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In general I am not a great fan of aircraft museums but, as I was in the area visiting Danebury Hill Fort, I thought I'd pop in, and I have to admit that found the Museum of Army Flying surprisingly moving.

The museum covers the development of what is now the Army Air Corps from before the First World War to the present day, with different sections dedicated to the various operations.

It really brought home to me how many conflicts this country has been involved in over the years, and how many lives have been lost.

Two things stand out in my memory. Firstly, how flimsy the World War II gliders were. Looking at old newsreel footage, you assume that they are metal. Not a bit of it; they're mainly chipboard and canvas. I don't know that I'd have had the courage to get in one of those things, let alone fly into a battle zone.

The other thing that really got to me was a lump of granite from the Falkland Isles.

This war so dominated the news in 1982 that the islands took on an almost mythical status. Seeing (and I admit touching) a little bit of that far away place made that war seem all the more real.

For opening times, admission prices, etc. please see the official site detailed below.