What's On at RAF Museum London

The Face of Courage

2 January 2012 - 7 May 2012
FREE ART EXHIBITION Portraits of the British at War, 1940-45, by Eric Kennington (1888-1960). The Museum's Art Gallery. Running until 7th May 2012 For much of his distinguished career, Kennington was regularly classed by leading critics as belonging to the ranks of such exceptional portraitists as: Hans Holbein the Younger; Albrecht Dürer; Franz Hals; Van Gogh and Augustus John. Furthermore, many of his artistic contemporaries rated him as one of the finest draughtsman of his day and while among famous contemporaries who admired Kennington’s portraiture were: Winston Churchill; J.B. Priestley; Siegfried Sassoon; George Bernard Shaw; Geoffrey de Havilland; Richard Hillary and T.E. Lawrence. The exhibition will present about three dozen works covering all of the Armed Services, the Auxiliary Services and London Transport and some notable civilians. Pictures have been loaned to the show by the National Portrait Gallery, the Imperial War Museum, the National Army Museum, the Tate, the National Maritime Museum, the Ministry of Defence as well as from Kennington’s family and other private lenders and art dealers. Kennington was among only a handful of British artists who distinguished themselves as official British war artists during both World Wars. His portraits were widely hailed as works of art and as morale-boosters for they presented British Servicemen in a guise that convinced many spectators that the nation’s armed forces did indeed contain men who had the will to triumph over their German, Italian and Japanese opponents in battle. This exhibition, the first to focus specifically on his Second World War Art, seeks to reassess Kennington’s significant contribution to British War Art and to acknowledge his undoubted standing as one of the great British portraitists of the Twentieth Century. In a ‘People’s War’ he produced unforgettable images of ordinary men and women who displayed extraordinary courage and resource. This exhibition has been guest curated by the Senior Research Fellow in History of Art at Kingston University, Jonathan Black. A folio of prints complementing this exhibition may be purchased from the museum's online shop at Eric Kennington Portaiture and the Second World War. Please note: The Art Gallery will be closed to the public for a private viewing of this exhibition on 10th of February, 10th March and 13th March 2012. Image is of: Sqdn Ldr Leslie Vero Everest Atkinson, DSO, DFC & Bar

Brothers in Arms

2 January 2012 - 4 March 2012
Airmen of Poland and Czechoslovakia in the Battle of Britain & Beyond. During the Battle of Britain one fifth of Fighter Command’s aircrew came from overseas with 16 nations represented in its squadrons. Arguably the RAF’s most prolific and successful pilots of this campaign and beyond were the dispossessed Polish and Czechoslovakian pilots who had escaped from their homelands to fight, as brothers in arms, against a tyranny that had occupied Continental Europe. In this multimedia exhibition, curated in association with the Polish Institute of National Remembrance, the Museum will explore through drawings, archive film footage and sculpture the bravery of men such as Czech fighter pilot Josef Frantisek and the men of 303 Squadron; and the fate of those Polish & Czechoslovakian RAF pilots who returned back to their homelands only to be deemed criminals and outcasts by Communist regimes desperate to ‘clip the wings’ of any ‘dangerous elements’ who could become powerful totems around which potential resistance groups could form. Linked to this exhibition, the museum has also created an online exhibition and podcast about Poles in the Battle of Britain where families and friends of Polish, Czech and Slovak veterans are welcome to post their stories to be read by our world-wide online audience.

RAF Photographer of the Year

15 January 2012 - 15 April 2012
Back by popular request, we will be displaying once again the "Royal Air Force Photographer of the Year" exhibition in Milestones of Flight. Taken by serving Personnel, this exhibition offers the public behind-the-scenes access to the lives of our Boys and Girls at work, rest and play - both at home and in the field. This exhibition will be displayed electronically in the RAF Today section of Milestones of Flight on glass panels. For further information, please telephone 020 8205 2266.

Helicopter Half Term

13 February 2012 - 17 February 2012
Learn more about the history of our Helicopter Collection through a series of interactive workshops. We will be opening up our Whirlwind and Royal Wessex Helicopters so that people can view inside. We will also be allowing children to make their own simple paper helicopter to take home and keep free of charge. This activity will be situated just outside the Museum's Dermot Boyle Wing towards the far end of the Museum's Helicopter Collection. Session times are 11.00 – 13.00 and 14.00 – 16.00.

Thin Air - Theatre Production

16 March 2012 - 17 March 2012
On 16th and 17th of March the Cotton Grass Theatre Company will be staging its latest production, Thin Air in our London Museum's Dermot Boyle Wing. In Thin Air a young man’s dream of flight has ghostly consequences. Set in the shadow of two world wars, this haunting family saga is a tale of ambition and secrets and passion unspent. Thin Air is a new play by Carnegie Award-winning author Berlie Doherty, directed by Joyce Branagh and presented by Derbyshire-based Cotton Grass Theatre. It is the supernatural story of a First World War fighter pilot who returns home from the horrors of the war. He is in possession of a secret that will haunt his community for generations to come. Thin Air is set in the Dark Peak of Derbyshire and is inspired by the unique landscape, heritage and mythology of the Peak. The play will use theatre, projected imagery and live music to tell its ghostly tale. Thin Air resonates with the mysterious atmosphere of this unique corner of England. The Peak District is an ancient geo-political frontier, the border of Mercia and Northumbria. It echoes with the stories of the many peoples who have lived, traded and travelled within its borders. In the last century it became synonymous with aircraft engineering: Rolls Royce at Derby, Barnes Wallace - born in Ripley; the wartime Dambuster practice flights over Ladybower reservoir and the many aircraft wrecks to be found on the forbidding slopes of Kinder Scout. This rich history is captured in the words and action of the play. Specifically created for older children (14+) Thin Air will also appeal to an adults. To purchase tickets in advance please go to www.wegottickets.com or phone 07972 145977. Please note tickets are not available from the Museum but only through Cotton Grass Theatre and its agents. A booking fee may apply.

Sport in the RAF

20 March 2012 - 2 September 2012
Full details to be confirmed. An exhibition about Sport in the RAF examining the participation of service members throughout the RAF's history in the Olympics and Commonwealth Games - as well as the day to day importance that Sport has in RAF service life.

Eagles at Easter

5 April 2012 - 11 April 2012
Birds of prey have been associated with the Royal Air Force since its foundation. The Eagle has been given pride of place on the Royal Air Force’s badge. Its aircraft, from the Kittyhawk to the Harrier, have been regular named after these predators to convey their dexterity in the air and their precision when chasing down the enemy. Its airfields, throughout their history, have been regularly protected by these hunters in order to prevent bird strikes as RAF jets take off or come into land. To celebrate the contribution that birds of prey have made to the RAF, we will be running daily, in conjunction with the English School of Falconry, three free displays on the Museum’s Helipad from Thursday 5th of April until Wednesday 11th at 11.30am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm. As part of each display a few of our younger visitors be presented with the opportunity to work with one of these magnificent animals under the guidance and supervision of an English School of Falconry tutor as ‘trainee’ handlers. Should the weather prove to be inclement for a session supervised handling sessions will be held inside in the Museum's Dermot Boyle Wing where the birds will be on display to the public throughout the day between each show at the following times - from 12.15pm to 1.15pm, 2.15pm to 3.15pm and 4.15pm to 5pm. For further details about this event please call 020 8205 2266.

Bonhams - Classic Car Auction

29 April 2012 - 30 April 2012
On Monday 30th April Bonhams will be holding its annual classic car auction in the museum's Dermot Boyle Wing. The vehicles that will form part of the auction will be on view to the public and prospective bidders on Sunday 29th April. For further details or to register your interest please contact Bonhams' London office on 0870 0273 616 or 0870 0273 643.

Veterans' Day - Private Event

16 May 2012
If you have served in one of the armed services or if you know a friend or a family member who has then our Veterans' Day on 16th May may be of interest. It's our way of saying "Thank you" to Veterans, young and old, from all 3 services. Veterans need to pre-register their places by calling the Group Business Development Department on 020 8358 4849 (Mon - Fri between 9.30 - 2.45) or by filling in our Veterans Day Registration Form. Although, Veterans' Day is a private event, visitors are more than welcome to come along and participate in some of the activities that will be held in the public areas of the Museum.

The Hendon Scale Model Show

20 May 2012
FREE ADMISSION. Open to the Public from 10am. A free model show for enthusiasts and members of the public with a programme that includes static model displays, interactive activities, plus competition classes for all models. Classes include: Aircraft 1/72nd and smaller; 1/48th and smaller; and 1/32nd and larger. Military Vehicles: 1/48th and smaller; and 1/35th and larger. Plus figures, dioramas, marine craft, Space and Sci-Fi, Vehicles, Scratchbuilt and Junior. All competition models will be on display to the public from 12 noon onwards in the Halton Gallery. The Halton Gallery is located in the room next to the Museum's Aeronauts Interactive Gallery; whilst all non-competing models will be on display in the Museum's Bomber Hall and Historic Hangars from 10 am. Specialist kits and other items of modelling paraphenalia will be available for sale in the Museum's Dermot Boyle and Shop. In addition to this, the Museum's Lecture Theatre will be open from 11am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm showing archive footage of various aircraft in flight. PLEASE NOTE! PLEASE NOTE! PLEASE NOTE! Given the popularity of this event, we recommend that people travel to the Museum using public transport. Take the Northern Line to Colindale Tube Station or the Thames Link to Mill Hill Broadway and the 303 Bus from either station to the RAF Museum. If you are taking the Bus from Colindale Tube Station please take the 303 to Edgware. The bus stop is to the left of Station Entrance 50 yards down the hill. The journey time is approximately 6 minutes. If you are taking the Bus from Mill Hill Broadway, please take the 303 service to Colindale. The journey time is approximately 20 minutes. For further information please contact hendonmodelshow@yahoo.co.uk

Fresh Air

21 May 2012 - 31 December 2012
Over the last decade David Bent’s modern and distinctive style of aviation art has won a plethora of devoted fans including the Red Arrows, with whom he has collaborated as Artist in Residence. Considered as challenging, thought provoking and innovative, David’s works combine art with technology and compel the viewer to stop and take notice. Each composition demands time for re-examination as details, previously hidden when first viewed are revealed anew forcing multiple re-interpretations of the paintings seen. Big, bold and captivating - whether wittily subverting the destructive power of nuclear arms race, celebrating the sheer joy of pilots in flight or enticing the viewer to work out the hidden imagery contained within his works - David Bent’s style is considered by many to be a breath of fresh air for aviation art.

Diamond Jubilee Half Term

4 June 2012 - 8 June 2012
More details to follow: A week of family activities that showcases the best that Britain and the RAF has had to offer over the last 60 years, whilst celebrating the Queen's Golden Jubilee.

National Insect Week

30 June 2012
Come join us on Saturday 30th June National Insect Week. Find our fascinating facts about insect flight and join in our creepy crawly craft activities which have been specially devised for National Insect Week and Armed Forces Day. Further details to be posted soon.

Barnet's Finest

7 July 2012 - 8 July 2012
More details to follow. Get ready for a BIG weekend! Barnet’s Finest combines outdoor family fun with business networking! The Museum highlights the best that Barnet has to offer with battle re-enactments, concerts, dance classes, face-painting, fairground rides, re-enactments plus seminars to help you set up your own businesses.

Family Summer Fun

30 July 2012 - 2 September 2012
A series of themed weeks throughout the summer dedicated to our younger visitors and families. Details are currently being finalised but we are able to confirm that the following activities will take place. 30th July to 5th August: Wild Bird Week A week of thrice daily wild bird displays during which some lucky children will be given the opportunity to act as Falconers in training. 6th August to 12th August: Land Army Week An opportunity for children to learn how households during the Second World War fed themselves by meeting some of the animals that housewives were advised to keep in their back gardens to provide fresh food and how the Land Army of women kept the nation's farms running. 13th August to 19th August: Tales for future Olympians. A week dedicated to tales about the first Olympians of Ancient Greece especially created for younger visitors who wish to learn more about the Olympics having been inspired by the pursuits of athletes during London 2012. 20th August to 2nd of September: Airfix Fortnight. 14 days dedicated to the British institution that is Airfix with the opportunity for visitors to make and paint their own Airfix 1:72 scale model aircraft for free.

Battle of Britain Weekend

15 September 2012 - 16 September 2012
The Museum's annual pageant commemorating Veterans of the Battle of Britain inclusive of talks, tours, tableaux and concerts.

Witch Weekend

27 October 2012 - 28 October 2012
If you have ever wondered how broomsticks fly, why not visit our display Aeronauts Interactive this weekend and find out? Children will be able to make their own witch flying broomstick. Broomstick making sessions will run from 11am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm on both days with all materials supplied free of charge. For further information, please telephone 020 8358 4896.

Big Draw Week

29 October 2012 - 2 November 2012
A week of activities that helps children explore their creative side through drawing, their imaginations fired by the Museum's stunning aircraft collection. All materials are provided free of charge. Sessions run from 11am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm each day in our Milestones of Flight Gallery. Members of the Guild of Aviation Artists will be at work in our galleries throughout the week and we will also have cunningly fun Big Draw themed trails on sale at the Museum's Main Entrance for a very reasonable 60p each. For further information, please telephone 020 8358 4896.

Lest We Forget

10 November 2012 - 11 November 2012
Children can decorate a petal to add to our poppy collage. Add a ‘plaque’ to our Wall of Remembrance. Learn more about the importance of Remembrance from our display. On Sunday 11th of November, Remembrance Sunday, the Museum will hold 2 minutes silence at 11 am as an Act of Respect for those who have fallen in the defence of our country. For further information please telephone 020 8358 4896.