Monthly Talks Programme
THURSDAY EVENING TALKS
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 2023 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 on a Thursday evening Talk and Museum entry is included in the £6.00 Talk ticket price. This is because in the evening it is not possible to see the exhibits as the rest of the Museum is closed off.
Consider joining SoFFAAM to get the benefits of entry to the Museum and other society privileges. See our Membership page HERE.
For further details on any of the monthly talks, please contact us.
SATURDAY MORNING TALKS
These take place on an ad-hoc basis during Spring and Autumn and will be notified on this Talks page and by email notification to SoFFAAM Members.
Ticket price is £6.00ea and there is no Zoom option. As a SoFFAAM Member, you can pre-book your free entry to the Museum by clicking HERE. You can then pay for the Talk using the detail below or pay on the door on the day of 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 advance tickets on the Thursday before a Saturday Talk at 11:00 when the PayPal links will be disabled. Any payments received after the cut-off will be held over to a following Talk.
SoFFAAM Members can bring guests to this Talk but the guest needs to pay the entry fee to the Museum as well as the Talk entry fee. Remember SoFFAAM Members can bring up to four Guests with a 30% discount on the Museum entry price. You can book discounted entry tickets HERE. Just use this discount code on checkout AFILFAAM30 Members are also entitled to receive 20% discount in Warnefords Cafe so make a day of it in visiting the Museum with friends or family.
NON SoFFAAM MEMBERS
Are very welcome but Museum entry is NOT included in the £6.00 Talk ticket price. Entry to the Museum MUST be paid for separately OR if you have visited the Museum within 12 months of the Talk date your ticket will allow re-entry. Pre purchased tickets from the NMRN website for entry to the Museum are cheaper than the ‘Pay on the door’ price.
Consider joining SoFFAAM to get the benefits of entry to the Museum and other society privileges. See our Membership page HERE.
Entry for Saturday Talks at the Fleet Air Arm Museum is up the main stairs to the first floor entrance. ONLY disabled members can use the ground floor access gate, which is to the left of the main entrance stairs.
Early Aero engines with Graham Mottram
Thursday 30 November 2023 at 19.30
c1900-1920. Only slightly technical, looking at general developments and the read over between automobile and aero engines of the period. There will be special attention to how a rotary engine works, and the influence of Lt. W.O. Bentley RNAS on the whole aero engine programme of WW1, and the design of his own aero engine.
Our former Chairman Graham Mottram’s interest in aviation began when reading his elder brother’s left over Biggles books, and developed into a specific interest in World War 1 during his time at Cambridge. A long time member of Cross and Cockade International, he edited that society’s journal “Hangar Notes” column for many years and is now a trustee of the renamed Great War Aviation Society. A Founder Member of Soffaam he became Curator of FAAM in 1983. He was one of the team which built the “Carrier” exhibition in the early 1990s and became the Museum’s Director in 1995. He won £3.7M from the Heritage Lottery Fund in 1997 to build Cobham Hall, FAAM’s Reserve Store, which came into use in 2000.
Tickets available as below.

Thursday Evening November 2023 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.
BACS
BANK: Lloyds Bank plc. Sort Code: 30-99-98 Account No: 00857987
Please reference the payment with your Surname/Nov/Thur so we know which talk you are paying for.
You must email soffaam.joinup@gmail.com requesting your Zoom invite. Please advise your payment is for the November Thursday 2023 Talk.
Your name will be added to the audience attendance list at the Museum Auditorium or to the Zoom attendance list.
Cheque
Please send a cheque payable to SoFFAAM:
Membership Secretary, Coombe View, 1 Coombe Villas, Coombe Orchard, Chapel Street, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4AU.
You must email soffaam.joinup@gmail.com requesting your Zoom invite. Please advise your payment is for the November Thursday 2023 Talk.
Your name will be added to the audience attendance list at the Museum Auditorium or to the Zoom attendance list.
Mike Morison – Introducing the Apache AH64D to service
Thursday 25 January 2024 at 19.30
Mike was intrumental in bringing the AH64D into service using a wealth of knowledge gained as a pilot during his RAF career. More details will follow shortly.
Tickets will be available at the end of November.

Thursday Evening January 2024 Talk Payment Information.
Members and guests attending at the FAA Museum is £6.00ea and Zoom is £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
The PayPal link will be available at the end of November.
PayPal
To attend on Zoom is £4.00
The PayPal link will be available at the end of November.
BACS
BANK: Lloyds Bank plc. Sort Code: 30-99-98 Account No: 00857987
Please reference the payment with your Surname/January so we know which talk you are paying for.
You must email soffaam.joinup@gmail.com requesting your Zoom invite. Please advise your payment is for the January 2024 Talk.
Your name will be added to the audience attendance list at the Museum Auditorium or to the Zoom attendance list.
Cheque
Please send a cheque payable to SoFFAAM:
Membership Secretary, Coombe View, 1 Coombe Villas, Coombe Orchard, Chapel Street, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4AU.
You must email soffaam.joinup@gmail.com requesting your Zoom invite. Please advise your payment is for the January 2024 Talk.
Your name will be added to the audience attendance list at the Museum Auditorium or to the Zoom attendance list.
2024
Mike Morison – The Apache AH64D
Thursday 25 January 2024
Joe Marsden – Flying the Vulcan in the Maritime Reconnaissance role
Thursday 29 February 2024
SBS Veterans and Robert Brooke – SBS Operations in the Falklands Conflict
Thursday 28 March 2024
Sue Adcock – The RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine, Farnborough
Thursday 25 April 2024
99th ERS and U2 operations at RAF Fairford
Thursday 30 May 2024
David Hassard – “Bat boat to Red Arrows”, the story of Hawker Aviation at Kingston
Thursday 27 June 2024
Iain Ballantyne – ‘Undersea’ in the Cold War – TBC
Thursday 25 July 2024
Gp Capt (retd) Jock Heron – Military Aircraft Procurement Decisions and Follies
Thursday 26 September 2024
Alistair Hodgson – de Havilland Comet 75th Anniversary
Thursday 31 October 2024
Paul Hand – The ‘Lizzie’ (Lysander) and Westlands
Thursday 28 November 2024
2025
Rod Dean – Flying the Hunter operationally and for fun
Thursday 30 January 2025