| abstract
| - The Yorkshire Air Museum & Allied Air Forces Memorial, (RAF Elvington airfield during the World War II), is an air museum in England. The museum was first opened to the public on 31 May 1986. The Yorkshire Air Museum & Allied Air Forces Memorial is the largest independent air museum in Britain and is located on the former World War II, Station near York. It is the most original WWll RAF Bomber Command station open to the public and the only base used by French Heavy Bomber Squadrons during the war (346 'Guyenne' & 347 'Tunisie') plus No. 77 Squadron RAF. It is also the only allied air forces memorial in Europe. The Museum has a good international reputation and profile with established branches in Canada and France and is supported by over 4000 registered “friends” across the world. The Vice President of the Museum is Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton KCB, BSc, FRAes, DCMI, RAF. The Museum's principal activity is in education and the history of flight, through which it is involved with aerospace manufacturers and organisations via its long term "Reach for the Sky" project which in 2008 delivered the first KS2 History of Aviation educational resource book to all 26,000 primary schools in UK, supported by RAeS and the Ministry of Transport. The Museum has around 50 aircraft scanning the development of aviation from 1853 up to the current GR4 Tornado. Several aircraft are kept live. Over 20 historic vehicles and a Registered Archive containing over 500,000 historic artefacts and documents are also preserved at the Museum, which is also the Official Archive for the National Aircrew Association and National Air Gunners Association. It is nationally registered and accredited through MLA / DCMS and is a registered charity. The -acre (m²) parkland site (which currently holds the Yorkshire in Bloom, Silver Gilt Award 2009) includes buildings and hangars, some of which are “listed”, and the site incorporates a -acre (m²) managed environment area and a DEFRA and EA supported self sustainability project called "Nature of Flight". One of the UK’s most important permanent exhibitions on RAF Bomber Command was opened at the Museum in 2008, by Life Member, Sir David Jason OBE. In 2010 another new exhibition called “Pioneers of Aviation”, and funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, is to be opened featuring the lives and achievements of Sir George Cayley, Sir Barnes Wallis, Robert Blackburn, Nevil Shute and Amy Johnson. Principal on-site businesses include: Restaurant, Publishing, Retail Shop, Operational Fire Service, Events, Aircraft Operation Engineering Workshops, Archives and Corporate Business Suite. The Museum undertakes several annual events each year within the general attraction / entertainment area as well as educational / academic events for specific audiences, plus several corporate events in association with companies such as Bentley, Porsche, Banking, Government Agencies etc. It is operated by 149 employees, of which 138 are unpaid volunteers. A small operations team works closely together in a variety of specialist subjects from PR/marketing to Corporate Affairs and Museum Management. The Museum is expanding rapidly and currently receives over 90,000 visitors per annum. It has received numerous awards, such as “Top Attraction in Yorkshire”, Top Tourism Business; Top Marketing Award & Top Website. The Museum is open every day except for Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
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