Cockpit access changes with volunteers, weather and restoration work. Where a museum's own site confirms it, the table says how and when; otherwise ask at the desk.
Open cockpits in Midlands & Lincolnshire
| Museum | Cockpits | Adult entry | Airframes | Headline exhibit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cranwell Aviation Heritage MuseumSleaford, Lincolnshire | Look in Every open day de Havilland Vampire T.11 cockpit |
Free | 2 | Cranwell Aviation Heritage Museum: the RAF College story (and Whittle's jet experiments here) told free, small and interactively — a… |
| East Midlands AeroparkDerby, Leicestershire | Open-cockpit days Special event and open cockpit days, subject to availability |
£5 | 35 | East Midlands Aeropark: a Vulcan, Nimrod R1 and Buccaneer parked on grassy mounds overlooking EMA's runway — half museum, half premier… |
| Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage CentreSpilsby, Lincolnshire | On tours Booked interior tours and taxy-ride days Avro Lancaster B.VII 'Just Jane' |
£13.50 | 11 | Lancaster NX611 (taxiing now, returning to flight one day, they swear) and Mosquito NF.II HJ711 — the only running Mosquito in Europe.… |
| Metheringham Airfield Visitor CentreLincoln, Lincolnshire | Sit in Every open day Douglas C-47A Dakota Avro Lancaster forward-section replica |
£8 | 2 | Metheringham Airfield Visitor Centre (106 Squadron Lancasters) has original ration-book atmosphere plus a fully restored Dakota you can… |
| Midland Air MuseumCoventry, Warwickshire | Sit in Every open day; Vulcan most days; others on request, subject to volunteer guides Gloster Meteor F.8 cockpit Avro Vulcan B.2 British Aerospace Harrier II cockpit section Lockheed Electra cockpit section |
£11 | 66 | Vulcan XL360 with cockpit access and volunteer-led tours (ask for the instrumentation talk), plus the Whittle jet heritage collection a… |
| Newark Air MuseumNewark, Nottinghamshire | Open-cockpit days When volunteers are available, more often on event days; dates posted on the news page Avro Vulcan B.2 Avro Shackleton Handley Page Hastings Vickers Varsity and Phantom cockpit instruction module |
£12.50 | 95 | Vulcan XM594, with cockpit tours occasionally given by former Vulcan aircrew, which reviewers describe with the reverence normally… |
| Royal Air Force Museum MidlandsShifnal, Shropshire | On tours Booked Spitfire Cockpit Experience sessions Supermarine Spitfire replica cockpit |
Free | 78 | TSR-2 XR220, one of two survivors of the most gifted aircraft Britain ever cancelled, sharing floor space with the stainless-steel… |
| Thorpe Camp Visitor CentreLincoln, Lincolnshire | On tours Booked simulator sessions Tornado F.3 mission simulator |
£7 | 5 | Thorpe Camp preserves RAF Woodhall Spa's communal site — home of 617 Squadron post-Dams — as a period village of huts, with volunteers in… |
Worth knowing
At the Midland Air Museum you can sit in the Meteor at any time, and volunteers open Vulcan XL360 most days, free. Metheringham lets you walk through its Dakota and sit in the cockpit. Newark opens its Vulcan, Hastings and Varsity when volunteers can, for a small charge per aircraft. ‘Just Jane’ at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre is open only on booked tours. RAF Museum Midlands has a £5 replica Spitfire cockpit. East Midlands Aeropark opens cockpits on event days.
- Sit-in on any open day: the Midland Air Museum’s Meteor and Metheringham’s Dakota. The Midland’s guides open the Harrier, Electra and Hind on request.
- Newark charges £2 adult and £1 child for the Vulcan and Hastings when open. Its Shackleton was closed for maintenance as of August 2026; ring 01636 707170 first.
- Book ahead for the RAF Museum Midlands Spitfire Cockpit Experience, £5 for ages 8 and over. ‘Just Jane’ tours and Thorpe Camp’s Tornado F.3 VR simulator are booked too.
- Cranwell’s Vampire cockpit is billed as interactive and entry is free, but its page does not say whether you can climb in.
Frequently asked
Where can you get into a Vulcan cockpit in the Midlands?
The Midland Air Museum opens XL360 most days for free guided visits of up to 10 minutes. Newark opens its Vulcan when volunteers are available, for £2 an adult.
Can you go inside the Lancaster ‘Just Jane’?
Only on a booked interior tour or taxy-ride experience at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre. Prices are on the museum’s booking pages.
Which cockpits can you sit in at no extra charge?
The Midland Air Museum’s Meteor, open at all times, and Metheringham’s Dakota. Metheringham’s replica Lancaster cockpit costs extra.
- https://midlandairmuseum.uk/cockpit-tours/
- https://www.metheringhamairfield.co.uk/about-us.html
- https://www.newarkairmuseum.org/discover-explore/open-cockpits
- https://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/experiences/
- https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/midlands/whats-going-on/selfie-in-a-spitfire-cockpit-midlands/
- https://www.eastmidlandsaeropark.org/aeropark-events.html
- https://www.thorpecamp.org/tornado-f3-mission-simulator
- https://www.heartoflincs.com/things_to_do/cranwell-aviation-heritage-museum/