Amy Aviation is on a tour of the UK, visiting places well-known for their connection with UK aeronautics!
Today she’s in Yeovil, which is in the south-west of the UK – a beautiful part of the country and one with a big part in our aviation story.
It’s where you’ll find the Royal Naval Air Station, Yeovilton, home to the Fleet Air Arm – that’s the aircraft that belong to the Royal Navy.
It’s home to over 100 aircraft – from Lynx, Wildcat, Merlin and Sea King helicopters to the Royal Navy Historic Flight that maintains and flies historic naval aircraft, such as the Swordfish, Sea Fury and Sea Hawk, at air displays across the country.
If you want to learn more, why not drop in to the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Illchester?
That’s where you’ll find Europe’s largest naval aviation collection, including a Concorde that was used to test the aircraft before they entered service…
As well as the military base and museum, Yeovil is also home to Leonardo. Who’s he, he may ask? Well, he isn’t a person – it’s a famous company that make helicopters in all shapes and sizes.
The helicopters designed and built here range from small ones – just over a tonne in weight…
…to some of the very largest – like the AW101 Merlin that weighs in at over 16 tonnes and is at the cutting edge of helicopter technology.
As well as the military, these helicopters are used by all sorts of people – from the emergency services such as air ambulances and search & rescue, to workers on North Sea oil rigs who need a way to get back and forth.
You can watch the animated series of Amy’s Aviation on YouTube or download the audio series on your phone or tablet so you can listen whenever you like – at home or in the car!