THE HERITAGE AIRCRAFT TRUST

Registered charity 1134981 · accounts filings on the Charity Commission register

TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT GNAT AND OTHER HISTORIC AIRCRAFT AS HSTORIC AIRCRAFT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC AND TO DEMONSTRATE AND DISPLAY SUCH AIRCRAFT AT PUBLIC EVENTS AND TO CONSERVE THEM AS HERITAGE ASSETS;TO ADVANCE THE EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC IN GNAT AND OTHER HISTORIC AIRCRAFT.

Causes: Education/training · Environment/conservation/heritage · Grant history (this charity is a funder) · website · Get email alerts

Latest income

£251k

Latest spending

£206k

Registered

2010

Accounts read

FY2025

Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts

The accounts state that unrestricted funds totalled £837,398, with a net income of £44,572 for the year. The trustees confirm that reserves policy has been maintained to meet annual expenditure. The charity holds significant heritage assets valued at £725,169, which include an unrealised revaluation gain of £143,989 not available for expenditure.

Automated summary of the FY2025 accounts; the evidenced findings below carry the verbatim passages.

What the accounts disclose

Reserves policy: meet annual expenditure and support costs, management and administrative costs (held: £837k)

“It is the policy of the charity to maintain unrestricted funds at a level so as to meet annual expenditure and support costs, management and administrative costs.” — page 3

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Grant payment to subsidiary

“The Heritage Aircraft Trust paid grants of £204,917 to Heritage Aircraft Limited.” — page 13

“At the year end, The Heritage Aircraft Trust was owed £43,119 by Heritage Aircraft Limited.” — page 13

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Related-party transaction: Amount owed by subsidiary

“The Heritage Aircraft Trust paid grants of £204,917 to Heritage Aircraft Limited.” — page 13

“At the year end, The Heritage Aircraft Trust was owed £43,119 by Heritage Aircraft Limited.” — page 13

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Trading subsidiary: Heritage Aircraft Limited

“The Trust has one wholly owned subsidiary, Heritage Aircraft Limited.” — page 3

Per its FY2025 accounts as filed with the Charity Commission.

Accounts independently examined (not a full audit). Discloses 5 of 6 completeness components.

Public fundraising profile: JustGiving — The Gnat Display Team (matched by registered charity number).

Public profiles (found on the charity’s own website): facebook · instagram

Trustees · trustee networks

MARK FITZGERALDchair
EDWIN ALPHONS TITUS MARIA BRENNINKMEYER
OLIVER WHEELDON
STEPHEN PARTRIDGE-HICKS

Trustee list from the Charity Commission register (current, not historical).

Operates in: Throughout England And Wales

Income and spending

Financial year end	Income	Spending
31/03/2025	£251k	£206k
31/03/2024	£137k	£139k
31/03/2023	£160k	£150k
31/03/2022	£157k	£159k
31/03/2021	£68k	£99k

Common questions

Is THE HERITAGE AIRCRAFT TRUST financially healthy?

Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that unrestricted funds totalled £837,398, with a net income of £44,572 for the year. The trustees confirm that reserves policy has been maintained to meet annual expenditure. The charity holds significant heritage assets valued at £725,169, which include an unrealised revaluation gain of £143,989 not available for expenditure. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.

Funders of similar charities

Funders whose accounts show grants to charities similar to this one (and no recorded grant to this charity) — a starting list for fundraisers.

Funder	Similar charities funded	Amount to them
THE SIR PETER RIGBY CHARITABLE TRUST	1	£170k
ARMY AIR CORPS CHARITY	1	£44k
THE BRITTEN FOUNDATION	1	£39k
ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT MUSEUMS	1	£2k

Charities like this

Semantically similar by activities and financial character, from our analysed corpus. Compare with FLY HARRIER TRUST.

FLY HARRIER TRUST income £431k
DE HAVILLAND AIRCRAFT MUSEUM TRUST LIMITED income £314k
THE SOLWAY AVIATION SOCIETY LIMITED income £223k
FLY NAVY HERITAGE TRUST LIMITED income £2.5m
GATWICK AVIATION MUSEUM income £222k
ARMY FLYING MUSEUM LIMITED income £1.1m

Side by side with its peers

Charity	Income	Top pay band	Staff >£60k	Reserves vs policy	Fundraising cost	Going concern
THE HERITAGE AIRCRAFT TRUST	£251k	—	0	above	—	no doubt
FLY HARRIER TRUST FY2025	£431k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
DE HAVILLAND AIRCRAFT MUSEUM TRUST LIMITED FY2025	£314k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
THE SOLWAY AVIATION SOCIETY LIMITED FY2024	£223k	—	0	unclear	—	no doubt
FLY NAVY HERITAGE TRUST LIMITED FY2024	£2.5m	—	—	unclear	—	no doubt
GATWICK AVIATION MUSEUM FY2025	£222k	—	0	above	—	no doubt

Each row is that charity’s latest analysed filing; every value is quote-backed on its own page.