HELO AND WELCOME TO MY WEB SITE. I AM CHAIRMAN OF THE SHACKLETON AVIATION AND SPACE MUSEUM SITUATED AT MAGILLIGAN POINT IN THE COUNTY OF LONDONDERRY, AND AM PROUD TO SHARE WITH YOU THE HISTORY OF AVIATION IN IRELAND INCLUDING PHOTOS,LETTERS AND STORIES. THERE ARE OVER 30 MEMBERS IN THE SHACKLETON MUSEUM ASSOCIATION COSTING £10 PER YEAR WHICH INCLUDES THREE MAGAZINES AND FREE ADMISSION TO THE MUSEUM IF YOU HAVE A LOVE FOR AVIATION AND WISH TO JOIN YOU CAN POST A CHECK MADE OUT TO THE SHACKLETON AVIATION AND SPACE MUSEUM FOR £10 AND ALSO SEND YOUR FULL POSTAL ADDRESS. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON VISITING TIMES PLEASE RING BALLYKELLY 02877769807 OR MOB 07598706651. DURING THE WINTER MONTHS THE MUSEUM WILL BE OPEN EVERY SUNDAY FROM 1400 HRS TO 1600 HRS. GROUPS WISHING TO VISIT THE MUSEUM OUT OF VISITING HOURS CAN DO SO BY RINGING BALLYKELLY 02877769807
A SHORT HISTORY OF AVIATION IN IRELAND BY THE SHACKLETON AVIATIONAND SPACE MUSEUM SOCIETYTHE FIRST RECORDED BALOON ACCENT TOOK PLACE IN ULSTER IN MAY1824, AND THE FAMOUS IRISH EXPLORER SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON IN 1902 TOOK TO THE SKIES IN A BALLOON DURING A VOYAGE TO ANTARTICA WITH CAPTAIN ROBERT FALCON SCOTT ASCENDING TO650 FT. iT WAS NOT UNTILL 1908 WHEN THE FIRST AVIATOR FROM PINE STREET IN DERRY TOOK TO THE SKIES IN 1908 ON THE SHORES OF LOUGH SWILLY
THE NOW FAMOUS HARRY FERGUSON FAMOUS FOR HIS INVENTION OF THE FERGUSON TRACTOR FIRST TOOK TO THE SKIES IN DECEMBER 1909 AND HOLDS THE RECORD AS THE FIRST MAN TO FLY A PLANE IN IRELAND. HARRY FERGUSON ALSO FLEW MANY FLIGHT TRIALS AT MAGILLIGAN POINT THE FOLLOWING YEAR IN JULY AND AUGUST 1910 AND ALSO RECORDED THE FIRST WOMAN PASSANGER FLIGHT IN IRELAND AT MAGILLIGAN WITH A FILM ACTRESS MISS RITA MARR. THE FIRST MILLITARY FLIGHT IN IRELAND WAS RECORDED IN 1913, WHEN A CAPTAIN GEORGE DAWS LANDED ON THE BEACH AT NEWCASTLE COUNTY DOWN IN A BE2A BIPLANE ON A TRIP FROM MONTROSE IN SCOTLAND.IN 1917 SHOLTO DOUGLAS OF THE ROYAL FLYING CORP A YOUNG PILOT AND LATER TO BECOME MARSHAL OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE. HE SURVEYED 8 GRASS SITES IN IRELAND ON WHICH TRAINING SITES COULD BE ESTABLISHED. DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR. THE AMERICAN NAVY CONSTRUCTED A FLYING BOAT BASE AT TURE IN COUNTY DONEGAL ON THE SHORES OF LOUGH FOYLE, AND AT AROUND THE SAME TIME THE OLDEST AIRFIELD IN NORTHERN IRELAND WAS CONSTRUCTED AT ALDERGROVE AND SELECTED AS AN AIRCRAFT ACCEPTANCE PARK.
ON MAY THE 21ST 1927 CHARLES LINDBERGH WHO BECAME THE FIRST MAN TO CROSS THE ATLANTIC COVERING 3,614 MILES AND PASSED OVER VALENCIA IN IRELAND ON HIS RECORD BRAKING JOURNEY FINALLY LANDING IN FRANCE.
IN 1928 AN IRISHMAN MAJOR FITZMAURICE AND TWO GERMANS, BECAME THE FIRST AVIATORS TO CROSS THE ATLANTIC FROM EAST TO WEST.
IN 1931 SUPERMARINE SOUTHAMPTONS OF THE RAF WERE EXERCISING ON LOUGH FOYLE, AND A YEAR LATER IN 1932 AMELIA EARHART BECAME THE FIRST WOMAN TO FLY SOLO ACROSS THE ATLANTIC, FLYING FROM HARBOUR GRACE NEWFOUNDLAND AND LANDING IN BALLYARNETT NEAR DERRY CITY.
IN 1933 GENERAL BALBO FROM FERRARA IN ITALY LANDED ON LOUGH FOYLE WITH HIS TEAM OF FLYING BOATS, AND A YEAR LATER THE MARQUIS OF LONDONDERRY GAVE A 50 ACRE SITE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN AIRFIELD AT NEWTOWNARDS.
BY THE END OF WW2 NO FEWER THAN 22 AIRFIELDS WERE IN OPERATION, INCLUDING FLYING BOATS ON LOUGH ERNE, AND COSTAL COMMAND BASES FLYING FORTRESSES, LIBERATORS WELLINGTONS, HUDSONS, AND WHITLEYS AT BALLYKELLY AND LIMAVADY.
WITH THE END OF WW2 IN 1945 AND THE BEGINNING OF COLD WAR WHICH WOULD LAST ANOTHER 45 YEARS TWO AIRFIELDS IN THE NORTH WEST AT EGLINTON {HMS GANNET} AND RAF BALLYKELLY REMAINED ACTIVE FROM 1947 TRAINING CREWS IN THE ANTI-SUBMARINE ROLE, TO COMBAT THE THREAT FROM THE INCREASE IN TENSION FROM THE MILITARY EXPANSION OF THE RUSSIAN NAVY AND SOVIET BLOCK COUNTRIES.
AT BALLYKELLY BY FAR LARGEST BASE IN NORTHERN IRELAND 3 SQUADRONS OF COSTAL COMMAND SHACKLETONS WERE ON OPERATIONAL DUTY, INCLUDING AIR SEA RESUE, AND ALSO ON DETATCHMENTS ACROSS THE GLOBE. VISITING SQUADRONS FROM NATO WOULD ALSO ATTEND A 6 WEEK JASS COURSE (JOINT ANTI-SUBMARINE TRAINING SCHOOL} AT HMS SEA EAGLE IN LONDONDERRY. ALSO AT BALLYKELLY WAS THE RESIDENT ASWDU {ANTI-SUBMARINE WARFARE DEVELOPMENT UNIT WITH TWO SHACKLETONS. THE RAF FINALLY LEFT BALLYKELLY IN 1971. AT THE END OF WW2 (ROYAL NAVY AIR STATIONT EGLINTON) A FIGHTER SCHOOL ARRIVED WITH FIREFLIES AND CORSAIRS WERE ANTI-SUBMARINE TRAINING WAS CARRIED OUT WITH FIREFLIES AND CORSAIRS, THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY WORKED UP BEFORE GOING TO THEIR NEW CARRIER HMAS SYDNEY,AND THE GERMAN NAVY WITH GANNETS HAD ONE OF ITS FIRST SQNS COMMISIONED AT EGLINTON IN1958. THE ROYAL NAVY LEFT EGLINTON IN 1959 BUT THE STATION WAS REACTIVATED IN 1960 AS HMA SEA EAGLE,CLOSING AGAIN IN 1966 AND MOVING TO RAF BALLYKELLY AS HMS SEALION WITH HELICOPTERS. DURING THE NORTHERN IRELAND TROUBLES RAF BALLYKELLY BECAME SHACKLETON BARRACKS AND WAS HOME TO VARIOUS ARMY REGIMENTS AND THE ARMY AIR CORP WITH LYNX AND GAZELLE HELICOPTERS FROM 655 SQN. WITH THE END OF THE TROUBLES BALLYKELLY CLOSED IN 2008.
IN 1987 RICHARD BRANSON TOUCHED THE GROUND NEAR LIMAVADY IN HIS HOT AIR BALLOON GONDOLA OF GUSUK THE VIRGIN ATLANTIC FLYER BEFORE CRASHING INTO THE SEA NEAR RATHLIN ISLAND BALLYCASTLE
ON THE 7TH OF JANUARY 1990 THE APOLLO 15 AND LUNAR MODULE PILOT ASTRONAUT JAMES IRWIN VISITED LIMAVADY. IN 1991 10 SURVIVORS FROM A RUSSIAN FACTORY SHIP WERE FLOWN BY NAVY SEA KING HELICOPTERS FROM SCOTLAND TO BALLYKELLY AND THEN TO ALTNAGALVIN HOSPITAL IN DERRY BY WESSEX HELICOPTER.
IN 2004 THE LAST OPERATION TO TAKE PLACE AT SHACKLETON BARRACKS INVOLVED THREE HELICOPTERS SENT TO BALLYKELLY TO TAKE PART IN THE RESCUE OF A STRIKEN CANADIAN SUBMARINE WHICH CAUGH FIRE 120MILES OFF THE WEST COAST OF IRELAND .
THE LAST INCIDENT AT BALLYKELLY 2006 WAS FLIGHT FR9884 AN AIRJET USED BY RYAN AIR WITH 38 PASSENGERS ON BOARD LANDING AT BALLYKELLY BY MISTAKE INSTEAD OF CITY OF DERRY AIRPORT 3 MILES AWAY
FOR THE AVIATION ENTHUSIAST AIRCRAFT CAN STILL BE SEEN AT CITY OF DERRY AIRPORT, EGLINTON FLYING CLUB, AND THE ULSTER GLIDING CLUB AT BELLARENA.
Click here to add text.
HARRY FERGUSON MAGILLIGAN STRAND JUL-AUG 1910 FIRST MAN TO FLY A PLANE IN IRELAND
FORMER RAF MK3 AVRO SHACKLETON 203SQN BALLYKELLY UNDER REPAIR AT DUXFORD AIR MUSEUM OCTOBER 2010
Shackleton head gear donated to the museum by Jim Box
Welcome to the Shackleton AVIATION MUSEUM
