NEWARK AIR MUSEUM - News Release

Cockpit-Fest is an annual event hosted by the Newark Air Museum and in 2009 the event was being run for the 10th consecutive year. This year's turnout of visiting aircraft and helicopter cockpits was a record and the quality of the restorations undertaken by the cockpit collectors was exceptional.

So in a year that nationally we celebrate 100 Years of Naval Aviation it seemed highly appropriate that one of the main successes at the event was Tony Collins with his rare cockpit of the Supermarine Scimitar F.1 XD235.

This cockpit won three of the nine prizes presented at this event including:

Second Readers Award [voted for by the visitors]

Cockpiteers Cockpit [voted for by the other cockpit owners]

Grand Champion [judged best overall out of more than 40 displays]

Picture one depicts the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster flypast over the event and the Grand Champion.

Picture two depicts a closer view of all of Tony's Sea Vixen and Scimitar cockpits.

The naval connections were also not lost on the volunteers and trustees from the Newark Air Museum, which is located well away from the sea in north eastern Nottinghamshire and itself displays 7 Fleet Air Arm airframes.