The sky’s the limit for motivated enthusiasts at the Ulster Aviation Society
There are blue skies ahead for a committed group of enthusiasts who have worked tirelessly to highlight Northern Ireland’s proud aviation heritage – and to save dozens of historically important aircraft for posterity.
Based at two enormous hangars at the site of the former Maze prison near Lisburn, the Ulster Aviation Society (UAS) has overcome countless challenges to become one of the top 20 tourist attractions in the country, despite not being able to advertise its presence for most of its existence.
As UAS chairman Ray Burrows explains, being caught in the middle of a political row over the redevelopment of the 347-acre site – sparked by a disagreement over future plans for the one remaining H-block and prison hospital building – has drastically restricted the society from realising its full potential.
However, there are brighter days ahead as significant progress has been made in respect of the society’s short-term lease on the hangars, and its ability to promote the stunning collection of aircraft and related vehicles.
Mr Burrows said years of frustration was only ended in recent months when deputy first minister and Lagan Valley MLA Emma Little Pengelly managed to get the lease terms amended on their behalf.
“So we are moving forward, and we are moving forward at a fairly quick pace,” he said.
The dedicated team of volunteers who source, restore and maintain the aircraft, as well as acting as tour guides, were given a major boost in recent years when the scale and ambition of the museum was eventually recognised by a particularly influential benefactor in the form of the Royal Airforce Heritage Team.
“They came over from England to visit us because we had asked if there was any possibility of getting a Tornado (fighter jet). They were due to retire [from service] and it would have been an absolute godsend for us to get one,” Mr Burrows said.
"Not only were impressed, but the lady in charge said to me, ‘Ray, you guys do ten times more work than any other museum I have ever been to,’ and, as a result of that visit, our last eight aircraft we haven’t had to buy them – they have been gifted to us.
"The only cost then is the transport, when we were normally paying twenty or thirty thousand pounds.
"The Royal Air Force Heritage Team have been absolutely five star. They have helped us beyond our wildest dreams, and I think we are the only museum in the UK that was gifted a Red Arrows Hawk – and it’s a genuine one that flew with the Red Arrows for 32 years and is complete.”
Among the many highlights of the impressive collection are the Jaguar and Tornado fighter jets, Troubles-era veterans the Wessex and Lynx helicopters, and a WWII Wildcat fighter that was restored after crashing into a Co Antrim lough in 1944.
All tours of the collection are for groups by prior arrangement, with no walk-in visitors, but already this year the UAS has welcomed 4,500 people (since March 1).
"We have a fantastic team of 25-30 tour guides, with more wanting to take on the tour guide mantle every month, so as long as we get people volunteering to do that, we will take as many visitors as we can get,” Mr Burrows said.
"One of our big events to come is European Heritage Open Day, in the middle weekend in September, when we open our doors and this year expect to welcome around 5,000 people.
“We were down at the D-Day celebrations in Enniskillen – we took the Spitfire down – and we were at Armed Forces Day (at Jordanstown), when we took the Puma (helicopter), the Spitfire, the Gazelle (helicopter) and the Devon (cockpit). That was the first time we had four aircraft out.
"We have just gone from strength to strength.”
Plans for a peace centre, as part of a wider regeneration of the site, hit the buffers in 2013 over concerns that the remaining H-block and hospital wing would become a shrine to the ten republican hunger strikers who died there.
The then DUP first minister Peter Robinson said it would be wrong to proceed with plans for a peace centre without a change of attitude by Sinn Fein, especially towards victims of the IRA.
In an apparent tit-for-tat response, Sinn Fein deputy first minister Martin McGuinness then refused to give the necessary sign-off to permit the UAS open days that generated much needed funds for the society.
Last month, Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill said a meeting will take place with the Maze/Long Kesh development corporation to discuss plans to “realise the site's potential”.
In response, the DUP has said it remains committed to developing the economic potential of the Maze site, but will continue to oppose any proposals that would “glorify” the terrorists who once occupied it.
Hangar Tours are free of charge, however the UAS relies on donations to support its 100% volunteer-run charity. Further details on the museum are available at www.ulsteraviationsociety.org