40 years ago on the 11th August 1986 in the skies above Somerset, G-LYNX powered by Rolls Royce Gem Engines, broke the Helicopter World Speed Record (and it still holds it to this very day!!) To commemorate this remarkable achievement, a special 40th Anniversary Event will be taking place at The Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mare, home of G-LYNX, on Sunday 16th August to coincide with ‘World Helicopter Day’, the Annual Celebration of Rotary Flight that aims to raise awareness of the contributions that helicopters make to society and to celebrate the diverse range of people that design, fly and support these unique machines.
G-LYNX is now displayed in all its glory alongside a Rolls-Royce Gem Engine in the newly opened ‘Weston Aviation Heritage Hangar’, where visitors on the day will be able to see inside this remarkable record breaking aircraft and meet the co-pilot of the 1986 record breaking flight.
Sunday 16th August – Itinerary of the Day:
10.00am – Museum Opens (Exhibits, Open Cockpits, Stalls, Shop and Cafe).
10.30am – View an actual Lynx Helicopter fly in for the event.
11.00am – Helicopter Experience Flights commence.
11.00am – 11.55am – Meet the Co-Pilot of the 1986 record breaking flight beside G-Lynx.
12.00 Noon – Unveiling of new commemorative G-LYNX Signage by Leonardo Helicopters.
12.30pm – 1.30pm – Exclusive chaperoned access inside G-LYNX to take photographs.
1.30pm – Engine Development Lecture – ‘Providing The Power To Break The Speed Record’ – a fascinating talk by Simon Granville-George, Chief Life Cycle Engineer of Rolls Royce.
3.30pm – Lynx Helicopter departs.
Plus, throughout the day……The opportunity to climb aboard a variety of British, Russian and American Helicopters for the Museums biggest Open Cockpit Day of the year. Helicopters Open to the public for one day only include the Lynx, Huey, Mil-8, Mil-24 ‘Hind’ and Gazelle.
The Helicopter Museum is a Registered Charity (Number 281053) and houses The Worlds largest collection of helicopters including a Vietnam veteran Bell UH-1H ‘Huey’, The Hafner R2 which is the World’s oldest surviving helicopter, a Russian Mil-24 Hind and two helicopters of The Queens Royal Flight.
