Fleet Air Arm Museum Day Trips from Somerset & the South West
More than 90 aircraft belonging to the Royal Navy are housed in four halls at this Fleet Air Arm Museum in Somerset, as well as an award-winning exhibit that simulates life in an aircraft carrier.
It is an awesome sight to view – from above and below – this collection of aircraft that spans more than 100 years and includes helicopters plus the first British Concorde. There is also the chance to feel what it is like to step onto an aircraft carrier and to see what happens inside.
How to Book a Coach Trip to the Fleet Air Arm Museum
The Royal Naval Air Station Bus Stop is the sixth departure/arrival point of our London Superfast 2 (SF2) service. This service stops at Taunton, South Petherton, Ilminster, Ilchester and Yeovil before it reaches Yeovilton, then collects passengers from Wincanton, before proceeding directly to London.
The bus stops for departures and arrivals are located on the B3151, just a few hundred metres from the Fleet Air Arm Museum.
Unfortunately, there are no long-stay car parks near the bus stops, though parking may be possible on some nearby streets.
What’s it all about?
If you want to watch the Royal Navy Air Service Yeovilton’s aircraft going through training procedures from the museum’s viewing area, you will need to visit during the week.
A visit to this naval aviation museum in Somerset itself begins in the welcome gallery, which introduces you to the museum’s vast hangars and contains stories about naval heroes. In the first hangar, you will find historic planes and helicopters, including bi-planes, such as a Short S27 and a Fairey Swordfish bomber. There is also a fun morse-code area where you can try to crack a message from a blinking light across the hall.
Talks about aircraft history are sometimes held and family-friendly activities can take place during the school holidays. Flying suits worn by King Charles during his time serving at RNAS Yeovilton will be displayed to mark the coronation, alongside photographs.
What can I expect to see?
There is a stomach-rattling walk through a Wessex helicopter, which shudders as if in flight, to get to the new aircraft carrier experience. Visitors walk onto a simulation of the aircraft carrier’s deck, with one, long wall of the hall showing planes taking off and landing in surround sound. Fighter planes that would have been used on a carrier stand around for inspection.
Visitors then take a large lift in which a film plays, introducing them to the different levels of a 1970s aircraft carrier. These are explored on foot, with the sleeping quarters, the bridge and various control centres mocked up with mannequins. Video clips pop up here and there, with footage of crew members explaining their various roles on board.
The remaining highlight is Concorde 002, which sits in the final hall and can be entered via steps at the back. The narrow interior features seats but these were not original to the plane itself, which was a prototype for testing. Her last flight was to the museum in 1976. Those who board her can view the cockpit and learn about supersonic plane travel.
Where is the Fleet Air Arm Museum located from the Berrys Drop Off in Yeovilton?
We’ve included a Google Maps route to help guide you there.
How do I get there from the Berrys drop-off point in Ilchester?
The Royal Naval Air Station bus stop on Heathcote Road is situated right on the doorstep of RNAS Yeovilton. From this bus stop, the Royal Navy Museums: Naval Aviation is just 0.5 miles away, taking a simple 10-minute walk on foot (or under 2 minutes by car/taxi).
To walk to the museum from the bus stop:
Step off the bus onto Heathcote Road and head northeast toward the main road (B3151).
Turn right onto the B3151 and follow the pedestrian pavement eastward alongside the air station boundary.
Continue straight along the B3151 for roughly 400 yards; the main visitor gates and entrance to the Royal Navy Museums: Naval Aviation will be directly on your right, marked by the prominent exhibition hangars and outdoor play park.
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