Monthly Talks Programme
These take place on the last Thursday of each month at 19:30 (No Talks are held in August and December). The price for Talks at the Fleet Air Arm Museum for 2024 is £6.00. We are continuing to improve the standard of our live Zoom option with the aim of widening the audience for these talks. The cost for this option is £4.00.
Access for Thursday evening Talks at the Fleet Air Arm Museum is via the ground floor access gate, which is to the left of the main entrance stairs. Ring the bell on the sign to the left of the gate and a staff member will come and let you in.
Guests and non members are very welcome at the Museum or on Zoom. Tea/Coffee, Wine and Soft Drinks are available for a donation in the FAAM Auditorium before the presentation starts and also in the interval.
These are very popular events and we encourage you to purchase tickets beforehand to ensure entry. Entry is possible on the door of the night of the Talk but only if the maximum capacity has not been reached. Pre-paid tickets are guaranteed entry as priority will be given to pre-paid ticket holders. Tickets are available online via PayPal. Other payment options are available by BACS and Cheque. Please note: there is a cut off for purchasing advance tickets on the Tuesday before a Thursday Talk at 19:30 when the PayPal links will be disabled. Any payments received after the cut-off will be held over to the following month’s Talk.
NON SoFFAAM MEMBERS
Are very welcome to our Thursday evening Talks both at the Fleet Air Arm Museum and on Zoom. Consider joining SoFFAAM to get the benefits of entry to the Museum and other society privileges. See our Membership page HERE.
NB. We do not issue physical tickets. Names will be added to the audience attendance list at the Museum Auditorium. You will be asked for your Surname and checked-in on the night. The same is for Zoom where you will be checked as you log-in. Zoom links are sent out 48 hours before the talk takes place. For further details on any of the monthly talks, please contact us.
Alan Lawson – Saddam Hussein, my part in his downfall, Gulf War II*
Thursday 27 February 2025 at 19.30
We start with an overview Of Gulf War II of what was planned v. what happened, interspersed with personal stories about some of those involved, and the effects on the ground then and since, it all going to show that the “Law of Unintended Consequences” is immutable, and that it’s equally true that no good deed goes unpunished. As for Afghanistan – well, let’s keep that for another time; suffice it to say that we didn’t cover ourselves in glory there either – but I enjoyed that experience as well!
I’ve had a varied life as Soldier and Civil Servant, often confusing the two. From Junior Soldier at 16, I ended up as a senior Civil Servant in Whitehall. Hearing the Beatles singing “It was 20 years ago today” recently, it drew me back to 2003: bipolar certainties that kept the world relatively stable were long gone; the world was very much post 9/11, the axis of evil was next in line, and moves were afoot to deal with the unfinished business of Iraq under Saddam Hussein. What could possibly go wrong?
I had been involved in planning the invasion (or was it liberation? No, definitely invasion) of Iraq in 2002 but was mobilised to actually take part (bit of a shock that – perhaps we should do this more often with Civil Servants?…). Later, having served there several times in both military and civilian roles (on occasion at the same time) interspersed with periods back in Whitehall, I came to know the place and its people rather well.
*With apologies to Spike Milligan.
Payment options for this Talk are below:
February 2025 Talk Payment Information.
Members and guests attending at the FAA Museum is £6.00ea and Zoom £4.00ea. You can also pay on the door on the night to see this Talk, but priority will be given to pre-paid tickets if the hall capacity is reached.
PLEASE NOTE: there is a cut off for purchasing advanced tickets on the Tuesday prior to the Talk at 19:30 when the PayPal link will be disabled. Any BACS or Cheque payments received after this time will be held over to the following months Talk.
PayPal
To attend at the Museum is £6.00
To pay by PayPal please click HERE.
We do not issue physical tickets. PayPal informs us you have paid and your name will be added to the audience attendance list at the Museum Auditorium. You will be asked for your Surname and checked-in on the night.
We do not issue physical tickets. PayPal informs us you have paid and your name will be added to the audience attendance list at the Museum Auditorium. You will be asked for your Surname and checked-in on the night.
PayPal Zoom
To attend on Zoom is £4.00
Unfortunately, a Ransomware attack on the NMRN IT systems has rendered Zoom unavailable in the short term. As this effects all sites within the organisation including the FAA Museum we cannot offer a Zoom option due to a lack of WiFi. If this is restored in time for this talk, we will make a Zoom option available.
If Zoom become available, links will be sent 48 hours ahead of the Talk.
BACS
BANK: Lloyds Bank plc. Sort Code: 30-99-98 Account No: 00857987
Please reference the payment with your Surname/Feb so we know which talk you are paying for.
We hope to be able to offer Zoom once the technical difficulties are resolved at FAAM following a Ransomware attack on NMRN.
If Zoom become available, links will be sent 48 hours ahead of the Talk.
Cheque
Please send a cheque payable to SoFFAAM:
Membership Secretary, Coombe View, 1 Coombe Villas, Coombe Orchard, Chapel Street, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4AU.
Please reference the payment with your Surname/February so we know which talk you are paying for.
We hope to be able to offer Zoom once the technical difficulties are resolved at FAAM following a Ransomware attack on NMRN.
If Zoom become available, links will be sent 48 hours ahead of the Talk.
Rod Dean – Flying and Displaying Vintage Piston Aircraft.
Thursday 27 March 2025
After a hugely entertaining talk about his service flying career in January, we welcome Rod back for ‘part 2’ where he will cover his flying activities on the civilian display circuit.
His first display after leaving the RAF was on 26 and 27 August 1984 at the showground in Harrogate in Lindsey Walton’s Boeing Stearman, G-THEA. The Stearman is a real “Gentleman’s Carriage” which seemingly does everything at 90 m.p.h. After purchasing a share in G-WULF, a 50% scale Focke Wulf 190, things progressed rapidly on the display front until, eventually, the “Big Break” arrived. This, and the subsequent progression to a wide variety of big piston engine fighters (Spitfires, Hurricane, Seafire, Mustang, Skyraider amonsts others), will all be revealed in great detail throughout the talk, including handling and performance characteristics of the various aircraft, copious photographs and plenty of interesting detail.
Picture by Eric Coeckelbergh: Rod flying Spitfire MKXVIII – SM845
Payment options will be made available below at the end of February.
March 2025 Talk Payment Information.
Members and guests attending at the FAA Museum is £6.00ea. You can also pay on the door on the night to see this Talk, but priority will be given to pre-paid tickets if the hall capacity is reached.
PLEASE NOTE: there is a cut off for purchasing advanced tickets on the Tuesday prior to the Talk at 19:30 when the PayPal link will be disabled. Any BACS or Cheque payments received after this time will be held over to the following months Talk.
PayPal
To attend at the Museum is £6.00
To pay by PayPal please click HERE.
We do not issue physical tickets. PayPal informs us you have paid and your name will be added to the audience attendance list at the Museum Auditorium. You will be asked for your Surname and checked-in on the night.
PayPal Zoom
We hope to be able to offer Zoom once the technical difficulties are resoved at FAAM following a Ransomware attack on NMRN.
We do not issue physical tickets. PayPal informs us you have paid and your name will be added to the Zoom attendance list and you will be checked-in on the night.
We hope to be able to offer Zoom once the technical difficulties are resolved at FAAM following a Ransomware attack on NMRN.
If Zoom become available, links will be sent 48 hours ahead of the Talk.
BACS
BANK: Lloyds Bank plc. Sort Code: 30-99-98 Account No: 00857987
Please reference the payment with your Surname/March so we know which talk you are paying for.
We hope to be able to offer Zoom once the technical difficulties are resolved at FAAM following a Ransomware attack on NMRN.
If Zoom become available, links will be sent 48 hours ahead of the Talk.
Cheque
Please send a cheque payable to SoFFAAM:
Membership Secretary, Coombe View, 1 Coombe Villas, Coombe Orchard, Chapel Street, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4AU.
Please reference the payment with your Surname/March so we know which talk you are paying for.
We hope to be able to offer Zoom once the technical difficulties are resolved at FAAM following a Ransomware attack on NMRN.
If Zoom become available, links will be sent 48 hours ahead of the Talk.
2025
Vic Flintham – Rover David and how the Desert Air Force gave Hitler his Dunkirk moment (close air support to the 8th Army 1940 to 1945)
Thursday 24 April 2025
Sqn Ldr (retd) Micheal Morison – Flying the SEPECAT Jaguar in the RAF
Thursday 29 May 2025
Gp Capt. (retd) David Drew – Operation Carthage
Thursday 26 June 2025
Lt Keith Mills RM (retd) – The Battle for South Georgia
Thursday 31 July 2025
Terry Powell – RN Clearance Divers in Op Granby (Gulf War I)
Thursday 25 September 2025
Sqn Ldr (retd) Joe Marsden – Canberra Target towing, in the firing line of Royal Naval gunners and Army missile operators
Thursday 30 October 2025
TBC
Thursday 27 November 2025