The Helicopter Museum in Weston-super-Mare received a very special guest this week when World Speed Record Holder Trevor Egginton visited the museum to give a unique talk to members of the Empire Test Pilots School in the museums lecture facilities.

Piloting the Lynx helicopter, registered G-LYNX, he flew a 15km course across the Somerset Levels at 500 ft on a calm hazy evening back in 1986 setting a new world helicopter speed record of 249.1 mph (400.87 kph) beating the record held by a modified Mil “Hind” helicopter by over 20 mph (32 kph).

The record has not been beaten since.

Following the lecture Mr Egginton took the opportunity to climb back into the cockpit of the very helicopter that broke the record over 25 years ago.

John Clews, Collections Officer and Archivist at the Museum said “We are very proud to have the World Speed Record Helicopter as part of our collection and it was a very special moment to see Trevor climb back aboard and take his rightful place in the pilots seat.”

The next public lecture to take place at the museum is a 24th Anniversary talk by the museum founder, Elfan ap Rees on Saturday 4th May, detailing the origins and  acquisition of the aircraft in its collection, the largest of its kind in the world.