Think of Somerset and it’s likely cheddar cheese, rolling hills and cider may spring to mind. Helicopters are probably not high up on the list. But the West Country county, arguably most famed as the home of Glastonbury Festival, is an important UK hub for aerospace. The sector contributes hundreds of millions of pounds to the local economy every year and generates thousands of jobs.
In fact, Somerset’s links with the industry stretch back more than a 100 years. A 1986 flight over the Somerset Levels by test pilot Trevor Egginton in a modified Westland Lynx still holds the Federation Aeronautique Internationale world record for fastest helicopter flight. He achieved a speed of 249 miles per hour (400 kilometres per hour) over a 15-mile course.
In 1915, the Westland Aircraft Works in Yeovil was ordered by the government to produce seaplanes for the First World War, which were moved by horse-drawn cart and rail to the Solent, ready for assembly and testing.
