Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre
Saint Mawgan, Newquay
October 8, 2022
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I was very fortunate to visit this wonderful collection of aircraft just days before its enforced closing by the local council. The Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre (CAHC) had announced that the Cornwall Council had terminated CAHC's tenancy and they may never open again.
CAHC is not just a aircraft museum, it is a centre where many volunteers spend their time restoring many historic and valuable aircraft. The MoD has donated some of the airframes believing that they will be cared for and preserved for the nation. It's site, the former RAF St.Mawgan airbase, is an ideal location for an aircraft museum. Retiring aircraft can make their final flight directly to the museum saving considerable costs of shipping thme in by road. Also, there is a huge amount of space aviailable for parking the aircraft making it potentially to become one the largest aircraft collections in the country. The Joint Aircraft Recovery and Transportation Squadron (JARTS) use some of the aircraft on display during annual exercises. JARTS is a combined RAF and Royal Navy unit dedicated to Aircraft Post Crash Management, recovery and transportation.
It would be a tragic loss to the country if the Cornwall Council fored the closure and the liquidation of the CAHC collection. Moving all the aircraft and so saving them from the scrapman is impossible due to the costs involved. Some of the aircraft actually made their final flight into Newquay for the museum. Locals and Cornwall holiday makers visit and pay to see the aircraft collection and speak to the volunteers. Young aviation enthusiasts visit the museum to learn about the country's heritage. A petition has been raised, at the time of the visit the future looks very uncertain if not precarious. I hope at some point that I can write that the Cornwall Council has changed its decision to enforce the closure. A month on the museum still remains closed.
Update: CAHC announcement, December 2022
"I have to keep the name and exact location secret at the moment but we have been approached by a local landowner who has offered to lease us for an initial period of 25 years, a suitable site that we can relocate all of our aircraft to and the great news is it is right next to the airport".
This means the larger aircraft can be more easily transported, without the need to break them down which is prohibitively expensive. A Cornwall Council spokesperson said: "We look forward to receiving a credible and robust proposal from them so we can assess how the council might be able to support their relocation plans." |
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| Left to right: Vickers Varsity T.1 (WJ945 registered G-BEDV) which arrived by road from Duxford in 2013. |
Left to right: Percival Pembroke C.1 (XK885 registered N46EA).
BAe 125 CC.3 (ZD704) with JARTS. |
| Left to right: Avro Shackleton AEW.2 (WL795 'T'). Privately owned by a charity, 'Rosalie, The Shackleton'. |
Left to right: Westland Lynx AH.7 (XZ607) with JARTS.
Gloster Meteor T.7 (WL349) recently arrived from Staverton. |
| Left to right: BAC 1-11 Srs.539GL (ZH763) ex QinetiQ. |
| Left to right: BAC 1-11 Srs.539GL (ZH763) ex QinetiQ. |
Left to right: Vickers VC10 K.3 (ZA148 'G' registered N148ZA) ex 101 Squadron.
Canberra T.4 (WJ874 painted as the Canberra prototype 'VN799' registered G-CDSX). |
| Left to right: Hawker Hunter T.8C (WT722 '873' registered G-BWGN). |
| Left to right: Hawker Hunter T.8C (WT722 '873' registered G-BWGN). |
| Left to right: Hawker Hunter GA.11 (WV256 'D') restored in 26 Squadron markings. |
| Left to right: Hawker Hunter GA.11 (WV256 'D') restored in 26 Squadron markings. |
| Left to right: English Electric Lightning F.53 (ZF580 ex RSAF painted as 'XS935 'AK') in 5 Squadron markings. |
| Left to right: English Electric Lightning F.53 (ZF580 ex RSAF painted as 'XS935 'AK') in front of the Museum's HAS with the doors opening! |
| Left to right: BAe Systems Hawk T.1 (XX240 'CU-840') with JARTS. |
| Left to right: Panavia Tornado F.3 (ZH553 'RT') 56 Squadron markings. With JARTS. |
| Left to right: Tornado F.3 (ZH553 'RT') 56 Squadron markings. |
| Left to right: Panavia Tornado GR.4 (ZA398 '087') in 2 Squadron markings. With JARTS. |
| Left to right: Tornado GR.4 (ZA398 '087') in 2 Squadron markings. |
Left to right: Hunting Jet Provost T.3A (XN494 '43') 1 FTS marks - Owned by Cornwall College.
Hunting Jet Provost T.4 (XP642). |
| Left to right: Boulton Paul Balliol T.2 (WN149 'AT'). |
Left to right: de Havilland Venom FB.50 (J-1649) ex Swiss Air force.
Hawker Sea Hawk FGA.6 (WV798 'E-147').
BAe Systems Harrier GR.3 (XV753) 233 OCU markings. |
