The Royal Air Force has presented the Ulster Aviation Society Museum with the service’s most popular jet in recent times. The gift is a Hawk aircraft of the famous Red Arrows aerobatic team, whose scarlet formations have delighted millions in their 60-year history, streaking through the skies of more than 50 countries worldwide.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled,” said Ray Burrows, chairman of the Ulster Aviation Society, whose volunteers have spent weeks of meticulous effort restoring the Hawk to perfection. “I can’t wait to see the reaction on people’s faces when we wheel it out at the European Heritage Open Days (EHOD).”
The bright red icon is a rare donation. The RAF doesn’t have many Hawks which are past their “best by” date, and the few available go to the largest national air museums. “We are extremely privileged and honoured to get this aircraft, for which tremendous thanks must go to the RAF Heritage,” said Mr Burrows.
It probably helped that the Ulster Aviation Museum has built a solid reputation over half a century. It’s also received a major royal award for its totally volunteer workforce. And it probably didn’t hurt to have as its patron a senior officer of the RAF, Air Marshal Harvey Smyth (DFC, OBE). He also happens to be an Ulsterman, originally from Donaghcloney.
Mr Burrows went on to say: “Our only regret is that there will be no Red Arrows displays in Northern Ireland this year—a rare problem which we hope will be corrected by air show organisers next year. In the meantime, though, visitors to our collection will be able to see a Red Arrows Hawk on the ground, up close and personal—a unique opportunity in itself.”
Built in 1978, XX260 spent decades flying as part of the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team (RAFAT), better known as the Red Arrows. During the Blackpool Airshow on 7th August 2011, it suffered a major bird strike which resulted in an emergency landing at Blackpool International Airport. While there were no injuries or further damage to the aircraft, the damage as a result of the birdstrike along with the number of hours remaining on the airframe made it uneconomical to repair. It was sent to RAF Shawbury shortly after for long-term storage. After almost 12 years in storage, it arrived at the Ulster Aviation Museum on 15th May 2023 for reassembly and public display (see photos below).
The opportunity to see it on display arrives on September 9th and 10th, at the Ulster Aviation Society’s twin hangars at Lisburn’s Maze/Long Kesh development site. The museum is open for public viewing during EHOD, at no charge, of the entire 44-aircraft collection from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Further details are available on the Society’s website, www.ulsteraviationsociety.org , as well as on Facebook.
