Nigel Hartley, the new High Sheriff of the Isle of Wight, began his official duties with a visit to the Wight Aviation Museum (WAM) at Sandown Airport.
Volunteers gave him a guided tour of the site, which highlights the Island’s historical contributions to aviation and aerospace.
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Grahame Smith, a former GKN employee, introduced Mr Hartley to the legacy of the Saunders Roe “Princess” flying boat and brought him up to date with the Island’s continuing role in aircraft manufacturing through GKN.
Mr Hartley said: “I am speechless, really, by the passion, energy, the hard work that actually goes on here. I think more people need to know about it.
“So I will be talking about it a lot, and hopefully we’ll bring a lot more people in to see what you do and celebrate what you do. It’s really important.”
He also tried out the museum’s Beagle Bulldog Virtual Reality Flight Simulator and received a Flight Certificate for his experience.
Mr Hartley was shown archival images by senior archivist Perry Clifton.
Jonathan Lamb, chair of WAM, said: “I’m very pleased that the High Sheriff enjoyed his visit so much.”