As part of the Scotland-wide Festival of Museums, Montrose Air Station will be throwing open its gates this weekend with free entry to its award-winning heritage centre.
Over the weekend of the festival, Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre will be commemorating the Royal Flying Corps’ time in the town.
Centre curator Dan Paton said: “The Royal Flying Corps was the forerunner to the RAF and their No 2 Squadron flew into Montrose in the lead up to World War 1 to establish the UK’s first military air base.”
As well as the exhibitions and recreated wartime rooms in the air station’s historic hangars and barracks, over the weekend there will be a programme of special events and activities, including the chance to watch the station’s team of dedicated volunteers building the replica of a very significant World War 1 aircraft.
“On August 2 1914, a BE2 piloted by No 2 Squadron’s Lieutenant Harvey-Kelly left Montrose Air Station and subsequently became the first British aircraft to land in France,” continued Dr Paton.
“Work is progressing very well with our replica BE2 and we’re looking forward to welcoming visitors to the hangar where construction work is taking place.”
When complete the BE2 will complement the Air Station’s replica Sopwith Camel.
There will also be information and advice about tracing and researching relatives who served in the armed forces and the opportunity to commemorate wartime ancestors on the Air Station’s poignant Poppy Wall. In addition, there will be opportunities to sit in the cockpit of Montrose Air Station’s replica Spitfire.