Yorkshire Air Musuem Thunder Day to Demonstrate Aircraft Engines for Public

The Yorkshire Air Museum at Elvington near York is preparing to fire up the engines on a number of its aircraft, as it holds another Thunder Day Saturday October 12. The event at the popular venue on the edge of the city is run twice a year and gives visitors the chance to see and hear a range of jet and propellor engines performing static runs—the aircraft staying stationary. Aircraft taking part include the Handley Page Victor tanker—a four-engine jet that was used to refuel other aircraft in flight—the Nimrod submarine hunter, and the Dakota, a WWII era paratrooper aircraft currently sporting a D-Day paint scheme.

Other machinery up and running will include a Jet Provost jet trainer, WWI biplanes and a number of stand-alone propellor engines that are mounted in special rigs, including an example of the legendary Merlin, used to power the Spitfire and Lancaster.

“When we brought back Thunder Days last October, after a hiatus caused by covid, we had to turn people away due to a lack of car-parking!” Museum spokesman Jerry Ibbotson said. “Now we’ve laid on extra space because we know just how popular these events are. Visitors love the experience of hearing engines come to life, in all their glory. It sends a shiver down the spine.”

Thunder Day will run from 11.30 on Saturday until 3.30. A full schedule is available on the Museum website,  www.yorkshireairmusuem.org along with ticket details.

Emma Quedzuweit

Emma Quedzuweit is a historial researcher and graduate school student originally from California, but travels extensively for work and study. She is the former Assitant Editor at AOPA Pilot magazine and currently freelance writes along with personal projects invovled in the search for missing in action aviators from World War I and II. She is a Private Pilot with Single Engine Land and Sea ratings and tailwheel endorsement and is part-owner of a 1946 Piper J-3 Cub. Her favorite aviation experience was earning a checkout in a Fairchild PT-19.

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