Flying A Services?

The inspection was made on behalf of a potential purchaser (he did not buy the aircraft in question -but it was eventually purchased by another party).

You will not get permission from Mr Arnold to visit – not that there is anything to see that is in any way recognisable.

Bruce

I visited the facility in 2004 in order to make a pre-purchase inspection of oneof Mr Arnolds aircraft that was available for sale at the time – we were allowed access to the container it was installed in – but that was it – no tour!

Green Common 100th anniversary

I remember going there for the 100th Anniversary of Eisenhower’s birth great bash it was where he went on the eve of D-Day to inspect the 101st airborne. Eisenhower’s son was there and we brought along a convoy of jeeps and military vehicles. A lot of 101st veterans there too. Good luck in saving the site

“and please do share this with anyone else you know (both here and in the US) who has an interest in the protection of historic and unique sites such as this”.

Shame they didn’t think of that whilst it was still recognisable for what it was!

The plot thickens, posted on PPrune

GAMA site at Greenham Common to become giant car park

——————————————————————————–

Please forgive me if I am posting this in the wrong forum – I need support in trying to get a planning application refused.

As I’m sure you know, the historic GAMA site at Greenham Common is a Scheduled Monument and is a unique memorial to the Cold War. Apart from some hangers that are due to be pulled down, it is all that remains of RAF Greenham Common– the runway was pulled up over 10 years ago, most of the site has been returned to common land,and the buildings are now an industrial park.

GAMA was sold to a private owner in 2003 when the treaty obligations expired. In 2007, the owners managed to get a temporary planning permission to store up to 6900 cars on the site. Since then, nothing significant has happened on the site, and the owners have now come back seeking a permanent planning permission.

English Heritage are opposed, the council’s own planning officers are opposed, local residents in Greenham are opposed, and there is a council planning committee hearing on 25 January at which the final decision will be made.

As one of the local councillors for Greenham, which includes the common and of this site, I am campaigning on behalf of local residents to get this planning application refused. I have an online petition at http://gama.greenham.org.uk/ from becoming a car park where you can also find more information about what is proposed. Please do sign the petition and add your comments, and please do share this with anyone else you know (both here and in the US) who has an interest in the protection of historic and unique sites such as this.

If you have any queries, I would be delighted to answer them – either post here, or e-mail me.

Thank you for your support.

Cllr Julian Swift-Hook
Ward Councillor for Greenham
West Berkshire Council

Shame they were all glad to see the Nukes go, least they wouldn’t of had a carpark, would they?

Paul Coggan passed away in 2006 as stated above.

You will not get permission from Mr Arnold to visit – not that there is anything to see that is in any way recognisable.

Bruce

I would try for David’s number if I were you, Paul is probably speaking to Doug at the moment!

Sorry to dig this up again, however does anyone have a contact number for Mr Coggan or Mr Arnold as i’m visiting the area tomorrow.

I have spoken to one of them previously but have lost the number I contacted.

Thanks in advance.

Jerry

Oh gawd! I wish I’d never asked the original question now! I only wanted to visit the silos.
Amazing how these things go off at a tangent. Ho hum.

I read that he dreamed of having a museum, and his son was going to oversee his Dads dream – not flog all the exhibits off.

When Flying A came into being the plan was to set up a museum, as Mark says this was nothing new.

Bear in mind the value of these items both in terms of the aircraft and the spares holding has risen dramaticaly in recent years. Without both Father AND Son a lot of current collectors would still be searching for illusive items.

Exactly – DA knew what he was doing. Trading makes a good rotation of airframes all round.

If I worked like mad to build up a collection, and then saw a son let all that work go to waste, I’d be kicking up a storm from beyond the grave.

I read that he dreamed of having a museum, and his son was going to oversee his Dads dream – not flog all the exhibits off.

Which airframes do they still own?

and while I am yet to have a look at the airframes I do know how hard it is to store a collection of WW2 memrobilia including original documents, so can only guess how hard it is with a working aeroplane.

Sadsack,

I think you are way off the beam here. 🙂

If DA was looking down now I am pretty sure he would say. “A chip off the old block”.

I don’t think DA was ever really going to set up a museum/collection. It was a convenient label under which to trade and to argue with the planning authorities at here, there and wherever, as yet another set of buildings went up and the circus moved round.

DA loved the aeroplanes but at heart he was a dealer and just about everything was for sale if there was a deal.

Mark

Re:

Exactly – DA knew what he was doing. Trading makes a good rotation of airframes all round.

If I worked like mad to build up a collection, and then saw a son let all that work go to waste, I’d be kicking up a storm from beyond the grave.

I read that he dreamed of having a museum, and his son was going to oversee his Dads dream – not flog all the exhibits off.

Which airframes do they still own?

and while I am yet to have a look at the airframes I do know how hard it is to store a collection of WW2 memrobilia including original documents, so can only guess how hard it is with a working aeroplane.

And I would add that at a time when vintage aircraft auctions were very popular in the uk with some high bidding I did notice that Doug Arnold would advertise his aircraft in Flight International for sale at a fixed Buy it now price.
This was an indication of his business approach.

Sadsack – Whilst undoubtedly Doug Arnold contributed to the scene he was very much a businessman. The Lincoln at Southend for example was bought to provide spares for the Canadian Lancaster and if you look at her condition now she is a poor reflection of what she was. Similarily the B-24 from India was very much British heriatge but she soon ended up in the U.S . It’s worth pointing out that the generation of people like Doug started the worldwide trade in warbirds for collectors and in many ways he brought into the country a very similar number of aircraft to what he exported.

shoving them away which must be disastrous corrosion wise etc.

What evidence do you have to back up this claim? Have you inspected these aircraft? I expect some of the people here who have been working on one of these stored aircraft may not agree with you. When I made a detailed inspection of one that had been stored for about 12 years I found it to be in excellent condition, there was not even any dust on it.

I wouldn’t under estimate Mr Arnold lots goes on behind closed doors that never comes out in the open..

We’re not interested in what’s behind those closed steel doors…..its the numbers on the outside of the 40ft side we like to underline in our notebooks that interest us eh BWB? 😀 :p

Mk.XVI Spitfire with HFL (RW386) is ex Flying A / WoGB

Two of Flying A Services aircraft our now out in the open! Where do you think TFCs new P-47 and Spit are believed to have come from ?

www.outflankeduk.com – my website

There was a very good reason for boxing them up, yes it would have been nice to have seen them out by now but there you go.
I wouldn’t under estimate Mr Arnold lots goes on behind closed doors that never comes out in the open..

re:

The difference is, his Father swapped with musuems, contributed loads to the scene, and knew what he was doing.

Rather than pull the planes apart, and cart them across he Atlantic for no actual reason and back again before shoving them away which must be disastrous corrosion wise etc.