RAF Museum - Free Family Day Out
Fly through Britain's aeronautical history at this North London gem
Take a journey through the history of flight at the wonderful Royal Air Force Museum in Colindale, the country's only museum dedicated wholly to aviation. On the site of what used to be RAF Hendon, there are more planes here than in an Airfix junkies bedroom.
Split into categories like Milestones of Flight and The Battle of Britain hall, the Museum has a huge collection of over 100 aircraft from both World Wars and even offers a restored aircraft factory dating from 1917 in the shape of the Grahame-White Factory - the first commercial aircraft producers in Britain.
Planes in the collection come from all over the world, including France, Germany, American and Japan, though of course there's a strong focus on British innovation and ingenuity. Impressive fighting machines rub shoulders with planes so delicate in appearance it's a wonder they ever left the ground, and the 3D cinema, touch screens and a timeline wall are just a few of the educational (but fun) aides on hand to reveal the story of these flying machines.
Away from the main feature there are regular events all year round (check the website for details), plus there's a restaurant, picnic area and relaxation space for families who want to make a day of it, as well as a tempting shop for aircraft nerds to stock up on fiddly model kits and smelly glue.
How to get there:
By tube: Colindale (Northern Line, Edgware branch)
By bus: 303
By Rail: Mill Hill Broadway (Luton/Kings Cross/Thameslink line)
Driving / Parking: Parking at the Museum is Free
** A word of caution to SatNav slaves -
Currently several SatNav systems have incorrectly indexed the postcode which means that people are being told that they have arrived at their destination whilst they are still on the M1. As a result they recommend that rather than typing the postcode into your SatNav system, input the road name instead - Grahame Park Way. The Museum is clearly signposted from here.
