Aeroplane Editor to chair Vimy Day event

Aeroplane editor Michael Oakey is to act as Chairman at Brooklands Museum's 'Vimy Day' on Saturday November 21. The day will include a series of talks by people associated with the museum's Vickers Vimy Replica, NX71MY, to celebrate its achievements and mark its retirement into permanent preservation.

“The Brooklands Vimy replica is now an historic aircraft in its own right”, says Michael. “Between 1994 and 2005 it re-enacted all three of the great Vimy trailblazing flights of the immediate post-WW1 period — across the Atlantic, England to Australia and England to South Africa — and, while all Vimy enthusiasts are sad to see its flying career come to an end, it is good to see it going to the most appropriate final home, where the public will be able to see it and marvel at what the aircraft and its intrepid crews did over the years.”

The Vimy is currently at Dunsfold, awaiting final arrangements for it to be flown into Brooklands for the last time.

“The Vimy is the most amazing historic-aviation project I've even been involved in, in 26 years on Aeroplane”, says Michael. “It's also the only such project which has involved my other passion – Ancient Egypt! I still get goosebumps when I remember flying round the Pyramids and up the River Nile in it in 1999, and it's the one thing readers ask me about more than anything else.”

More details of the Vimy Day and booking form download (brooklandmuseum.com)