Yesterday afternoon I was invited along for a tour of the RAF Nimrod aircraft at Manchester airport ahead of its opening to the public next week.
Built in the late 1960's and delivered to the Royal Airforce in November 1969, the Nimrod retired to the Runway Visitor Park in May having had a fascinating career hunting out submarines and on occasion carrying out search and rescue operations. This military aircraft, which was one of the first planes to land at Manchester Airport after the volcanic ash flying ban, has been deployed all over the world, including The Falklands, Iraq, Afganistan and Bosnia. This particular Nimrod was also the first one to be deployed to Basra.
The plane was taken out of service in March this year and since then the RAF have removed any equipment which could be reused as well as any sensitive material so its doors can now be opened to the public for the first time.
All the Nimrod's missons are classified, so only broad details are available regarding what it actually did, but none the less I was given a very informative tour of this submarine killer which carried the most up to date sensors and data processing equipment linked to the weapon systems. Vince Chadwick, Ross Williamson and John Northwood provided a fascinating insight into the operation of this special aircraft, with access to the ordnance area, tactical compartment and flight deck.
Speaking about the Nimrod tour launch, Andrew Harrison, Commercial Director for Manchester Airport said: "We hope that the new museum will stand as an educational tribute to the role this sophisticated and once militarily sensitive aircraft performed in over 40 years of service. It is also a fitting location given the history of this aircraft that was built just down the road by BAE Systems at Woodford."
Public guided tours of the Nimrod start next week. During half term visitors to the Runway Visitor Park can book on the day, on a first come first served basis, with tours available from 11am until 3.30pm. Then from November 1st tours can be booked online or by phone. See the Manchester Airport website for further information.
Please note for safety reasons Nimrod tours are not suitable for under 12's.
