Royal Air Force 100th Jubilee Celebration
Mandy and her band have been invited to perform wartime classics under the wings of a Lancaster Bomber, the plane her grandfather was flying whilst shot down over France. He went into hiding and fought with the French resistance and was awarded the DSO medal for bravery.
Thu 5 July 2018
19:00 – 23:00 BST
Royal Air Force Museum, Grahame Park Way, London, NW9 5LL
Join us for a special event to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Royal Air Force.
Our one-off event includes:
- Exclusively-organised Boundless event: RAF 100th anniversary gala evening in the company of ex-Flight Commander & Tornado pilot Michael Napier and WWII Lancaster bomber pilot Rusty Waughman
- Private viewing of the Royal Air Force Museum Hendon and admission to the new Centenary Wing (due to open to the public in July 2018)
- Drinks reception under the wings of a Lancaster Bomber with veteran Lancaster pilot Rusty Waughman
- Q&A with Michael Napier and a signed copy of his book The Royal Air Force: A Centenary of Operations*
- Michael and Rusty will be joined by ex-Short Sunderland airframe mechanic Denis Williams
- Dine underneath a magnificent 1944 Short Sunderland, one of the key flying boats used during Second World War operations
- Complimentary event photographs
- From £99** per person
The RAF is the oldest and longest serving air force in the world and 2018 marks its 100th anniversary. To celebrate this historic occasion, Boundless have organised an exclusive event at the RAF Museum in Hendon. This one-off VIP gala dinner will also give you the opportunity to view new state-of-the-art exhibitions First 100 Years of the RAF and Now and The Future.
The evening will begin with a drinks reception in the museum’s Historic Hangars under the wings of a Second World War Lancaster Bomber alongside famous aircraft such as the Spitfire and Tornado and other feats of aviation technology. Guests will then move to the newly refurbished Hangar 1 to dine beneath the wings of a magnificent Short Sunderland flying boat. This particular aircraft was launched in 1944 and made 11 operational flights – during the evening you’ll have a chance to step on board to get a real sense of what it was like to be a crew member on this fantastic plane. There will also be live music from the era and a professional photographer will be on hand to provide complimentary souvenir pictures of your evening.
Guest speaker will be Michael Napier, who joined the Royal Air Force in 1978 and qualified as a fast-jet pilot in 1985. Flying Tornados, his military career encompassed both the Cold War and operations over Iraq after the Gulf War. On leaving the RAF in 1997, he joined British Airways and has gained over 15,000 hours’ flying experience. He has written for a variety of aviation magazines and is the author of numerous books, including his latest title The Royal Air Force: A Centenary of Operations. Michael will be joined by Rusty Waughman, a former WWII Lancaster Bomber who flew a full tour in 1944. He was just 20 years old when he flew his first sortie during the Battle of Berlin in 1943, after which he was posted to No 101 (Special Duties) Squadron at Ludford Magna, Lincolnshire. We are also pleased to announce the addition of Denis Williams - having spent three years working on Short Sunderland flying boats at RAF Seletar, Denis is the perfect person to give you an insight as to what life was like on board the unique aircraft.