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An Evaluation & Analysis of the Fleet Air Arm Museum
Heritage: Museum Studies SHHA103ISABELLE FLETCHER
Isabelle Fletcher Heritage: Museum Studies SHHA103
Introduction & Brief History
For this study in museums and heritage, I have decided to choose the Fleet Air Arm
Museum, situated on the outskirts of the naval air base of RNAS Yeovilton. I thought that
this would be a good museum to undertake for my study due to knowing RNAS Yeovilton
fairly well as well as having a fair amount of knowledge about the Fleet Air Arm due to
having been a Sea Cadet.
Yeovilton's museum comprises of holding the largest collection of naval aircraft anywhere in
Europe.1 RNAS Yeovilton is the home of Royal Naval aviation and is the perfect place for the
museum to be held at. One other advantage of the museum’s location is that despite being
located a fair distance from the town of Yeovil, it is well signposted and advertised as well as
being in an easy location to find. The museum also holds viewing areas where visitors can
watch military aircraft take off and land, this is especially good experience for budding
aircraft enthusiasts or even people with very little knowledge of the Fleet Air Arm to learn
about the Royal Navy’s Flight Heritage.
“The National Museum of the Royal Navy comprises four Museums, reflecting the fact that
the Royal Navy operates on the sea, under the sea, on the land and in the air.”2 – The Fleet
Air Arm is just one branch of the Royal Navy as it contains many branches of different jobs.
This museum specialises in the history of this particular Naval branch. It is the newest
1 http://www.britainsfinest.co.uk/museums/museums.cfm/searchazref/80001290FLEA2 http://www.fleetairarm.com/aviation-museum-south-west.aspx
Isabelle Fletcher Heritage: Museum Studies SHHA103
branch of the Royal Navy as the Fleet Air Arm branch and also the Royal Air Force were
formed less than one hundred years ago!
The Aims of the Museum
The museum's website is unclear as to what its aims are and as to whether it has a mission
statement. The leaflet did not contain one but this was the only thing relevant that I could
find on the Fleet Air Arm's Museum website - "We aim to offer visitors of all ages and
backgrounds resources that enable you to enjoy, learn and be inspired at the Museum.3 It
took me a while to find it and was not particularly easy to find.
"The Fleet Air Arm will change your perception of aircraft Museums"4 is another potential
aim that the museum sets out to aim for to draw visitors in due to it being a good use of
words.
The Museum's Website
3 http://www.fleetairarm.com/aviation-museum-learning.aspx4 http://www.fleetairarm.com/aviation-museum-south-west.aspx
Isabelle Fletcher Heritage: Museum Studies SHHA103
The museum's website does not contain too much descriptive writing about itself but more
so contains photographs and a virtual tour of each exhibit hall as this is more likely to catch
a potential visitor's attention rather than a block of text explaining what the museum has to
offer.
Advertisement
The advertisement leaflet, produced by the museum, is very colourful and bright with bold,
colouful writing and also contains photographs of aircraft that are on display. It also
contains children in the photographs, suggesting that it is an ideal day out for families which
would keep everyone entertained. The caption on the front of the leaflet – “The thrill is
being there. Experience the adventure of a lifetime.” – is a good eye capture as it uses word
about excitement and enjoyment that would grip an observer in to picking it up and having
a look. Due to the leaflet really only containing information on the Concorde aircraft and the Air
Isabelle Fletcher Heritage: Museum Studies SHHA103
Craft Carrier experience, this appears to be what the museum sees as its main attractions and a way
to entrance the visitor in to visiting. It has carefully been set out not to reveal too much information
by only containing more photographs than explanations of aircraft. The old saying “A picture tells a
thousand words.” Is indeed very true and good at capturing the eye and which has been applied
here.
Isabelle Fletcher Heritage: Museum Studies SHHA103
Analysis & Evaluation
Upon arriving to the museum, the car park is a good size and within close distance of the
museum’s entrance, along with disabled car parking and also has a bus route from the
museum’s location in to Yeovil itself. The entrance itself is up a wide flight of stairs,
signposted for entrance and for the exit route. It also has an alternative entrance for
wheelchair and push chair access which is well noted for the public eye at the bottom of the
stairs.
Located on the left hand side when facing towards the entrance, is a picnic area with a
children’s play area and also the Swordfish restaurant. This is a good opportunity for the
customer to have a break and some kind of food or beverage after a long journey and
perfect for the children to be entertained with.
Isabelle Fletcher Heritage: Museum Studies SHHA103
Upon purchasing tickets (once having entered the building), you are given the opportunity
to gift aid your money at no extra cost and with this, the museum offer you a year’s free
entry to it. This is definitely an advantage to the museum and the customer as regardless as
to whether they never visit again, they have created a donation to the museum at no extra
cost. It is also more likely to bring the customer to revisit if they have enjoyed their visitor
experience and also recommend it to other people to come and visit the museum to enjoy
the same experience that they had.
The first room the visitor enters is an explanation and demonstrations of aerodynamics. It is
explained with plaques along the walls and describing the physics and maths side of how the
aircraft works but also has model aircraft operated by controls to actually give a visual
understanding of the aerodynamics. This is an excellent way of displaying this to create a
simple understanding but by giving enough of an explanation for an older visitor to
understand but gives a younger visitor in the child age range to be entertained by the model
planes. The walls also contained displays of the material used for the wings of the aircraft
which were allowed to be touched and felt.
A table located on the nearest left corner of the entrance door contains leaflets of other
military, Royal Navy and Marine museums to visit, survey sheets and also activity sheets for
children and adults as they go on their tour around the museum. The amount of learning
and activity resources available for children are quite impressive. Virtually every exhibit and
room contains some sort of entertainment for children such as quizzes, an example of how
Isabelle Fletcher Heritage: Museum Studies SHHA103
Morse code works and to have a go at yourself to spot a certain object within a glass display
and also fuzzy felts to build up their own display picture with.
After looking at the aerodynamics, the museum then moves on to an exhibition of the
history of flight starting with Samuel Cody who is known to have conducted the first known
flight in Britain in 19085. It takes you up until present day by using a chronological history
which is also displayed with images and replicas of original flying equipment. This also
consists of an explanation for the use of aircraft and what purpose they serve.
The chronological history also carries on as you walk down in to the next exhibition in Hall 1
but instead consists of world events of the 20th Century and right up until the end of 2011.
The next exhibit consists of a various number of items from different decades.
This exhibit was displayed with original aircraft and plaques for still existing or squadrons
that no longer exist as well as paintings of aircraft. The paintings are good for a visual
experience for the visitor to be able to gain an understanding of the aircrafts warfare
purpose. The wings of the aircraft were folded in which would have been how they were
stored when in service and this would also create greater space for the museum's purpose.
Another cafe is located inside this exhibit which would be ideal for perhaps either families or
older visitors wanting a quick snack and beverage, especially on a cold and wet day. The only
negative thing that could be pointed out here is that the World War One display is not made
exactly clear and sort of blends in to the more modern aircraft in the room.
5 http://sfcody.org.uk/intro.html
Isabelle Fletcher Heritage: Museum Studies SHHA103
By following the signs clearly displayed everywhere in to the next exhibits in Hall 2, it
contains a large selection of a variation of exhibitions. These are largely to do with World
war Two campaigns and the formation of the WRNS (Womens’ Royal Naval Service)6. To
make the atmosphere that bit more realistic to the visitor, the museum has created gloomy
effects, used sound effects, having actual footage from warfare events, displaying actual
uniform and kit etc that would have been used, using manikins dressed up with voice
covers, colours and music associated with certain countries and events, etc. There is also a
viewpoint on to the airfield from here for visitors to observe current military aircraft on a
naval base.
Instead of an exhibit, the next attraction, located in Hall 3, for the visitor to enjoy is the air
craft carrier experience which is one of the main attractions advertised in the museum's
advertisements and leaflet, being if not their main attraction. The experience starts with you
waiting to board a “Wessex flight” to what is known as “the Island” which is meant to take
you back in time to 1970s (with an estimated guess of about 1977) to gain an experience of
HMS Invincible7 whilst it would have been in working order and to see what working life is
like of which the Royal Navy has to offer. The experience starts with a video of a talk from a
Royal Naval Petty Officer that gives you a virtual tour throughout the visitor’s journey of the
carrier. The flight consists of an actual Wessex helicopter8 (now disused by the forces) used
6 http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/info_sheets_WRNS.htm7http://www.maritimequest.com/warship_directory/great_britain/pages/aircraft_carriers/hms_invincible_r05.htm8 http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/wessex_helicopter.htm
Isabelle Fletcher Heritage: Museum Studies SHHA103
as a simulator to “carry you on to the Island”, there is a good amount of space for people to
stand in it which would also allow for disabilities as the original seating has been removed.
Once the flight has finished, the visitor will then proceed on to replica of what is known as
the ship’s flight deck. Aircraft that would have been in active service on Invincible have been
carefully positioned as how they would have been on the real ship. A video is then played on
a huge cinematic screen and with aid of one of the aircraft (a Phantom) and the use of
manikins to demonstrate how a plane would take off on an aircraft carrier. The experience is
loud and builds up tension to excite the visitor when watching this. It then goes on to
demonstrate how the aircraft would safely land back on the ship.
The rest of the tour goes on to give the visitor an insight in to the life of the Royal Navy
which can be useful for educational purposes and for people with no knowledge of the
forces but have an interest in it. The tour guides you through seeing how other branches of
the Navy works and not just the fleet air arm; such as Operations Room, Meteorology briefs,
stewards, the air traffic control department and also an insight in to what the Galley9 (eating
hall) and NAAFI10 (shop) would look like. The aircraft carrier experience would also be good
for educational purposes for the cadet forces too so that it could help cadets decide
whether they would potentially want to serve in the forces as well creating the same
potential interest to civilian visitors. Once the tour has finished, a cinematic video is
displayed of Phantom aircraft taking off and landing on the actual HMS Invincible from the
9http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/galley 10 http://www.naafi.co.uk/home.php
Isabelle Fletcher Heritage: Museum Studies SHHA103
1970s. It gives an insightful look in to working life and a possible life career to a visitor within
the Fleet Air Arm and the other branches of the Royal Navy.
The Aircraft Carrier experience then leads you out on to the last exhibit hall, Hall 4, which
contains the museum’s other biggest attraction – Concorde. Again, the aircraft is displayed
and positioned well which has clearly been thought of in a careful manner. This exhibition
hall, again, holds an observing point for working aircraft, a simulator, other aircraft and also
interactive educational information boards.
Accessibility
The museum’s wheelchair access overall is fairly well thought out and made obvious to a
visitor with a disability. However, there are a few negative things about it when in some
places of the museum it is not always made clear where a lift or alternative routes for stairs
etc are. An example of this is in the World War Two exhibit when there are stairs to go up to
exhibitions and displays on World War Two campaigns but signs for a lift or an alternative
disability route are not exactly made clear to a visitor. A positive example of disability access
in on the Air Craft Carrier experience as all the door entrance to other part of the “Ship”
have ramps or no trip hazards which on an actual ship, doorway entrances would be very
impractical for a wheelchair.
Isabelle Fletcher Heritage: Museum Studies SHHA103
Events
As a way to create visitors to revisit, the museum
carries out a series of events throughout the year, such
as the Dalek Invasion days and also Robot Wars days.
Another event to bring visitors to revisit is Yeovilton’s
successful and popular annual Air Day Event.
The print screen shot opposite is what the website
contains on their events. The museum itself also
contained a leaflet with all the year’s events on. These
are a good way to remind people to revisit and cause
them to reconsider visiting again.
Pros & Cons
Disability access not always made obvious. One example of this is in Hall 2 for the
Underwater Wreckage Experience.
No public access behind the scenes on display due to workshop door being left open slightly.
Some of the interactive equipment was broken without having some kind of sign or display
stating this. Other faulty equipment did have a sign over it to be fair.
Isabelle Fletcher Heritage: Museum Studies SHHA103
Text only written in English and the museum does not contain audio sound which could be a
potential language barrier for foreign visitors. However, if this was changed it would have to
be taken in to consideration as to what languages to select for this purpose.
Narrow walk ways in some places, had to squeeze in tight to walk past a bunch of cadets. It
would not have been ideal if a wheelchair or pram had been there.
Although the gift aiding in theory sounds like a good idea, it cannot be used on special event
days and also will not directly go back in to the museum’s own budget but to the gift aiding
charity of all museums located in the United Kingdom.
The disabled access in the Air Craft Carrier experience was named the “Bomb Lift” which has
been cleverly named to include visitors with disabilities without feeling like that they are
missing out experiencing any of it.
The gift shop is reasonably priced for souvenirs and confectionary items however apart from
the air fix models which are approximately £2 dearer here than from other merchandisers
selling them online or in shops. This is due to the gift aiding purpose as although if the
visitor revisits the museum they won’t have to repay for entry, it has been craftily asked so
that they will be more willing to spend money in the gift shop and cafes. Therefore, the
museum’s catering and merchandising branch will benefit from this.
Due to the Armed Forces being predominantly male, the Fleet Air Arm Museum have
created it to be non-sexist environment by including the history of the WRNS Naval Brigade.
Although the branch has now been disbanded and incorporated in to the Royal Navy itself
to provide equality for all. However it is still a positive exhibit for the Museum to obtain as it
Isabelle Fletcher Heritage: Museum Studies SHHA103
shows the vital importance that women have contributed to the Forces in times of peace
and conflict.
The Museum’s website states “The contributions made by the Museum’s volunteers along
with donations are fundamental to the Museum’s success and survival.”11 The Museum
contains seating that specifies on a plaque that it has been donated by Marks & Spencers.
This is a good thing that big organisations are will to spend money by sponsoring it. The
Museum as I have shown above, vitally relies on its donations and volunteers to keep it
running and in good preservation as a place to be enjoyed and to educate future
generations.
Photographs of the Museum
These are a selection of photographs that I took when visiting the museum. They are all
images of the main factors that I have mentioned in the main part of my essay.
11 http://www.fleetairarm.com/support-naval-aviation-museum.aspx
Isabelle Fletcher Heritage: Museum Studies SHHA103
Conclusion
Overall, the Fleet Air Arm Museum provides a historical and educational purpose as well as
enjoyment for visitors. Regardless of how little or how much knowledge a visitor will know
they will leave with some sort of experience where they were likely to have enjoyed
something.
There are certain things that the Museum could improve on but nothing particularly major.
Many employees consist of volunteers and without their help, the museum would be likely
to survive. It also depends on its contributions from charities which without these it would
also most likely not survive.
Although during my visit there I was not going as a visitor but to carry out a critical
evaluation, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and if asked would recommend it for a
place to visit.
Bibliography
http://www.fleetairarm.com/support-naval-aviation-museum.aspx
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/galley
http://www.naafi.co.uk/home.php
http://www.britainsfinest.co.uk/museums/museums.cfm/searchazref/80001290FLEA
http://www.fleetairarm.com/aviation-museum-south-west.aspx
http://www.fleetairarm.com/aviation-museum-learning.aspx
Isabelle Fletcher Heritage: Museum Studies SHHA103
http://www.fleetairarm.com/aviation-museum-south-west.aspx
Word Count: 2,948