A century of aviation takes flight at Warton

Workers at BAE Systems’ Fylde base enjoyed a look at more than a century of aviation history.
By The Newsroom
Published 22nd Oct 2014, 07:00 BST
The Avro Anson, owned by BAE Systems which forms part of The Shuttleworth Collection, in flight over Preston docklands on its way to the Heritage Week event held at the company's aerodrome in Warton, Lancashire. Picture by Chris Ryding/BAE Systems.The Avro Anson, owned by BAE Systems which forms part of The Shuttleworth Collection, in flight over Preston docklands on its way to the Heritage Week event held at the company's aerodrome in Warton, Lancashire. Picture by Chris Ryding/BAE Systems.
The Avro Anson, owned by BAE Systems which forms part of The Shuttleworth Collection, in flight over Preston docklands on its way to the Heritage Week event held at the company's aerodrome in Warton, Lancashire. Picture by Chris Ryding/BAE Systems.

The Warton plant hosted an exhibition which included a pair of BAE’s heritage aircraft, a Blackburn B2 biplane and an Avro Anson, which are normally based at The Shuttleworth Collection heritage aircraft museum in Bedfordshire.

It also displayed a collection of models of products developed by its military aircraft business, including the Lightning, Canberra and Buccaneer, in the exhibition which attracted more than 1,700 visitors during a five-day Heritage Week.

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Chris Allam, Engineering Director at BAE Systems Military Air and Information, said the event had inspired employees and helped them make connections to its products of today, including the Eurofighter Typhoon and Hawk used by the RAF.

He said: “We place great importance on our heritage and see it not as misty-eyed nostalgia, but as a legacy upon which our business is built.

“Having the opportunity to get up close to these heritage aircraft and learn about some of the other aircraft we have built, will inspire our employees and get them thinking about the achievements of our past.

“In doing so, we hope they will consider the importance of leaving a legacy for future generations through the work we are doing today.”

The event also saw a number of employees win a flight over Warton in both the B2 and the Anson, flown by Shuttleworth pilots Paul Stone and pilot trainer John Hurrell.

Related topics:BAE SystemsFyldeCanberraWarton