National Museum of Flight launches new future of aviation trail

The National Museum of Flight in East Fortune is exploring the future of aviation with a brand new family summer trail.

From reusing old technology to flying without pilots, the new Flying into the Future trail, supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, takes visitors around each of the Museum’s hangars to get a glimpse into what lies ahead for the aviation industry. Using a special map filled with fun activities, families are encouraged to complete puzzles and answer a range of questions about aviation.

While solving the flight-themed brain-teasers, visitors will learn about the challenges faced by the aviation industry and how aircraft engineers are using innovative solutions to meet the Scottish Government targets to reduce the negative impact of aviation by 2040.

Steve McLean, general manager at the National Museum of Flight, said: ‘Looking ahead to the next 20 years of aviation, a lot of change will happen within the industry to meet targets around sustainability. We are thrilled to launch our new Flying into the Future trail around the Museum to give our visitors an insight into what aviation might look like in years to come.

‘We can now show our visitors the past, present and future of aviation, and we hope this entertaining and educational trail fascinates and inspires our younger visitors. We look forward to hearing and discussing some of the responses to the quiz questions, as well as seeing what our visitors think the aircraft of the future will look like!’

Concorde at the National Museum of Flight (Photo: Sean Bell)

Laura Chow, head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, added: ‘The new Flying into the Future trail is a great addition to the National Museum of Flight. I’m delighted that players of People’s Postcode Lottery are supporting activities like this, to help educate the younger generation on the positive changes happening within the aviation industry.’

The Flying into the Future trail runs until Sunday October 31 and is most suitable for families with children aged 7-11. Visitors can download or pick up the new Museum trail on arrival.

Located at East Fortune Airfield in East Lothian, the National Museum of Flight displays a range of historic aircraft, from Concorde to a Supermarine Spitfire. The National Museum of Flight is open seven days a week between 10am-5pm. Timed-entry tickets are available to purchase in advance from the website: www.nms.ac.uk/national-museum-of-flight/book-tickets/

In line with Scottish Government guidelines, a range of measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of visitors and staff. This includes pre-booked timed entry, face coverings, enhanced cleaning, sneeze screens, hand-sanitising stations and one-way routes.

The latest information and guidance on how to visit all museums can be found on on their website: nms.ac.uk/reopening

National Museums Scotland has been awarded the UK-wide, industry standard ‘We’re Good To Go’ accreditation. This means the museums have followed Government and public health guidelines, have carried out Covid-19 risk assessments and have the appropriate processes in place.

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