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 Northern England
| Museum | Cockpits | Adult entry | Airframes | Headline exhibit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avro Heritage MuseumStockport, Greater Manchester | On tours Cockpit tours on open days; ring ahead to check availability Avro Vulcan B.2 cockpit section Avro Lancaster cockpit replica Vickers VC10 C.1K cockpit section Hawker Siddeley Nimrod |
£9 | 14 | Vulcan XM603 — the only all-white Vulcan on display anywhere, in original anti-flash nuclear livery — plus walk-in Lancaster and Nimrod… |
| North East Land, Sea and Air MuseumsSunderland, Tyne and Wear | Look in When volunteers are available Avro Vulcan B.2 |
£7.50 | 46 | NELSAM in Sunderland mixes Vulcan XL319 (flew in when the airport still existed), a Pucará from the Falklands, trams, buses and a… |
| RAF Burtonwood Heritage CentreWarrington, Cheshire | On tours Guided tours Douglas C-54 Skymaster (DC-4) cockpit |
Donation | 1 | RAF Burtonwood was the biggest airbase in Europe — the US 'Home from Home' depot that fixed the Eighth's aircraft; its heritage centre… |
| Runway Visitor Park, Manchester AirportAltrincham, Greater Manchester | On tours Booked tours, weekends and weekdays BAC/Aerospatiale Concorde McDonnell Douglas DC-10 flight deck |
£6–£15 | 5 | Concorde G-BOAC, British Airways' flagship (the 'OAC' registration was no accident), enthroned in her own glass hangar with tours from… |
| Solway Aviation MuseumCrosby on Eden, Cumbria | Sit in Open days; Vulcan tours closed in winter Avro Vulcan B.2 English Electric Canberra, Hunting Percival Sea Prince and Hawker Siddeley Trident |
£8 | 21 | Vulcan XJ823 with pre-bookable crew-compartment visits; a Phantom, Lightning and Canberra (whose three-crew cockpit reviewers describe as… |
| South Yorkshire Aircraft MuseumDoncaster, South Yorkshire | Open-cockpit days Open Cockpit Weekends (2–4 May and 5–6 September 2026) and the Cockpit Gathering (20–21 June 2026) Up to 30 aircraft and cockpits, from the Vulcan B.2 cockpit (XL388) to the Hawk T.1 |
£7.50 | 109 | Doncaster's South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum sprawls across the old RAF Doncaster site: dozens of airframes and helicopters, strong… |
| Speke Aerodrome Heritage GroupLiverpool, Merseyside | Sit in Weekends when volunteers are on site, usually Saturdays BAe Jetstream 41 flight simulator |
Free | 7 | Speke Airport Museum — Speke Aerodrome Heritage Group keeps airliners, including a Dan-Air 748 under restoration, on Liverpool's gorgeous… |
| Spitfire Visitor Centre, Hangar 42, BlackpoolBlackpool, Lancashire | Sit in Public open days Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX 'Lucy' |
£12 | 6 | The Ops Room recreation and the £5 sit-in-a-Spitfire photography session — the cheapest Spitfire seat time in the country. |
| Yorkshire Air MuseumYork, North Yorkshire | Open-cockpit days Open Cockpits event days, several a year (e.g. April and October in 2026) Around ten aircraft, including the Jaguar, Tucano, Tornado, Buccaneer, Devon, Dragonfly, Harrier, Nimrod and Dakota |
£17 | 54 | Halifax 'Friday the 13th' — the world's only complete Halifax reconstruction, honouring the type that flew from this very field —… |
Worth knowing
The Avro Heritage Museum shows its Vulcan, Lancaster, VC10 and Nimrod cockpits on short paid tours. Manchester’s Runway Visitor Park takes paid tours onto Concorde’s flight deck. At Hangar 42 in Blackpool, £5 buys a seat in Spitfire Mk IX ‘Lucy’. South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum opens up to 30 cockpits on Open Cockpit Weekends, at no extra charge. The Yorkshire Air Museum opens about ten on Open Cockpits days, for a £10 wristband.
- Paid: Avro Heritage tours cost £2–£3, so ring ahead. Concorde Classic is £18 and the DC-10 family session £14 per child-and-adult pair. Yorkshire’s wristbands are £10.
- South Yorkshire’s 2026 Open Cockpit Weekends were 2–4 May and 5–6 September, with the Cockpit Gathering on 20–21 June.
- Volunteer-dependent: NELSAM opens Vulcan XL319 as often as it can, and Speke’s Jetstream 41 simulator is usually open on Saturdays.
- Solway’s Canberra, Sea Prince and Trident stay open in winter; its Vulcan tours close for the season. RAF Burtonwood opens its DC-4 cockpit on a free guided tour.
Frequently asked
Where can you sit in a Spitfire in the North?
At Hangar 42 in Blackpool. £5 buys a seat in Spitfire Mk IX ‘Lucy’ with photographs taken by staff; £10 adds a short talk. Height, weight and age conditions apply.
Can you go on Concorde’s flight deck at Manchester?
Yes, on a paid tour at Runway Visitor Park. The one-hour Concorde Classic tour costs £18; the £28 Technical tour has a longer flight-deck visit.
Where can you see inside a Vulcan cockpit in the North?
The Avro Heritage Museum shows XM602 on a 20-minute tour for £2. NELSAM opens XL319 when volunteers allow, and South Yorkshire opens XL388 on Open Cockpit Weekends.
- https://www.avroheritagemuseum.co.uk/our-cockpits
- https://www.runwayvisitorpark.co.uk/whats-on/family-fun/
- https://spitfirevisitorcentre.co.uk/
- https://www.southyorkshireaircraftmuseum.org.uk/events
- https://yorkshireairmuseum.org/open-cockpits/
- https://www.nelsam.org.uk/News/
- https://www.spekeaero.org/simulator.html
- https://www.solway-aviation-museum.co.uk/
- https://www.rafburtonwoodheritagecentre.co.uk/tours/