Non-stop aerial action for East Fortune Airshow

A guest post by Norm Webster, Flight Display Director for the Airshow at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 27 July 2013

Book your tickets before 27 July and save 15% - find out more here

Scotland’s National Airshow is a spectacular day out for all the family. Aircraft old and new take to the skies for an afternoon of breathtaking aerial displays. The RAF’s supersonic Typhoon display team will take centre stage, with a Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. We welcome back the breathtaking Breitling Wingwalkers, the P51 Mustang and the Sea King helicopter amongst others.  

Following my trip north which I discussed in my first blog post, I have put together a tentative programme (in fact, I’ve put together four tentative programmes, three of which didn’t work!!) for the display.

A Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire to fly at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 27 July 2013 © Crown copyright

It has been a bit of a challenge due to the number of aircraft we are sharing with another display, and the need to allow pilots sufficient time between displays at the two sites to allow them to safely transit and refuel (if required). That probably doesn’t sound too difficult, but when you consider the differing speeds involved (the fastest at over 500 knots for the Typhoon, compared to the slowest at 80 knots for the Swordfish) it does become a bit of a riddle.

Typhoon FRG4 to fly at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 27 July 2013 © Crown copyright

I’m happy with the way things are progressing and I’m quietly confident that we can put on a display that will please almost everybody (I have to say almost, as you can NEVER please everybody, and it would be foolish to try).  We have a great mix of aircraft including more jets than last year which should wake the neighbours up, and with no break in the middle as has been traditional at East Fortune, I think we will provide a really excellent day of aviation.  And just to confirm; I HAVE booked good weather!!

Enjoy the air display at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 27 July 2013

 

I have a dream to become a Concorde pilot Part 2: Flying the world

A guest post by Captain Tony Yule, former British Airways Concorde pilot who will be speaking at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 27 July 2013.

Book your Airshow tickets before 27 July and save 15% - find out more here

Scotland’s National Airshow is a spectacular day out for all the family. Aircraft old and new take to the skies for an afternoon of breathtaking aerial displays. The RAF’s supersonic Typhoon display team will take centre stage, with a Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. We welcome back the breathtaking Breitling Wingwalkers, the P51 Mustang and the Sea King helicopter amongst others.  

In two parts Captain Tony Yule tells us about his career as a Concorde pilot with British Airways. In part 1 he describes the Concorde pilot training programme he undertook and in part 2 he reveals tales of his adventures piloting Concorde. Why not see and experience Concorde for yourself at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune. 

USA, Caribbean and beyond

Once I had passed my Concorde training,  I began six years as second in command, flying primarily to the USA and back with Barbados included in the winter schedules. During my time, I completed just over 2500 hours with most of those hours being to New York and back.

Time zone clocks in Concorde hangar, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune

I think I went to New York twice a week for six years. It was my favourite destination and I even wrote a “walking tour” of the city, for newcomers to the fleet. It was that tour that got me on BBC Radio 4′s “Going Places” in 1989, with Molly Price-Owen and Clive Jacobs, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Concorde’s first flight.

The Concorde operation, in my period on the fleet, 1987-1993, was two flights a day to JFK, three flights a week to IAD/MIA (Washington Dulles and Miami), one flight a week to BGI (Barbados) from mid-December to just after Easter. There were many charter flights to a wide variety of destinations around the world.

By the time Concorde had finished, she had made the equivalent of 250 round trips to the moon, flown to more than 250 destinations, of which 80 plus were within the USA.

British Airways Concorde in 1986 © Eduard Marmet

Flying Concorde was great fun

Flying Concorde was great fun. It was a very stable aeroplane and for half of my time on the fleet I never used the autopilot. It was a fabulous experience to handle such a great flying machine.

Supersonic flying was quite unique at first. Concorde flew two and a half times faster than subsonic aeroplanes and it took a few months of flying to become really comfortable with the operation. You had to be “on the ball” throughout the short flight. It was not an aeroplane where you wandered into the cabin to chat to the passengers. They in fact, came to visit us.

Celebrity Concorde

I met a few interesting people, Brigitte Neilson, Steven Spielberg, Jackie Stewart and Nigel Hawthorne, these last three always came straight into the flight deck for the take off, then returned for the landing. Incidentally, Steven Spielberg never used his real name.  It reminded me of Julia Roberts in the film ‘Notting Hill’.

At the latitude we flew, Concorde travelled two and half times faster than the setting sun. One of the most memorable things that occurred to every Concorde pilot was the first time (in the early Autumn), you took the late service, BA003. If you departed at 7pm, now darkness and by mid Atlantic, heading West of course, you experienced a sun rise for the second time that day, duly landing in daylight at JFK at 6pm local time. You never forget your first time – ever!

Serving champage aboard Concorde G-BOAA, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune © Jenni Sophia Fuchs

Over the years, other than the scheduled services to New York, Washington Dulles, Miami and Barbados, I flew charter flights to Lexington Kentucky, London Ontario, Seattle, St John’s Newfoundland, Santa Maria in the Azores, Cairo and Luxor – on ‘Red Nose Day’, while I talked with Simon Bates and the listeners on Radio One about the operation we were doing.

A Supersonic Christmas

One of the best trips I made was to Rovaniemi in Lapland in December, where the passengers went to see Father Christmas. On two occasions I spent Christmas there in the hotel. On Christmas morning, all the children from the town plus those returning on Concorde came to the hotel. The manager of the hotel led the children to a wood for them to select the tree that they would decorate in the hotel before lunch.

The crews always became involved in a sort of pantomime after lunch for all these children. I ended up on one occasion, as the back end of a cow while at the front end was a beautiful stewardess. I was given a yellow rubber glove to use for ‘udders’!

Supersonic Christmas, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune © Paul Dodds

I feel very privileged to have had a career as an aviator spanning 46 years, including being part of history in flying Concorde.  Lastly, it was my privilege to have introduced my replacement on the fleet, “The Crimper”, Barbara Harmer, who died two years ago on on 20 February. You can see my tribute to her on my page at, www.facebook.com/concordeheritage

 

I have a dream to become a Concorde pilot Part 1: Learning to fly

A guest post by Captain Tony Yule, former British Airways Concorde pilot who will be speaking at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 27 July 2013.

Book your Airshow tickets before 27 July and save 15% - find out more here

Scotland’s National Airshow is a spectacular day out for all the family. Aircraft old and new take to the skies for an afternoon of breathtaking aerial displays. The RAF’s supersonic Typhoon display team will take centre stage, with a Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. We welcome back the breathtaking Breitling Wingwalkers, the P51 Mustang and the Sea King helicopter amongst others.  

In two parts Captain Tony Yule tells us about his career as a Concorde pilot with British Airways.  In part 1 he describes the Concorde pilot training programme he undertook and in part 2 he reveals tales of his adventures piloting Concorde. Why not see and experience Concorde for yourself at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune. 

A dream becomes reality

My stomach was churning with excitement as we sat in the stillness of the flight deck, waiting for the controller to give us our clearance, “Concorde AG you’re cleared for Take-Off, climb straight ahead and maintain three thousand feet”…..

Mach sign on board Concorde G-BOAA, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune © Jenni Sophia Fuchs

I looked around at the other crew members saying, “Everyone ready?” Then with their acknowledgement I said, “3-2-1 NOW” immediately pushing the four throttle levers rapidly fully forward. I was totally unprepared for the acceleration as she roared down the runway with the performance of a F1 sports car. She seemed to leap into the air climbing like a homesick angel…..We passed three thousand, then four thousand and I finally got her under some semblance of control at just under five thousand feet………….. A dream come true but long before this…

Captain Tony Yule with Concorde G-BOAA at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune

I’ve always wanted to be a pilot

“I have a dream….”  said Martin Luther King.  I too had a dream that was very different from his. It was as I remember, that from the age of eight I wanted to be a pilot. Ten years later in December 1958 that dream became a reality, when I was accepted for pilot training in the Royal Air Force. I had almost completed my four year tour as a QFI, Qualified Flying Instructor, at the RAF College Cranwell, when Concorde made her first take-off from Filton, Bristol on 9 April 1969. This beautiful slender delta aeroplane, even today still more futuristic looking than any other, caught my imagination. “Oh I wish I could fly her one day”.  I thought, little realising that in less than four years I would join BOAC, (pre British Airways), where in exactly fifteen years and twelve days after Concorde’s inaugural flight from Filton, I would be sitting in the right hand seat of Concorde G-BOAG on the end of R/W 31 at Prestwick airport, with my left hand on the throttled…

Beneath Concorde G-BOAA at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune

Concorde training was very different

These days, the training of pilots to fly most, if not all modern aeroplanes, is undertaken using a CBT, Computer Based Training system, for learning the INS and OUTS of the workings of an aeroplane. The exams are set electronically at the end of each system and a pass of 100% is required. The British Airways Training Centre is at Cranebank – we called it Branecrank – less than one mile to the East of the airport at London Heathrow. All flight and cabin crew training is still undertaken there.  It takes about two months to learn to fly a Boeing 747 there. As part of the training the pilots make around three landings and one missed approach with the most critical engine(s) failed. These are legal requirements for the pilot to demonstrate his flying skills. Concorde, on the other hand, was very different. The course lasted around six months. I was initially put through seven weeks of ground school where the instructors, using the old “chalk and talk” method, stood in front of the blackboard and took me through the nuts and bolts of all the mechanical and electrical systems of the aeroplane. Every Friday there was a test with 100 questions on the previous week’s work. This was followed by a test of 150 questions on what I had learnt during the week.  At the end of the seven weeks, there was a three-hour test that had been set by the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority). This is a legal requirement for all, with a pass of no less than 85% being accepted. The Flight Simulator phase was next. The simulator is an exact replica of Concorde’s flight deck. This phase lasted seven weeks, with some to three sessions each week, each would be a briefing and flight preparation of one hour, and then four hours in “the box”, as the flight simulator is affectionately called, followed by up to two hours of debriefing.

Captain Tony Yule aboard Concorde G-BOAA at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune

A complicated machine

It’s worth noting that Concorde was like two aeroplanes in one.  She had to operate in the same environment as conventional aeroplanes up to 40,000 feet – then to operate in the hostile environment of “Super Cruise”, that is speeds of Mach 2 – twice the speed of sound – 1350mph which is 23miles/min or 1mile every 2 ¾ seconds, at altitudes up to 60,000 feet – just over 18km. A lot of problems could ‘leap out of the woodwork’ at a moment’s notice and we needed to deal with them quickly. Much of the simulator flying time was spent perfecting the handling of major emergencies at 60,000 feet for example double engine failures, pressurisation failures and also engine failures on take off and landing. The penultimate phase was ‘Base’ flying. Base was airport used by British Airways such as Prestwick in Scotland or Shannon in Ireland, for the flight training known as ‘circuits and landings’. The Concorde pilot had to make 35 approaches and landings, over a period of about two weeks. Each flight, the pilot would make around five approaches.

Concorde G-BOAA’s flight controls, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune © Jenni Sophia Fuchs

A good pilot takes practice

The reason so many landings were practised, is that Concorde has this huge delta shaped wing that when she came into land, her nose was extremely high. Her delta wing created a high amount of drag, a similar effect to putting a hand out of the window of a moving car and feeling it being ‘dragged’ backwards. There’s a special technique to fly Concorde on the approach to the runway. Get it wrong, the end result could be a really bad landing that could damage the aeroplane. So it was practice, practice and more practice, to ensure we were competent. Remember, a ‘good pilot’ is one who has the same number of landings as take offs! My completion of the course was checked by an observer, in this case the Flight Manager Technical, on a scheduled flight from London to New York and back the following day. I passed!

You can read part 2 of Tony’s story here.

 

Co-ordinates set for East Fortune Airshow

A guest post by Norm Webster, Flight Display Director for the Airshow at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 27 July 2013

Book your tickets before 27 July and save 15% - find out more here

Scotlands National Airshow is a spectacular day out for all the family. Aircraft old and new take to the skies for an afternoon of breathtaking aerial displays. The RAF’s supersonic Typhoon display team will take centre stage, with a Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. We welcome back the breathtaking Breitling Wingwalkers, the P51 Mustang and the Sea King helicopter amongst others.  

Another year has passed and here we are again preparing for the Airshow at National Museum of Flight -  this is therefore part 1 of my ‘East Fortune 2013’ story.

Last week a meeting took place at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune to discuss the coming show and to ensure coordination between the National Museum of Flight team, the emergency services and other interested parties.  I always look on this meeting as the start of the display planning ‘proper’, as it’s the first time all those involved get together to talk about our aspirations and plans.

A Sea King SAR helicopter will be appearing at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 27 July 2013.

The display planning involves quite a number of different agencies including the police, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Scottish Ambulance, East Lothian Council and St Andrews First Aid for emergency planning and support, the AA, Traffic Scotland and BEAR Scotland for road and traffic management, and various companies dealing in security, marshalling and car parking, as well as the usual agencies and the museum staff involved with actually delivering the show on the day.  I am pleased to say that the meeting was successful on all counts, with everyone satisfied with their place in the plan and all the changes from last year understood.

The Grob 115E, known by the RAF as the Tutor will form part of the air display at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 27 July 2013.

This meeting was only the start of a busy couple of days for me, so from East Fortune It was back in the car to Edinburgh Airport to speak with the Airport Authority, Air Traffic Control and the aircraft Handling Agents.  It would be impossible for me to organise the flying display without the help and assistance of these three organisations as Edinburgh is a busy airport, and the coordination plan for getting aircraft in and out on display day can be quite complex.  With this in mind, a face to face meeting with all concerned is always a good idea, and also helps build good working relationships.  I shall be parking several aircraft at Edinburgh for the display, and as always the Edinburgh authorities were helpful and understanding which gives me a warm fuzzy feeling about the developing plan.  It was also a fine opportunity to sort out display day domestic issues for the crews – even pilots have to eat!!

The RAF Tucano team will be part of the air display at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Sat 27 July 2013

After all these meetings I always try to find a little ‘me’ time while I’m up here, as it’s such a beautiful part of the world.  This time it took the guise of a flight in a pre-war biplane.  It was lovely to fly over the Bass Rock, and to check out all the golf courses along the Forth, especially Muirfield, with the stands in place ready for the Open.  I picked the right time as well; although the weather was glorious for the flight, an hour after we landed it was throwing it down with hailstones!!  I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to Scottish weather.  Then it was back in the car for a relaxing (?) drive back to Gloucestershire.

It’s always a good feeling to have these initial planning meetings under your belt and some decisions made.  Even at this early stage, the more things I have decided the easier the planning process becomes.  I already have numerous aircraft planned and allocated to the display – you can find out more about the display highlights here. Suffice it to say that I think we’re going to have an excellent display this year, and I’m looking forward to another brilliant (and hopefully dry) day at the Airshow in July.

 

Keeping your spirits up with wartime favourites

A guest post by Emma Kaye-Hudson and Elizabeth Morrissey, aka The Blitz Sisters

The Blitz Sisters will be performing Second World War songs at Wartime Experience on Sunday 12 May 2012 at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune. Book your tickets in advance here.

We are a 1940s singing duo who met at university whilst studying for performing arts. After graduating we decided to create some work together and after realising that what we both enjoyed most was singing, we created The Blitz Sisters! That was two years ago now and we have loved every minute.

The Blitz Sisters will be appearing on Sunday 12 May at Wartime Experience, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune.

All our songs are from the 1940s and 1950s, however we have also arranged a few modern songs to fit the sound of the era, so there is something there to suit everyone.

The Blitz Sisters will be appearing on Sunday 12 May at Wartime Experience, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune.

Before a show we try and get a good night’s sleep and then have a honey and hot water in the morning to help look after our voices.

At the Wartime Experience you can expect to hear songs from artists such as Vera Lynn, George Formby and The Andrews Sisters. We are really looking forward to returning to Scotland after a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe last August and we hope you have a great day!

 

On manoeuvres with Freya the fledgling Wingwalker

Guest post by Freya Paterson (A.K.A Princess) Breitling Wingwalker appearing at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 27 July 2013

Book your tickets before 27 July and save 15% – find out more here

Scotlands National Airshow is a spectacular day out for all the family. Aircraft old and new take to the skies for an afternoon of breathtaking aerial displays. The RAF’s supersonic Typhoon display team will take centre stage, with a Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. We welcome back the breathtaking Breitling Wingwalkers, the P51 Mustang and the Sea King helicopter amongst others.  The Breitling Wingwalkers last appeared over the skies of East Fortune in 2011, when Danielle Hughes (A.K.A. Bird) wrote a guest post for the Feast Bowl, see what Danielle had to say in 2011.

I have wanted to be a wingwalker for as long as I can remember. When I saw the Breitling Wingwalker display for the first time the excitement I felt was indescribable – the girls looked so graceful, the aircraft engines roaring and the biplanes looping and rolling through the sky; it gave me goosebumps and a burning ambition to be part of the team.

Freya Seymour aka Princess Breitling Wingwalker with Stearman display aircraft © Richard Seymour

Everything about wing walking appealed to me as I adored gymnastics when I was younger and couldn’t think of anything better than doing a handstand on the wing of a Boeing Stearman biplane! I had a fitness background and I was always told I was strong for my size which I would soon learn would come in handy. Most of all I wanted to perform and entertain the crowd and the audience due to my love of performing arts.

Breitling Wingwalkers appearing at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight on Saturday 27 July 2013 © Tokunaga

I persevered with my dream and eventually my dream came true last year when I was selected to join the team. I was on cloud nine!! I started my training in April and realised how hard the girls work to look as graceful as they do against winds of up to 160mph. I have never felt more alive climbing up onto the wing for the first time in flight, I loved it! My first display was in France and it was an amazing feeling achieving my dream of performing to an audience on the wing.

Freya Paterson and Danielle Hughes, Breitling WIngwalkers appearing at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight on Saturday 27 July 2013 © Richard Seymour

Working as part of the team is so rewarding, I particularly enjoy dancing in formation with Danielle Hughes while the pilots are also performing their routine.  My favourite manoeuvre is the ‘Mirror’, when myself and Martyn the pilot fly inverted above the other plane and Danielle and I try to touch hands!

I had a wonderful season last year travelling and displaying in countries I had never been to before; China, Australia and Switzerland were particularly amazing.  If I had to pick a highlight from last season it would be the Farnborough International Airshow when I wing walked in my first ever four ship display.

Display formation with the Breitling Wingwalkers, who are appearing at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight on Saturday 27 July 2013

I am really looking forward to my second season and especially displaying at the Airshow at the National Museum of Flight, East Fortune !  It will be my first display in Scotland and being half Scottish I might even wear a tartan wing walking suit!

 

The Comet and the Space Hoppers: a leaky solution

Mike Loftus, Assistant Aircraft & Technology Conservator at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune

Mike Loftus is responsible for conserving aircraft and other technology objects ranging from complete aircraft to small objects like medals from the collection at National Museums Scotland. Here he describes an unusual conservation solution for the Comet 4C airliner using a retro activity toy! See it on display at the National Museum of Flight, East Fortune.

In the conservation of large engineering objects we use many processes and materials,  many of which remain invisible to the viewer. Some of these processes and materials are vigorously tested in the field of conservation to ensure suitability, durability and reversibility and some will come from industry as engineering standards with decades of case studies and data outlining their suitability for application to objects.

Boy jumping from blast shelter in front of de Havilland Comet 4C, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune.

One such project that requires the application of conservation and industrial processes is the Comet 4C commercial airliner at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune. The main scope of the current work is the prevention of water ingress.

Windows on the Comet 4C at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune.

To facilitate this we are reconditioning the window seals, which requires the windows to be removed from the aircraft. This leaves us with the problem of how to block the holes to prevent the weather getting in whilst the windows are in the workshop.

Inserting Space Hoppers to the windows on the Comet 4C at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune.

Fortunately one of our volunteers, John Thomson, who is a former employee at Torness Power Station, had faced similar problems during his career in nuclear power generation. During the first major power shut down at the power plant in 1989 they had to devise a way of blocking pipe ends whilst work was carried out.

A tight squeeze – Space Hoppers in the Comet, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune

One of the engineers present suggested using one of his grandchildren’s Space Hoppers to plug the hole, denying the child leisure time fun but providing a perfect solution to the engineering problem. As you can see the solution is far from invisible but it is a most effective temporary solution.

Emergency exit window from the Comet undergoing conservation at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune

I will miss the pleasant orange glow mood lighting when they are eventually removed but I’m sure our conservation grade space hoppers will come in handy for future projects.

Space Hoppers on view outside the Comet 4C at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune.

 

What’s the weather for Wheels and Wings?

Guest post by Alex Hill, Chief Met Office Advisor to Government in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Not long to go now… to the much awaited Wheels and Wings Show at the National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Sunday 23 September 2012.  Book your tickets in advance here.

My present job is as Chief Met Office Advisor to Government for Scotland and Northern Ireland. I spend my time ensuring that the best of the Met Office science and operational capabilities are used to help develop policy in areas such as resilience, climate change, flooding and renewable energy.

Rainbow over National Museum of Flight, East Fortune

For the Wheels and Wings show I have been researching a bit around the history of weather forecasting and looking at some of the surprising impacts that weather has had on some of the defining events in past centuries. Mainly, I’ll be talking about the development of meteorology as a science that has taken place over the last 150 years or so. Also looking at how much of this development went hand in hand with the needs of the transport industries, especially aviation not to mention the RAF and the Royal Navy.

Boy watching air display during rain shower at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune

The Met Office run one of the largest computer systems in Europe and have extensive links around the world,  the majority of aircraft in the air today are flying on Met Office advice. Some insight into the work we are currently engaged in. And it’s not just transport – remember there is almost nothing you do day or night that the the weather doesn’t effect. Look forward to seeing you at the Wheels and Wings Show on Sun 23 September!

Haddington five day weather forecast from © Met Office

 

Ask A Curator Day

By Elaine Macintyre, Digital Media Content Manager

On Wednesday 19 September 2012, museums across the globe took part in an online initiative designed to bring the techno-savvy folk of the Twitterverse into direct cyber-contact with that mysterious, dusty, holder of arcane lore, the Curator. Yes, for one day only, the curators emerge from their stores and labs and offices to share their incredible breadth of knowledge with the rest of the world.

Of course this is a ridiculous stereotype, but one that does tend to persist (particularly in prime time crime drama) so the more opportunities museums and galleries have to dispel these caricatures the better. And what better opportunity than Ask A Curator day?

Now in its third year, Ask A Curator day encourages anyone on Twitter with even a passing interest in museums and galleries to ask a curator a question. Tweeters can direct their questions to a specific participating museum (and this year there were over 500 institutions from 29 different countries taking part) or simply throw their inquiry out there using the #askacurator hashtag and see who responds.

Some ask lighthearted questions: ‘What’s your favourite smell in your museum?’ ‘What object in your collection makes you laugh?’ ‘Couldn’t you animate the Tyrannosaurus so that it bites random visitors?’ (At least I hope that was a lighthearted question…) Others pose more serious queries concerning funding, sponsorship and ethics.

This is the first year National Museums Scotland has taken part in Ask A Curator day and we had five willing volunteers on board, each with an allocated hourly slot.  First in the hot seat was Peter Davidson, Curator of Minerals and Meteorites. I can’t think of a much better way of kicking off the day than with a discussion of space debris, the Scottish gold rush (who knew?), the smell of meteorites (oily, apparently) and life on Mars (or, more likely, the moons of Jupiter).

The Martian meteorite, Peter’s favourite object in the collection.

In the afternoon, our Principal Curator of Vertebrate Biology Dr Andrew Kitchener took over, answering questions about our bird, mammal and taxidermy collections. His observation that the best thing about being a curator is ‘research & rediscovering old specimens you thought were lost in the collections’ was the most retweeted comment of the day – an example of such a found treasure being a Malayan tapir skull given by Sir Stanford Raffles (of the Singapore Raffles Hotel fame) to the Marchioness of Hastings, who donated it to the Museum in 1921.

This Aye-aye is one of Andrew’s favourite specimens, but also the one that gave him the biggest headache when creating the new Natural World galleries, as there were no reference photos available to get the position of its body correct. Thankfully, our friends at London Zoo came to the rescue!

Four o’clock was Science Hour, with Dr Tacye Phillipson, Curator of Science, Julie Orford, Assistant Curator of Science and @julieorford on Twitter and Ian Brown, Curator of Aviation, aka @radararchive. Here we again tackled the thorny problems of favourite smells (possibly the odour of aircraft tyres in the rubber room at the National Museum of Flight), least favourite objects (Julie’s is the Wylam Dilly, on open display in the Connect gallery: very large and incredibly fiddly to dust) and coveted objects (Tacye’s is the Festo SmartBird, a unique flight model based on the herring gull).

Aircraft tyres in the ‘rubber room’ at National Museum of Flight – mm!

The Wylam Dilly in the Connect gallery: bane of Julie’s life!

Oh, and a few museum secrets were revealed too: Harry Potter fans, did you know we have a Star of the Order of the Phoenix on display? Or that, lurking in the stores, is an instrument for communicating with the dead? Now you do…

Grand Cross Breast Star of the Order of the Phoenix, one of a group of orders, medals and badges awarded to Sir Alexander Fleming, discoverer of penicillin.

So all in all, a fun-filled, knowledge-filled (and cake-fuelled) day – but what did all this online engagement look like in cold hard stats? Here’s the science bit:

We acquired 37 new followers on Ask A Curator day, more than double our usual daily increase. We sent out a whopping 118 tweets (including replies and retweets) – way over our usual average of eight! – and all together our messages were retweeted 60 times (for comparison, the day before we had 15 retweets).

But the value of events like Ask A Curator doesn’t simply lie in numbers. ‘Do you think the way visitors are interacting with your collection has changed over the past 10 years?’ we were asked. Ask A Curator – in which hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people across the world shared questions, answers, opinions and jokes in 12,000+ tweets – surely shows how much things have moved on, how expertise and research is no longer the preserve of the academic few, but can be accessed by anyone with an interest, and digested alongside the latest updates from Stephen Fry and Rhianna.

And just in case you’re still wondering whether curators are really up for this new-fangled interaction, I’ll leave you with a tweet from Julie:

‘Had a gr8 #askacurator hour wi @RadarArchive @elainemacintyre + Tacye @NtlMuseumsScot lots o laughs when can we do it again? ’

The cakes that fuelled Ask A Curator day at National Museums Scotland!

 

Get on your bike at Wheels and Wings!

A guest post by Rich from the Bike Track People, Innerleithen, Scottish Borders

Not long to go now… to the much awaited Wheels and Wings Show at the National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Sunday 23 September 2012.  Book your tickets in advance here.

Biking in the Borders

We are based at Innerleithen in the Scottish Borders and we are designers, manufacturers and builders of all sorts of cycle tracks, bike tracks and features.  We specialise in portable bike tracks including pump tracks, timber trails, and features such as jumps, half pipes and kickers.  Basically anything to do with bikes and biking.

Wooden pump track by Bike Track People

Canadian Inspiration

Bike Track People started in 2009 when one of the team arrived back from Whistler in Canada with an idea to build a pump track.  Like most people we didn’t have a clue what a pump track was, so with Ben at the helm we set about building one of the world’s first portable pump tracks. Before long we learnt that a pump track is a continuous loop made out of everything from sand or soil to wood or plastic.  A track consists of a series of bumps (rollers) and banked corners (berms) that allow the rider to gain momentum and reach speeds of up to 20+mph!

Ben from Bike Track People building a pump track.

Basic pump tracks are an oval shape with a berm at each end and rollers in between to make the straights. More advanced pump tracks are irregular shapes with lots of different lines and sections with several berms in a row or even rollers that can be jumped over.

East Fortune Mountain biking

We will have a mountain bike pump track at Wheels and Wings where you can have a go for yourself – mountain bikes and helmets provided! We look forward to seeing you there!