Visit to Boscombe Down Aviation Collection

22 July 2026 – an inspiring outing to the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection (BDAC) which is a volunteer-run aviation museum based at Old Sarum Airfield, near Salisbury. 

For over a century Boscombe Down has played a major role in the independent testing of aircraft, weapons, and related systems for the UK’s armed forces. Closely associated with aircraft development, testing, and evaluation, the site became internationally recognised for its contribution to military and experimental aviation.

BDAC has some 600 subscribing members of which over 50 are active volunteers.  We met so many volunteers, many of whom engage in guiding and informing visitors.  It transpires that there are many wives in the area who are very content for their spouses to attend the BDAC “Men’s Shed”!!

The guides aim to make every visitor feel welcome while sharing detailed information about the exhibits and the wider story behind them. Some are former pilots, some are ex-Boscombe Down or service personnel, and all are aviation enthusiasts with a real passion for telling these stories.  They bring a wealth of knowledge and offer insight into the lives of pilots, aircrew, and ground crew. Some guides are also trained to operate the flight simulators, including a wide-body simulator and an early 1950s LINK Trainer.

Among these volunteers are former helicopter pilots, navigators, test pilots, commercial pilots, crew chiefs, and technicians. Their experience includes flying and supporting a wide range of aircraft, taking part in trials work, fitting specialist test equipment and cameras, and supporting aircraft on test programmes at home and abroad.

The good folk at BDAC preserve and showcase aircraft, cockpits, and aviation artefacts connected to the history of British flight testing and military aviation.  There is a strong focus on hands-on experiences for visitors of all ages.  Thoroughly recommended for young and old.  A great place to take the grandchildren to!

The collection is unusual in that many of the aircraft cockpits and flight decks can be sat in, touched, and explored. This gives visitors a genuine sense of what it was like to fly everything from fast jets to transport aircraft and helicopters.  From early aircraft through to Cold War jets and modern test programmes, Boscombe Down has been at the forefront of aviation innovation. Many of the aircraft represented within the collection are directly linked to this history, making the museum a unique record of British flight testing.

Until the early 1990s, this work was carried out primarily by the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE), which assessed manufacturers’ claims and made recommendations for operational use.

Testing included the assessment and evaluation of:

• Aircraft performance

• Weapons, sensors, and systems

• Handling and integration

• Safety, airworthiness, and flight limitations

• Human factors and operational evaluation

Today, Boscombe Down remains an important centre for aircraft testing, systems evaluation, and flight-test training.

Our visit was followed by lunch at the Wheatsheaf country pub in the Woodford valley where lively discussion and banter, as usual, made an enjoyable ending to our excursion.

My thanks, on behalf of us all, to James Prain for organising and shepherding us through this event!

Godfrey Ball

Minister Without Portfolio!