REQ: Gatwick Aviation Museum

[erik_kamphuis]

Hello,

we are planning a trip to the UK this week and are thinking about visiting the collection military planes at the Gatwick Aviation Museum near Charlwood.
I heard the owner died and the aircraft will slowly dissapear.
Anyone been there and can tell me if (most) aircraft are visible from OUTSIDE te museum (when it's closed)?
Or is the collection visible from a hill or something?

And the 2 preserved Sea Harriers at the other side of Charlwood can be photographed?

Any info about the situation is welcome.

TIA,
Erik

[Koen L]

Hi Erik,

We visited the museum and Charlwood last weekend. You can certainly take pictures of the Harriers and Jaguar XX121 although the later is standing in some tall grass. Drive to https://www.google.nl/maps/place/51%C2% ... !1s0x0:0x0 (51°09'19.9"N 0°14'01.4"W) and park your car in front of the wooden fence on the road that splits off to the left. The Jaguar will be on your left in the field alongside part of a Hawk. You can shoot the Jaguar and both Harriers from here. As you can probably imagine the Harriers will be quite head-on in the shots but you can also walk down the road that goes straight on to get a more side-on shot of the nearer one.

Since we got into the museum I'm not sure which exhibits can be seen from the outside. Last time we went there (in 2010) the museum was closed as well and we still managed to see quite a few of the aircraft from the outside. It's been a while but I think we mostly managed to see them from the field adjacent the road to the gate (there's a Whirlwind standing in the field on google maps).

HTH,

Koen

[Frank Mink]

Hi all,

I found this link for the Gatwick Aviation Museum:
http://www.gatwick-aviation-museum.co.uk/

Greetz,
Frank Mink
Tristar Aviation

[erik_kamphuis]

Thanks a lot for the info!

So the 2 Harriers and Jag in Charlwood can be photographed from outside the fence.
Or is it also possible to enter the land/road to it?
What Hawk fuselage is it, in Red Arrow c/s (XX257) or the red/white one (XX223)? Is is visible from the road?

The Whirlwind is not in that position anymore?

TIA,
Erik

[erik_kamphuis]

Been there Friday morning and only one Shackleton and Canberra WH773 can be seen from Lowfield Heath Road. The Lightning is behind the Canberra.
The rest is not (legally) visible I think!

The private yard in the west of Charlwood gives a good view on the 2 Sea Harriers and the Jaguar XX121 is in very high grass.
Behind it are a red rear of a Hawk and the front of a red Hawk with black Hawk wings in front of them.
Any help on the ID of this Hawk is very welcome.
From the pictures on Eurodemobbed this Hawk does not match with XX257 (Red Arrow c/s) or XX223 (old red/white c/s).

TIA,
Erik