Fleet Air Arm Museum

Additional Features

Maritime
Naval and Aeronautical History

Description

The Fleet Air Arm Museum was opened in May 1964 by HRH Prince Phillip, (who remained the Museum's Patron until 1995, when HRH The Duke of York took over) when it comprised just one hangar and eight aircraft. A charitable trust to formally administer the Museum was established in 1966.

The modest single hangar beginnings of the FAA Museum have been continually improved by the Trustees, starting with a major expansion programme in 1974-1980. The Museum now comprises four large exhibition halls with approximately 120,000 square feet of covered display space, able to display up to 50 aircraft at one time. In addition to the aircraft the museum has major supporting collections such as photographs, documents, medals, paintings and clothing.

The FAA Museum is one of the group of four museums which together tell the story of the Royal Navy to meet the Second Sea Lord's Mission Statement for the naval museums:

"To promote understanding of the role the Royal Navy has played in the nation's life and history through the centuries, using important and valued collections for exhibit, education and research."
The Museum's own mission statement is:

"To collect, preserve, interpret and make accessible, material relevant to all aspects of the history of naval aviation and the operations of the Royal Naval Air Service and the Fleet Air Arm, the aircraft they have flown, the people who have served with them, and the ships and stations where they served, in the context of the development of aviation at large."


The museum is located on the B3151 just off the A303 and A37. It is accessible from the M5 motorway, junction 25 at Taunton.

Yeovilton is situated some seven miles north of Yeovil, forty miles south of Bristol, thirty miles north of Weymouth and thrity miles south east of Weston-Super -Mare.