Bristol aviation history pioneer Oliver Dearden dies aged 92

Oliver Dearden, an influential figure in preserving Bristol's aviation history, has died aged 92.

Mr Dearden was a pioneering contributor and long-serving volunteer for the Bristol Aero Collection Trust (BACT).

Under his direction, BACT funded restoration projects and acquired many iconic aircrafts for the Aerospace Bristol exhibition.

In 2021, he received an OBE for his services to cultural heritage in the aviation industry.

Sir Iain Gray CBE, chair of the BACT, paid tribute at the time to Mr Dearden, as one of the charity's founding fathers.

"He has been instrumental in establishing the museum's collection, preserving important objects to inspire future generations and celebrating Bristol's many remarkable aerospace achievements," he said.

"We are delighted by this recognition of his long-standing service and enormous contribution to our aviation heritage," Mr Gray added.

Mr Dearden, along with his late wife, Mary, led the trust and its many volunteers from the 1990s and onto the creation of Aerospace Bristol.

Alongside launching a volunteer-run museum at Kemble airfield in Gloucestershire, he also helped raise substantial funds by establishing Filton airfield as a visitor attraction.

With the retirement of Concorde Alpha Foxtrot from commercial operations by British Airways in 2003, Mr Dearden was involved with the negotiation by Airbus to acquire the aircraft and the organisation of its final flight into the Filton airfield.

Another museum attraction attributed to Mr Dearden is a WWI Bristol fighter plane, which he funded the restoration of in 2013/14 in memory of his wife.

Mr Dearden's funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.

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