An example of Britain’s first operational jet fighter, a Gloster Meteor T.7 was flown, albeit attached to an RAF Chinook, from Imjin Barracks, Innsworth where it had served as a gate guardian from 1994 to 2008, to its new home at the Jet Age Museum at Gloucestershire Airport.
As we recently reported, the museum’s new 11,000+ square foot display hangar is nearing completion with the structure built and only interior work remaining. The arrival of this Meteor is a momentous step towards the museum’s opening, which is presently anticipated to open to the public this August.
The Meteor aircraft is a point of pride for the people of Gloucestershire, the company that produced it being originally the Gloucestershire Aircraft Company, founded in 1917 and renamed “Gloster” in 1926 as the business expanded internationally, because customers outside of the United Kingdom found the original name too difficult to pronounce, much less spell.
The plane will be joining an impressive collection of nine Gloster aircraft which form the core of the museum’s collection. This particular Meteor T.7 was built nearby in Hucclecote in 1949 and served in the Royal Air Force unitl 1968, accumulating approximately 2,000 flight hours over the course of its service.
Television coverage of the airlift, including an interview with Martin Clarke, a trustee of the Jet Age Museum:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww5R5l00ofQ
Born in Milan, Italy, Moreno moved to the U.S. in 1999 to pursue a career as a commercial pilot. His aviation passion began early, inspired by his uncle, an F-104 Starfighter Crew Chief, and his father, a military traffic controller. Childhood adventures included camping outside military bases and watching planes at Aeroporto Linate. In 1999, he relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, to obtain his commercial pilot license, a move that became permanent. With 24 years in the U.S., he now flies full-time for a Part 91 business aviation company in Atlanta. He is actively involved with the Commemorative Air Force, the D-Day Squadron, and other aviation organizations. He enjoys life with his supportive wife and three wonderful children.
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