pc - dcs flight aim. Or one of the other ww2 mil sims.

Even better with vr.

[aeropilot]

darren9 said:

Thanks everyone. Having looked at the options I think (as long as I can get time off) we’ll go to Duxford on Sunday. There’s plenty of the aircraft he’s been learning about and if we’re lucky there might even be something flying and If not there’s a decent souvenir shop to keep his interest.

The other great thing about Duxford, is the restoration workshops, and TFC's hangar etc., where you'll see the maintenance being done on the flying stuff and the rebuilding of stuff that will one day fly again.

Make the most of it while you can before the idiots now running the place ruin it forever.

[mcdjl]

More locally you've got : https://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/ and http://www.newarkairmuseum.org/ and i think someone said https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/bbmf

[shed driver]

It's probably a bit late in the year now with the nights drawing in, but why not think about walking to some of the Peak District aircrash sites? The most famous (and probably most accessible) is the B29 (Over-Exposed) which crashed in poor visibility on its way to Burtonwood.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/b-29-over-expo...

Easily accessible from the A57.

SD.

[RizzoTheRat]

I'm sure there was some talk about restarting the Redbull Air Races, I went to one years ago and it was great.
Also for smaller stuff, just going to your local airfield and sitting in the cafe watching the small planes can be fun. Blackbushe and Fairoaks both have terraces overlooking the airfield, I guess most do.

take-good-care-of-the-forest-dewey said:

Left field but if you have decent pc - dcs flight aim. Or one of the other ww2 mil sims.

Even better with vr.

Maybe also Balsa Model Flight Simulator, Simple Planes, or even Kerbal Space Program. They all let you design and fly your own aircraft which is cool.

Edited by RizzoTheRat on Tuesday 21st September 15:40

[AlexIT]

shed driver said:

It's probably a bit late in the year now with the nights drawing in, but why not think about walking to some of the Peak District aircrash sites? The most famous (and probably most accessible) is the B29 (Over-Exposed) which crashed in poor visibility on its way to Burtonwood.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/b-29-over-expo...

Easily accessible from the A57.

SD.

Not so sure that a 10-year young lad would really understand, knowing my son that would have put him off somehow. I think you really need to have some more background to visit those kind of sites, imho.

[Smurfsarepeopletoo]

Not sure where your based, but at the Museum in Hanley, Stoke-On-Trent, they opened a display this weekend with a restored Spitfire.

[snotrag]

Soem good static stuff at https://yorkshireairmuseum.org/ too, my little lad loves it there.

In terms of general aviation interest, the closest you'll get to flying airplanes in the UK without being paid, is the airport runway pub at Manchester. Order some dinner, sit with flight radar open and watch the jets come and go!