Runway Visitor Park and Avro Heritage Museum Visit – Richard Clarke

All photo credits: Marc Waller

I recently had the great pleasure of accompanying a group of Guardians to the Runway Visitor Park at Manchester Airport and the Avro Heritage Museum at nearby Woodford.

The day began with a ‘crack of dawn’ drive up the M6 to arrive at the Runway Visitor Park for an early start. The Park is located right next to the main taxiway at the Airport, which is an added bonus in respect of the opportunity to have a close view of the wide range of aircraft arriving and departing to and from this busy Airport.

The centrepiece of the Visitor Park is, of course, the Concorde hangar, which houses aircraft registration number – ‘BOAC’ – the Flagship of the fleet and affectionately known as ‘Alpha Charlie’, which stands impressively in the main Exhibition Hall. Walking into the Hall the sight of this spectacular and impressive aircraft standing before you certainly takes the breath away and this is a truly iconic setting.

We started the tour by boarding the aircraft via the relatively steep passenger gangway, which is in place  because the aircraft is set higher than most other commercial aircraft. Firstly, we were able to settle into the seats that had been graced by so many famous people over the years and were then treated to a fascinating talk about the history of Concorde, including its impressive service history with British Airways and Air France, the retirement of the Fleet in 2003 and the subsequent delivery of this aircraft to Manchester Airport in October of that year. 

I was fortunate enough to be present to witness that historic and emotional occasion, and to actually be out on the airfield at the side of the runway when she landed for the very final time and it is an experience which I will never forget.

Each member of the group then had the opportunity to visit the flight deck, which again was a fascinating experience. My first impression was that it was quite compact with a complex array of dials and switches going back to the analogue age, but at the same time it was extremely impressive and it was a very real privilege to be able to enjoy this experience. 

Following on from the visit to see the internal aspect of the aircraft we then had the opportunity to view her externally and were availed of a fascinating array of facts about the fuselage, fuel tanks, the unique undercarriage and the powerful Olympus 593 engines.

Before we began the second part of the tour we, were fortuitously able to experience the landing of the Emirates A380, a highly impressive sight as this huge aircraft carried out a very smooth landing and then taxied right past the security fence in front of us. We then continued the visit with an exclusive tour of two of the aircraft which were situated outside in the Runway Park itself. Firstly, we were able to get on board the venerable BAe Nimrod MR2 XV231, which had been such an excellent asset for the RAF during her many years of service and had been delivered by them for her final journey in April 2010. During her career the aircraft saw service in The Falklands, Afghanistan and Iraq, and played a vital Maritime role in all of these conflicts

The first impression you get when you board the aircraft is a feeling of amazement about how many different work stations that there are in place and the sheer amount of electronic equipment that is housed in the fuselage, all designed to monitor the movement of enemy ships and submarines below and, if necessary, to use force to engage them if this was required. It was not hard to imagine that this was a real hive of activity and tension when the aircraft was carrying out sorties during her long years of service. This was very much a trip back to the days of the Cold War, but also demonstrated the flexible and wide ranging capabilities of this iconic aircraft, being involved in conflicts of a highly different nature to the purpose was which she was originally designed.

Our next port of call was the forward section of the former Monarch Airways DC10, which was preserved when the aircraft was scrapped and has been carefully converted into a multi-purpose resource with a genuine ‘on board’ feel, which was very self evident when we boarded the aircraft. The aircraft is now used as an Education or Conference Centre facility, which is very impressive and a great credit to the  Visitor Park and, of course, is in complete and total contrast to the Nimrod!

The second part of our day was spent at the Avro Heritage Museum in Woodford, which is highly synonymous with the Vulcan – every airframe undergoing final construction at this historic airfield and then being tested and flown before they were accepted into their RAF service.

The Museum is a great credit to the passionate volunteers, many of whom worked at both the Avro Woodford and Chadderton sites, who give their time so freely and help to preserve the legacy of Alliott Verdon-Roe and his famous company – A.V. Roe and Co. – more commonly known as Avro. It is located on the former Woodford Aerodrome and, in addition to the Vulcan, the site saw the production of the Lancaster, Nimrod and the BAe 146. 

Standing proudly outside the Museum and being one of the highlights of the Museum is Avro Vulcan XM603, the only Vulcan in the world to be preserved in the anti-flash white paint scheme.

Rolling off the production line at Woodford in 1963, XM603 formed part of the V-Force, Britain’s airborne nuclear deterrent during the Cold War. It was retired in 1982 and flown back to Woodford on 12th March by Charles Masefield (later Sir Charles). XM603 had racked up 5,733 flying hours, which included trips to the Far East, Canada, and Cyprus.

XM603 was repainted in its original anti-flash white paint scheme soon after its final flight. The aircraft was lovingly maintained at Woodford by the XM603 Club and included engine runs and the installation of a new rudder.

Work to refurbish XM603 was completed in 2016 and the aircraft now looks exactly as it would have done when it rolled out of the Woodford Flight Sheds in 1963. Work on the aircraft continues with the refurbishment of its cockpit, which the Museum is planning to open to visitors in the future.

We had the opportunity to look around the aircraft externally and she is in very good condition and a great credit to those who carried out the refurbishment.

This visit also provided us with the opportunity to view the cockpits of the VC10, Lancaster, Nimrod and Vulcan. This was a real trip back in time and gave us the chance to get up close and personal with these iconic aircraft, each of which played a significant role during the Cold War and the Second World War, and which helped to ensure that we continue to enjoy our freedom today.  

The Exhibition Hall at the Museum is a highly impressive place, with a large number of aircraft and artefacts, including replicas of the Avro Type F and Roe 1Triplane and a number of interactive facilities in place. In addition, there is a fascinating illustrated timeline of the history of Woodford Aerodrome, which stretches around the perimeter of the room. This provides a highly interesting perspective on the wide array of aviation activities that have taken place over the years at this location, which stretch back to the pioneering days of aircraft development.

In conclusion, this was a highly enjoyable day during which I certainly learnt a lot and had the chance to experience so many different aircraft in two contrasting locations but with one common factor – aviation history. 

Many thanks to John Hepple for his support in helping to organise these visits and to the staff and volunteers at both venues for making us feel so very welcome and for making a significant contribution to the overall success of the day.​

The Museum is entirely self-funded, relying on admission fees as its main source of income and staffed by passionate volunteers, many of whom worked at Chadderton and Woodford.

Event Feedback

“This opportunity for an exclusive VTST Guardians Concorde and  Multi-Aircraft tour at the Runway Visitors Park, Manchester Airport followed by the Avro Heritage Museum at Woodford was an absolute delight full of information from both knowledgeable and experienced guides also including  access to all plane interiors.  It was a very enjoyable day in the company of other members of the tour party, all with a love of aviation.

Huge thanks to the staff at Manchester Airport and at Avro Woodford who provided additional support where required and last but not least to the Vulcan to the Sky Trustee, Richard Clarke and the other team members for making this event so special. Many thanks and look forward to more future exciting VTST events!”

John Heath & Anne Cutts, Worksop, Notts