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Events in 2018
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FAMILY OPEN WEEKEND - 24th & 25th August 2019 10am to 4pm

Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre will be open on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th August, free to the public. The family orientated event was a great sucess last year and it is expected that this year will be even better.

A Squadron Scramble re-enactment will be one of the weekend highlights in honour of the flyers who trained for combat while stationed at the Broomfield base.

A light aircraft fly-in is also planned weather permitting. Last year saw more than 40 planes visit the air field from across the UK. Famous marques of cars including Bugatti and Austin Healy will also be on display, organised by Montrose Rotary Club with proceeds of a collection going to the Scottish Air Ambulance and Angus Carers.

As always children are very welcome but they must be accompanied and supervised by a responsible adult at all times.

To view the event poster or map please click on them


Freedom of Angus Parade - No. II (AC) Squadron Royal Air Force

We are delighted to announce our friends at No. II (AC) Squadron Royal Air Force will parade through Montrose on Friday 26 July 2019, in celebration of their Freedom of Angus and the close links between the RAF and the town.

Under the Royal Flying Corps, the Squadron was the first to land its aircraft at Montrose Air Station in 1913 and is recognised as the oldest fixed wing squadron in the world. They were granted the Freedom of Angus in the RAF’s centenary year last year by Angus Council following a request from Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre.

The parade will form at Baltic Street car park, before setting off at approximately 1.30pm along Baltic Street to George Street and then into the heart of the High Street, where a dais will be in place adjacent to Old & St Andrews Church, at about 1.45pm. Following speeches and a scheduled flypast, the Squadron will muster at a reception at the Heritage Centre in Waldron Road. The flypast will be executed at exactly 14.00hrs by 2 RAF Typhoons, the RAF and No. II (AC) Squadrons newest front line jets.

Attending the event will be Lord Lieutenant of Angus Georgiana Osborne; Angus Provost Ronnie Proctor; Group Captain JRE Walls, Station Commander at RAF Lossiemouth and Wing Commander Jim “Rosie” Lee, Commander of No. II Sqn at RAF Lossiemouth; along with Mairi Gougeon, MSP for Angus North & Mearns and other elected members and invited guests.

For more information please visit the Angus Council website - please click here


VIP visit from Inverbervie Pre-school Nursery

The Heritage Centre welcomed a group visit of 30 VIP's from Inverbervie Pre-school Nursery. It was part of our Sopwith Camel build project to involve local community organisations and goes to prove that you are never too young to learn about the history of Montrose Air Station and enjoy its exhibits.

Every year hundreds of children visit the Heritage Centre as part of a school group and many later return with their parents for another visit. We never charge admission for children regardless of who they visit with as we appreciate how important it is that they learn, in an enjoyable way, the history and legacy of those who served at Montrose Air Station.               20th February 2019


Avro Anson moved into Burke's Shed

With the recently acquired Hanger Unit 1b at Broomfield, we have wasted no time in moving the first aircraft into the building in over 70 years.

Our intrepid team of volunteers moved our Avro Anson TX226, towing it with another vintage vehicle, the 1941 David Brown Taskmaster airfield tractor which was restored by the centre. This will enable us to move our Miles Hawk Major into our restoration building vacated by the Anson. Our volunteers are looking forward to another very busy year!              17th February 2019


Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre signs agreement
with the Royal Air Force Museum

Ron Morris, Chairman MASHC, Clare Carr, RAFM, Maggie Appleton, CEO RAFM, Alan Doe, MASHC

Ron Morris, Chairman MASHC, Clare Carr, RAFM, Maggie Appleton, CEO RAFM, Alan Doe, MASHC

Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre (MASHC) is pleased to announce it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Royal Air Force Museum to establish a partnership to foster the interests of MASHC and the Royal Air Force Museum through collaborative programmes and other shared learning opportunities.

The aim of the partnership is to strengthen cooperation between MASHC and the Royal Air Force Museum in order to enhance each organisation's programmes and provide an opportunity for staff and collections development.

Both Museums value their shared interests and goals and will continue to build on the relationship already established, developing this partnership in order to achieve the best outcomes for visitors. MASHC and the Royal Air Force Museum will actively seek opportunities to share collections where practicable and will consider Special Partnership Loan Terms where possible.

Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre Chairman Ron Morris said “This is a great step forward for MASHC to be aligned in a partnership with the Royal Air Force Museum. The opportunity to be able to share collections and gain experience from this partnership will greatly enhance the quality of experience visitors to our museum will get. The impact of Montrose Air Station in the development of the RFC and RAF and the place it holds in aviation history is significant and relationships like this with the Royal Air Force Museum only strengthens our ability to draw visitors to Montrose to learn about the history and legacy of the RAF in Scotland.”

RAF Museum CEO Maggie Appleton says: "We are delighted to be strengthening our ties with Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre. At the RAF Museum it is our duty to share the RAF’s stories with the world through our archives, collections and exhibits. Further to that, we also see it as our responsibility to work with other organisations to both learn from them and share our own experience of running a Museum and engaging with audiences. We look forward to this deepening of our relationship with our friends at MASHC."

21st January 2019


Burkes Sheds 1914 & 2018

Major Burke's Sheds - 14th January 2019

Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre has entered into a long-term agreement with Angus Council for one of the country’s oldest and historic military aviation hangers to become part the museum. In 1913 No.2 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps established the first operational military air station in Great Britain at Montrose. Their commanding officer Major Charles Burke had three large buildings built together in a group in December 1913 to protect their aircraft. They still stand there today, just as they did over 100 years ago, and are often referred to as “Major Burke’s Sheds”. These hangars are Grade A listed buildings and are likely the best surviving examples of early aircraft hangers in the UK and possibly the world.

Chairman Ron Morris said “Acquiring this hangar will not only be a great asset to us as we grow the museum it also starts the process of preserving and protecting these important and historical buildings. When you consider these hangars were built only ten years after the first powered flight by the Wright brothers this should give you an idea of the place these hangars hold in aviation history. As we continue to tell the story of the roll Montrose played in aviation history, in particular the contribution made in both the first and second world war, we expect the development of the museum will be a strong contributor to the visitor economy of Montrose in the years ahead.

This acquisition will initially allow us to start the restoration of some of our larger aircraft projects, such as the Avro Anson, which will be moved there shortly. Also, one of our main events this year will be the ‘Freedom of Angus’ given by Angus Council to No. 2 Squadron on the 12th July, when the Squadron will parade through the town and afterwards we plan to hold a reception in 1b. No. 2 Squadron left Montrose in August 1914 to fight in France, what a marvellous symbolic homecoming returning to one of their original buildings over 100 years later.”

Mr Morris added that he would also like to recognise Angus Council for working with the museum to secure this hangar and helping the museum to become a major attraction in Montrose.   To learn more about Burke's Sheds click here