Michael Beetham - Later Work

Later Work

As a Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Beetham remains on the RAF's Active List, although for practical purposes he retired in 1982. From 1986 to 1990 Beetham was Chairman of GEC Avionics. In 1989 he was made a deputy lieutenant of the County of Norfolk. Michael Beetham holds the appointment of Honorary Air Commodore of No 2620 Squadron, Royal Auxiliary Air Force Regiment. He is President of the Society of Friends of the RAF Museum. The Museum's conservation centre is named the Michael Beetham Conservation Centre in his honour. Beetham is also President of the Bomber Command Association.

In 2005, Beetham took part in his second flypast over London, this time as part of the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. He joined the crew of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster bomber prior to its take off from Duxford.

Beetham has written the foreword to three books:

• Bombs Gone: Development and Use of British Air-dropped Weapons from 1912 to Present Day - Patrick Stephens Ltd (1990)
• In Cobhams' Company - Published by Cobham Plc (1994)
• The Strategic War Against Germany - Frank Cass Publishers (1998)

In 2010 Beetham spent time working with the author Peter Jacobs on a biography entitled "Stay the Distance: The Life and Times of Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael Beetham". The book was published in February 2011.