Open Cockpit Day 2024: Yorkshire museum to host event where visitors can climb into the seats of jets, helicopters and other aircraft

There will be around a dozen jets, helicopters and other aircraft at the Yorkshire Air Museum, as the attraction near York prepares for another Open Cockpit Day.

The event, which is hosted twice a year, gives visitors a chance to sit in the pilot’s seat of aircraft that are normally not accessible to the public.

On Saturday, April 20, 2024, the aircraft on offer will include two of the stars of last year’s major Cold War exhibition - the iconic Harrier Jump Jet and the Buccaneer attack aircraft.

There will also be access to two of the Museum’s most recent additions - the Sepecat Jaguar and the Avro Shackleton nose section that arrived just a few weeks ago from Coventry airport.

Marketing and communications manager at Yorkshire Air Museum, Jerry Ibbotson, said: “Open Cockpit Days are hugely popular with the public and allow people the chance to get a pilot’s eye view of some of the aircraft in our collection, from the tiny Skeeter helicopter to the mighty Dakota paratrooper transport aircraft.

“Things take on a totally different dimension when you’re at the controls yourself!”

Open Cockpit Day is one of the few events that take place at the Yorkshire Air Museum which require a special ticket.

An adult ticket cost £20 and a child ticket cost £10 and more information is available on the museum’s website.