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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

5th September 1940. For 58 days the RAF had been pummelled by Luftwaffe raids on airfields and aircraft factories, suffering 350 aircrew casualties but destroying some 600 Luftwaffe aircraft. The following evening Home Forces issued alert No.3 "Invasion probable within 3 days".

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

The map points to areas that can have conflicting noise or flashing lights, that can have bright lights or are kept dark, and those spaces that can get busy at times, so visitors can navigate the museum comfortably.

Photo colour of the upper bridge of the control room, the room is dimly lit with bright control panels, radar displays and microphone headsets

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

For some visitors a visit to any attraction can cause anxiety about what to expect when they arrive, so to help our volunteers and work experience students have been working on a new sensory map. To pick one up when you visit please ask at reception and we'd love to hear your feedback.

Photo colour of a new museum sensory map, showing the different height levels of the museum and areas with conflicting noise, bright lights or busy areas

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

For many the day came with relief and celebrations, but for others, including POWs it would be many months before they would be able to return home to their families.

cartoon, black and white, from Peter Harrild's diary of a WAAF running to be reunited with her RAF partner

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

The date is recorded in the grumbling diary entry for Peter Harrild, a member of RAF AMES 117 unit, that used a mobile Gee-H blind bombing and radio navigation system and had moved with the advancing Allied forces into Germany.

diary extract from AMES 117, Peter Harrild describes the end of the war and grumbles that he still has to work despite the celebrations

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Today we mark the 81st anniversary of the end of the Second World War and remember all those who served and those who made the ultimate sacrifice in that terrible conflict.

photo colour, an RAF radar trailer (type 86) at the RAF Air Defence Radar Museum, draped in red poppy display and with a rainbow in the background

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Today is the Panavia Tornado's 52nd birthday! On this day in 1974 the first took to the air, and through several variants continued to serve until 2019. The clip below is taken from the 1985 film Fighter Controller. You can experience a Tornado at the museum by climbing into the cockpit of our F3

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

An amazing day celebrating all things SR-71 at the American Air Museum at IWM Duxford today, meeting the real crews, demonstrating the heat resistant strength of the Blackbird's materials and a bit of friendly competition between the IWM volunteers and the RAF cadets on the reaction test!

Photo colour the SR-71 blackbird reconnaissance aircraft at the American Air museum in the UK

Photo colour volunteer Clive demonstrates the resistance of different metals to heat using a heat gun

Photo colour Imperial War Museum volunteers compete on the computer reaction test game

Photo colour a model SR-71 blackbird painted black and covered in silver and gold signatures of pilots and crew members on a red table cloth

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Whilst we tire of the AI slop filling social media (including from some high-profile museums), it's our pleasure to share this beautiful montage of our museum created by talented work experience student Daisy last week. The art shows some of her favourite objects in the museum, see Alt text.

Art, colour, colouring pencil drawings of objects at the RAF Air Defence Radar Museum, clockwise from top left: bloodhound missile, spitfire, 259 radar, plotting table, RAF ensign, Cold War ops room, Jaguar aircraft and radar console. Drawn by work experience student Daisy.

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

It's worth us repeating that we are probably the coolest museum in Norfolk right now! The Cold War room in particular is the best place to be at the moment, not only for the wonderful talks delivered by our expert volunteers, but it is also pleasantly cool in here!

Photo, colour, the cold, Cold War ops room full of illuminated display boards, radar screens and buttons

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Geoff was given the privilege to pick his own motor launch '1268' to travel between the ships and shore to prepare and maintain the equipment in Scotland before they moved South to take position off the French coast on the 6th June. We're grateful to Geoff's family for the information and artefacts

photo, black and white, tracers fly across the sky from hundreds of guns from the Allied ships anchored off the French coast on the evening of 6th June 1944. The label reads 'SWORD area during a raid' Sword was the name of one of the British landing beaches in Normandy.

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

One of these was Geoff Larkby, a BBC engineer who found himself recruited into the RAF to help establish sites (such as ours) before setting up the 3 Fighter Direction Tenders. These ships were floating radar stations to coordinate the thousands of aircraft and warn of incoming air raids.

photo, black and white, of RAF motor launch 1268, used by Geoff Larkby to service the Fighter Direction Tenders on D-Day. The boat is quite small, with a mast sticking up from the centre, a closed cockpit and various equipment strapped to the rear of the vessel. 1268 is written in bold numbers on the prow next to an RAF roundel. The boat is berthed in what looks like a river

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Today marks the 82nd anniversary of Operation Overlord - otherwise popularly known as 'D-Day'. Here at the museum we have an exhibition of the little-known stories from that day in our Gallery, featuring the men and women who had vital roles in the successful landings and the ensuing battles inland.

photo, black and white, of the RAF crew of a motor launch in 1944. The crew are 6 men and one woman, all in RAF uniforms and hats, standing on the top of the launch which has a mast and lots of rigging and flags behind them

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

17,340 a year, 578 a week - that's how many hours our volunteers put in to our museum in 2025. Without them we wouldn't even be able to open, let alone give an excellent experience to our visitors.

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

Perfectly timed for #ColdWarWeek we were joined by Burkhard and Dieter Dreyer, German exchange officers who served in the RAF in the '70s and '80s at West Drayton and Neatishead respectively. You can hear Dieter describe his service here thanks to WISE Archive: www.wisearchive.co.uk/story/the-ge...

Photo, colour, three men in casual clothes standing below a sign that reads 'Royal Air Force Neatishead'. From the left to right the men are Dieter Dreyer, Kevin Pellat and Burkhard Dreyer, all former RAF officers, Dieter and Burkhard were Luftwaffe exchange officers.

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

This week sees the beginning of #ColdWarWeek and we've been honoured to be joined by not only Elton John but also Bernie Taupin (if you squint a bit)! #ColdWarHistory #coldwarweek

photo, colour, shows the wonderful Cold War presenters John and Ian very much in the spirit of the week, standing in front of our Bloodhound missile dressed in 1980s clothing, John on the left is imitating Elton John with feather bower and boater hat, Ian is dressed in double denim

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

We love having great reviews left on TripAdvisor and Google, or in our visitor book. But we should also say we'd rather you didn't touch our amazing staff...

Photo of the comments made in a visitor book at the RAF Air Defence Radar Museum stating "nice to be able to touch amazing displays and staff"

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

We're very proud to have received the Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Award 2026! Thanks to all of our visitors for writing such wonderful reviews, and a big thanks to the volunteers who dedicate their time and skills in engaging with visitors and creating this special museum.

graphic, colour, of the Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice Award 2026, awarded to the RAF Air Defence Radar Museum, recognising the excellent reviews written by visitors

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

This week we've got more Easter egg hunts, talks in the Second World War and Cold War Ops room, cockpits to explore and our ever-popular Lego room.You can find out more about the Bloodhound system - even the chance to push the big red button. Open until Saturday this week,10am-5pm each day.

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

It's International Day of Happiness, and we're very happy to announce we'll be reopening tomorrow Saturday 21st March! Some of you will be familiar with the Sector Clock - if not come and find out from our Second World War team. But do you know why adverts for clocks show them at 10:10?

Photo, colour, a Sector clock used by the royal air force in wartime to help coordinate information coming into the filter rooms. The clock shows numbers 1-12 as well as an outer ring of seconds. Red, yellow and blue triangles point outwards between every hour, and the hands are pointed at the 10:10 position

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Not long now until the museum reopens for the 2026 season, and make sure you're following us to stay up to date on our latest events! From 21st March step back into our award-winning, volunteer-run attraction that explores the history of the people and technology involved in the UK's air defences.

photo, colour, illuminated buttons from a radar console in the RAF Air Defence Radar Museum's preserved operations room

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Known as “Auntie Joan” and well-respected by everyone who worked with her and by many others who came into contact with her, Joan became the first female officer to command an operational station in 1982. Joan would retire as an Air Commodore and passed away in 2010.

photo, black and white, Group Captain Joan Hopkins takes command at RAF Neatishead 1982. The photo shows a man and woman, both in RAF uniforms, with the man passing over comically large keys to the woman.

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women #iwd and who better to feature than Group Captain Joan Hopkins from 'Fighter Controller' a BBC 1985 documentary about RAF Neatishead and its Cold War role.

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

An excellent article, the radar mast is an AMES type 9 (Chain Home Mobile) which was the first RAF radar in North Africa.

photo, black and white, a representation of the crew and vehicles of an RAF AMES Type 9 convoy (Chain Home Mobile) used during the Second World War.

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

It's been wonderful to see so many visitors today, especially so many new people! We'll have more science activities tomorrow from 10am, and you can get yourself one of our new badges to show everyone you enjoyed your visit!

Photo, colour a circular badge with "I was dragged to the RAF Air Defence Radar Museum and enjoyed it" written on it

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

The museum won't be open tomorrow, we'll be at the Forum, Norwich for the norwichsciencefestival.co.uk But we haven't forgotten Valentine's Day, see, we found this lovely heart shaped plotting counter for you. Does anyone know why it is a different shape to the regular arrow shapes?

photo, colour, a red heart shaped metal counter, the counter is worn with blunted dark edges and scuffs

photo, colour, plotting table counters from an RAF filter room, the counters are thin metal painted either red, blue or yellow. The counters have been placed on the squared white table with black lines

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

Today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science By 1944 the UK's radar stations and filter rooms were largely operated by the WAAF. Chain Home owed greatly to Dr Mary Taylor who carried out the calculations for Robert Watson-Watt when first experimenting with radar. (see Alt text)

photo, black and white, clockwise from top left, Dr Mary Taylor, British mathematician and theoretical physicist. She carried out the research and calculations for Watson-Watt and Wilkins when experimenting with using radio waves to detect aircraft.
Top right, a WAAF (unnamed) moves information tags on a tote board inside a fighter control post.
Bottom, Women's Auxiliary Air Force personnel pose for a photo outside their wooden hut in the grounds of the Petersfield Hotel, Horning, Norfolk in the 1940s. The women were based at RAF Neatishead and RAF Coltishall.

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

One from the RAF Air Defence Radar Museum archives: January 1992 Wing Commander Knapman explains a sortie to Mr Bert Edwards. Mr Edwards was the winner of a local radio auction, with the prize being the chance to control an RAF fighter aircraft from RAF Neatishead.

photo, colour, two men sit at a radar console. The console has banks of white buttons and a yellow tracker ball which the RAF Wing Commander is controlling.

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

A sneaky peak of what the hardy volunteers have been up to this week, building a viewing platform for the Leyland Hippo cabin, repainting handrails and attempting to upgrade some of the computers from Windows Vista...can you guess which is causing the most headaches?

Photo, colour, of inside a workshop, a large green lorry stands with a metal staircase against it as well as tools and ladders

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

#Onthisday 1946 The UN Atomic Energy Commission was founded "to deal with the problems raised by the discovery of atomic energy." It proposed for “the elimination from national armaments of atomic weapons” and the use of atomic energy “only for peaceful purposes.” It was disbanded in 1952.

photo, black and white, showing representatives of various nations at the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission in January 1946, the US representative was Bernard Baruch, Sir Alexander Cadogan was the United Kingdom's representative

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

Our Tornado F3 ZE936 carried out border patrols with 43 Squadron, and you can learn more about the Coltishall Jaguars in the Coltishall collection when the museum reopens in Spring.

photo, colour of the cockpit of a Tornado F3 fighter at the RAF Air Defence Radar Museum. The cockpit is full of instruments and dials, control sticks and buttons. The ejector seat has a green padded cushion and drab canvas straps.

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

#OnThisDay 17th January 1991 Operation Desert Storm began five weeks of strikes on Iraq. The UK element, Op Granby, involved RAF Tornados, Jaguars, Buccaneers, supported by Victors, Tristars, Hercules and Nimrods as well as Chinooks and Pumas.

photo, colour, front cover of the 1991 RAF Yearbook, a special publication about the air war in the Gulf. The cover has a painting, by Hardy, of a Tornado Gr1 and a Blackburn Buccaneer jets flying over an Iraqi airfield. The jets are painted a beige sandy colour and both have cartoon nose art. The aircraft are dropping dark green laser guided bombs and the sky is filled with explosions from anti-aircraft sells exploding, a surface to air missile is climbing behind the jets.

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

With Norfolk recording the lowest temperature so far this winter (-12.5), it's a balmy -1 inside the museum today! The museum remains closed until Spring, with our hardy volunteers continuing to prepare for reopening.

Photo, colour, the entrance to the RAF Air Defence Radar Museum with the ground covered in snow

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

'You've heard of Elf on the Shelf, now get ready for...'

A toy brown horse is pulling a red sleigh, a piece of radar equipment is sticking out of the sleigh too. The piece of equipment is something that guides radio waves to an aerial

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

Well it's that time of year again, so time for several days of our most excellent followers answering that tired question: 'You've heard of Elf on the Shelf, now get ready for...' (We're starting strong for this one)

Hard to do without giving away clues, but it's a mashup of a 1980s lead singer from a popular British band and a critical piece of radar equipment that you can often find in your kitchen

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

One from the #RAFADRM archives: 'Home in a tent' Christmas Day 1942 for the RAF 303 Signals Unit in Benghazi, Libya, looking a bit glum having been flooded out the previous night due to a horrific rainstorm.

archive photo, black and white, four men around the open flap of a large tent, three sit on boxes looking sad due to horrible wet weather flooding the tent. The men are dressed in various coats and jackets of the RAF Signals Unit they belong to, a German infantry helmet is perched on a can in the foreground.

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

This photo was taken on Christmas morning 1944 outside the WAAF quarters at Petersfield House in Horning, Norfolk. They worked as radar operators, mechanics and plotters at the Neatishead GCI Station. By 1944 there were well over 100 WAAFs working at Neatishead, billeted in the nearby villages

photo, black and white, of young women who were members of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force in front of a wooden cabin, in the grounds of the Petersfield House hotel, Horning in 1944. Some are in uniform or in woollen jumpers.

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

We're proud to announce today the RAF Air Defence Radar Museum has been awarded the King's Award for Voluntary Service. The award is the highest that can be given to a voluntary organisation, championing the outstanding work of volunteers in their community. #KAVS2025

a white crown made up of pictures of tiny figures against a purple background.

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 08/11/2025

The museum is based in the R30 ops building (bottom left of the photo), now a grade 2* listed structure as a "uniquely intact electronic 'frontline' of the Cold War of international importance". The museum opened in 1994, with the rest of the former RAF Neatishead site now in private hands.🧵

Photo, colour, an aerial view of the site of former RAF Neatishead in the Norfolk countryside, with the white dome of the new RAF radar in the centre and the museum area at the bottom left inside a dark green building.

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

A few of the photos from last weekend's outstanding 1940s event. A huge thank you to all the volunteers, entertainers, re-enactors and enthusiasts who help make the event such a success. We'll be planning more events for our 2026 season so stay tuned for updates. www.radarmuseum.co.uk

photo, colour, of the staff and volunteers of the RAF Air Defence Radar Museum in 1940s period costumes gathered at the entrance of the museum

photo, colour, of a pair of 1940s re-enactors dressed as Dad's Army characters Private Walker and Private Godfrey

photo, colour, a volunteer dressed as a 1940s policeman standing with an RAF bicycle in front of the museum. Union flag bunting hangs along the handrails of a ramp behind

photo, colour, of Bombshell Rheanne, one of the excellent singers entertaining visitors to the museum. She is dressed in 1940s costume and stands in front of a green RAF lorry that has been decorated in Union flags

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 27/09/2025

Mystery object of the day - can you name this piece of equipment and how it is connected to Dr Who?

a black and white photo of a mystery object, a component of a radar aerial

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

From one of our volunteers: "If they are referring to the big screen at the front of Upper Ops (Weapons), the only time I saw this in use was at the morning briefings & Exercise briefings.

Photo, colour, Royal Air Force personnel manning the ICCS consoles in the R3 bunker at RAF Neatishead

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

#Onthisday 17th September 1944 at 12:45pm the Dunwich Microwave Early Warning plot of American airborne forces approaching the Netherlands for Operation Market Garden. @nationaltrust.org.uk

photo, black and white, of a radar plot showing the coast of north-west Europe with spokes radiating from a spot of light on the Suffolk Coast where the Dunwich radar station stood. A thin shape of dots marks the armada of aircraft taking the American airborne forces towards Nijmegen in the Netherlands as part of Operation Market Garden, 17th September 1944

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 14/08/2025

To celebrate reaching 4000 followers on #Bluesky here's our 4000th archive record - showing RAF 114 Signals Unit at Luneberg, Germany in 1948. 114 SU were positioned to assist with the Berlin Airlift and the RAF radar units supporting air traffic control.

photo, black and white, a scan of personnel of RAF 114 Signals Unit sitting on a lorry in Luneberg, Germany in 1948

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 26/07/2025

Funday Thursdays continue next week with our popular Camouflage workshop with Clive, as well as our teddy bear trail, outdoor games, scavenger hunts, dressing up and Lego challenges, plus all of our regular flight sims, interactive games, open cockpits and volunteer talks.

photo, colour, a brown teddy bear wearing a pullover and a name badge stating 'Babs Bear' sitting holding a spoon in front of a poster advertising Funday Thursdays of family events at the RAF Air Defence Radar Museum.

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

We're very proud to have earned the coveted Tripadvisor Traveller's Choice award for another year. It really means a lot to us to read so many wonderful reviews of our museum and for the repeated mentions of the care and dedication our volunteers demonstrate to engage visitors with our history.

photo, colour, a certificate awarding the RAF Air Defence Radar Museum the Tripadvisor Traveller's Choice Award 2025.

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

*record scratch* *freeze frame* Yep, that's me. Pilot Officer P. Peacock. You're probably wondering how I got here on the No.104 Fighter Controller Course at West Drayton in 1977.

photo, black and white, the No.104 Fighter Controller course. Men and women of the Royal Air Force are seated for a group photo, one lady is holding a peacock on her lap, the peacock is labelled as having the military rank of Pilot Officer.

photo, black and white, a close up of the peacock sitting in the front row of military personnel

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 15/07/2025

We've been very pleased to see visitors using the new Bloomberg Connects free digital guide to discover and explore the museum. If you haven't downloaded the app yet, please do, and if you have used it we're interested in hearing your thoughts below on what you enjoyed and what we can improve.

photo, colour, a person holding a phone with the Bloomberg Connects digital guide to the RAF Air Defence Radar Museum. In the background is the cockpit of a Tornado F3.

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RAF Air Defence Radar Museum @rafadrm.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

Some of you haven't watched Angels One Five, and to be honest it shows

Photo, black and white, actor Jack Hawkins in the 1952 film Angels One Five. The man stands in front of a wall mounted map of Europe, a ceiling light hangs in the top left corner.

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