17-07-2025
Classic aircraft to take to skies for Yorkshire Air Museum anniversary
Three classic aircraft are set to take flight as part of a special anniversary event.
The Yorkshire Air Museum will mark its 40th anniversary with a day of celebration on Monday, August 11.
The Yorkshire Air Museum and Allied Air Forces Memorial was incorporated as a charitable trust in 1985 and held its first open day on August 11 of that year.
The museum is located on a site formerly occupied by RAF Elvington.
The derelict and overgrown site was cleaned up by volunteers during months of hard work.
Volunteers cleared the museum site - which was formerly occupied by RAF Elvington - in preparation for the museum's opening in 1985 (Image: Supplied)
The highlight of the day will be a flying display featuring three classic aircraft: the Blackburn B2 biplane, the Miles Messenger, and the Bucker Jungmann.
Each aircraft will perform a display lasting approximately seven minutes.
The Blackburn B2 took part in a display as part of the museum's first event in 1985, when it was flown by the late trustee Robert Sage - who had previously piloted a Halifax bomber from RAF Elvington in 1943.
The museum in 1986 as it looked from the air (Image: Supplied)
The anniversary event will also feature 1980s-era vintage cars and a new exhibition telling the story of the museum.
Yorkshire Air Museum communications manager Jerry Ibbotson said: "After very humble beginnings, literally being built from the ruins of an old airbase, Yorkshire Air Museum has grown over the last four decades.
"This is a way to celebrate that past, just as we are looking forward to the museum's future.
"We hope people will join us on August 11 to enjoy the flying display, as well as the new exhibition on our own history.
The museum as it looked from the air in May 2025 (Image: Supplied)
"It's also a chance to see what we're up to in 2025, with recent acquisitions such as the Tucano trainer, as well as the freshly repainted Victor."
Standard admission applies, but as a special gesture, anyone born in 1985 will be admitted for just £1, which was the original entry price.
