Support Us

Why should you?  We believe it is really important to preserve these old aircraft in a flying state so that future generations can understand just what it took for young men to fly in really arduous conditions and in many cases under fire, from ships at sea.  Whether it is the flimsy canvas on the Swordfish fuselage (of Bismarck and Taranto fame), the absolute basic design of the Bristol Scout which flew from ships in the Great War, or the sheer size of the Sea Vixen which was central to jet operations from aircraft carriers, it is difficult not to be moved when you get up close and personal.  It is only when you see them fly that you understand just what they mean to the history of the nation and in particular, the history of maritime aviation in the Royal Navy.  So, to answer the question of why should you support us, if we cannot raise the money on an annual basis to keep them operating, all of these aircraft will end up in museums and will never fly again.  Our Supporters are the engine room which keep us going as a charity and for the price of less than a pint of beer or glass of wine a month you can make a real difference.

Jock Alexander, CEO Fly Navy Heritage Trust

How you can Help

Become a Supporter

Become a Navy Wings supporter and help keep our Naval aviation heritage flying whilst enjoying extra benefits read more

Swordfish Mk II LS326 Photography by Lee Howard
Volunteer

Volunteer with us today to help keep our historic aircraft flying. Roles can be as diverse as collecting donations to sorting through aircraft spares, or helping at our events. read more

Swordfish W5856. Photography by Lee Howard
Donate

Your donations continue to help keep our heritage aircraft flying as a living tribute to the bravery and ingenuity of the men who flew and maintained them read more

Your money is spent keeping our heritage naval aircraft flying so that we can Inspire future generations by bringing together the aircraft, people and story of flying from ships.

How your Money is Spent

A word from the CEO, Jock Alexander

Our aim is to inspire future generations by bringing together the aircraft, people and the stories of flying from ships at sea.

We are the only Charity in the UK who fly such a spread of aircraft, which along with our Associates, now covers the broad gambit of naval aviation from pre WW1 through to the late 20th Century, but I can promise you that none of this comes cheap.  To put the whole thing in perspective, we need to raise approximately £750,000 every year just to keep the show on the road and of this roughly 60% is direct costs of the aircraft, with the rest being spent on staff costs, administration and other overheads.  The burden of legislative requirements from both the Military Aviation Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority has increased massively in the last few years and rightly so, following a couple of aircraft crashes which led to loss of life in the military and civilian arenas.  Keeping apace with this mandated requirement has required an investment in the administration of the Trust, which when coupled with a positive decision by the Trustees to put the Charity on a properly resourced path for the future, has led to the launch of ‘Navy Wings’.

That said, I can report that our accounts are in relatively good shape and we certainly have enough reserves to keep the show on the road for the next couple of seasons.  We do however, need to expand the Supporter base and some of your money is being spent on a marketing campaign with an aim to double the supporter base by the end of 2017.

The enormous generosity of supporters allows the Fly Navy Heritage Trust to raise funds for many exciting projects, including sustaining historic naval aircraft in the long term and some work can take years to come to fruition. In a very few cases, the amount we raise may be more than the project needs and in exceptional circumstances, continuing a project or area of work may prove impossible. In either of these cases, the Trustees will apply the funds raised for the original purpose to other important work of the Trust and will always aim to use funds in a way that takes into account  donors’ original intentions.

More Ways to Help

Legacy Giving

By remembering the Trust in your will, you can help us to keep these beautiful aircraft flying and in doing so you will be directly helping to keep our heritage alive by providing an exciting and evocative educational link between the Royal Navy’s historic past and today’s modern audiences. read more