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The Gatwick Aviation Museum is located in the village of Charlwood, in Surrey, United Kingdom on the boundary of Gatwick Airport.

Gatwick Aviation Museum

View plus logo of Hangar at Gatwick Aviation Museum
Location within Surrey
Established	1987 (1987), re-opened in 2016 (2016)
Location	Vallance By-Ways, Lowfield Heath Road, Charlwood, Surrey, RH6 0BT
Coordinates	51°9′10.32″N 0°13′3.74″W
Founder	Peter Vallance
Website	www.gatwick-aviation-museum.co.uk

History

Originally started in 1987 as a private collection by local businessman Peter Vallance, the museum became a registered charity in 1999[1] with the objective of providing awareness of local aviation history and as an educational centre for the general public, particularly for local students and schoolchildren. A close relationship exists between the museum and the Central Sussex College which uses the museum's facilities to provide practical training for the students taking aerospace courses.[2]

The museum has a varied collection of aircraft, aircraft engines and over 500 aircraft models. The museum also has displays and artefacts related to local aviation history particularly Gatwick Airport. Subject to serviceability, certain aircraft including the Avro Shackleton MR3, Blackburn Buccaneer S1, English Electric Lightning F.53 and Percival Sea Prince can ^[when?] are usually capable of performing engine runs for visitors on special event days.[3]

The museum had been in dispute since July 2011 with Mole Valley District Council concerning planning permission, as, despite its co-location with Gatwick Airport, the council refused permission for a permanent museum site due to a concern over the height of the proposed new building and the location within the Metropolitan Green Belt.[4] Vallance lodged a planning appeal against the decision in January 2012,[5] which was dismissed in June of that year. On 14 January 2013, Vallance died during heart surgery but since then, the museum has been run by a charitable trust set up by Vallance to cover this eventuality and the museum's planning permission was approved in 2015.[6]

Reopened

In 2016, the new museum building first opened to the public.^{[clarification needed]} It houses many aircraft formerly kept outdoors although others in the collection, including some noteworthy examples, were disposed of by the trust in 2013.[7] A shop, refreshment area, flight simulator and information on the history of Gatwick Airport can also be found in the building. The museum is open to the public every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.[8]

Vallance Airstrip

This section does not cite any sources. (April 2021)

Vallance Airstrip was a small grass airstrip located in the grounds of the Gatwick Aviation Museum and within Class Delta Airspace with airliners continually departing and arriving on Gatwick's adjacent runway situated roughly 400 metres to the south. The airstrip was named after Gatwick Aviation Museum founder Peter Vallance and used occasionally by light aircraft including a resident Cessna. Before operating there, all pilots had to have prior permission and a briefing from the airstrip owners, Terminal Control Gatwick and Gatwick Aerodrome Control. The airstrip ceased to be used from late 2018 / early 2019.

Aircraft on Display

Outside

Engines on Display

See also

• List of aerospace museums

References

• Registered Charity No. 1075858
• Ellis, Ken (2006). Wrecks & Relics. Hinckley: Midland Publishing. p. 211. ISBN 1857802357.
• Gatwick Aviation Museum - Official Guide

External links

• Gatwick Aviation Museum

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