The man who helped rebuild an Island-built helicopter, and donated it to the Wight Aviation Museum, has been honoured by Aviation Heritage UK.

John Phillips is a lifetime helicopter enthusiast and a long-serving member of the Helicopter Museum.

In 2002 he was able to acquire the remaining incomplete airframe of Saunders-Roe (SARO) Skeeter AOP12 XL765, and began his search for sufficient components to rebuild it to static display condition.

With his son-in-law, Adrian Brimson, this was finally achieved by 2023, and by then, owing to failing health, John and Adrian reached the reluctant conclusion that a new home must be found for their helicopter.

This early Skeeter had been built at the SARO facility in East Cowes, and John had long felt that he would eventually return it to its place of origin.

He offered it to the Wight Aviation Museum (WAM) in Sandown, who gladly accepted it and it now enjoys pride of place and is a key attraction for its visitors.

In 2025 WAM bid successfully for John to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from Aviation Heritage UK and this was duly awarded at a recent gathering at Rolls-Royce in Derby.

He was unable to make the journey and so a small delegation of WAM members was privileged to present it to John at his home in Melksham last weekend.