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The Blackbushe Heritage Trust is now the owner of 2 post-war Vickers piston-engined airliners, both with historical links to the Airport, Viking G-AGRW "Vagabond" and Valetta C2 VX573 "Loreley". "Vagabond" was acquired by the Trust in the Spring of 2023 and brought by road to Blackbushe from Bad Voslau airfield in Austria, where she had laid outside in an increasingly poor state for many years, whilst "Loreley" was acquired, after approximately 40 years of indoor storage at The RAF Museum Cosford, in the Spring of 2026

“Vagabond" is undergoing a complex, multi-year restoration, with several key parts of the aircraft needing to be rebuilt, whilst "Loreley" is largely complete and in good condition, having been re-assembled very quickly at Blackbushe following road transportation here in June 2026 , but will need ongoing "care and maintenance". Our aim is to have both aircraft restored to a high standard for static display, where they can be viewed and accessed by the public.

The Trust also has wider, longer-term aims to establish a Heritage Centre at the Airport, which was once London's "2nd", and prior to that an important part of key operations during the latter years of the Second World War. We believe that the history is of significant local and national importance, and the 2 aircraft would of course form an important part of this.

This donation appeal exists, along with several other fundraising initiatives, to help us to achieve those aims and we’d be very grateful for your support.