Vulcan XH558 discussion thread

Can someone put me right – is the VTST still operating, still raising funds?

I have a book of raffle tickets that were sent to me by the VTST some months ago to be returned by 3/10/06.

Should I fill them in and send with a cheque or rip them up :confused:

Roger Smith.

Roger – Every little helps (ooh er missus!), so if you want a chance to win of the prizes or just to feel good about donating another few quid, then you should return the tickets. The draw will still go ahead – and was going to whether or not it was good news on Aug 31st. I sent my mine off and put my Mums name on two of the tickets just for variety – she’s got her fingers crossed that she wins of the flight prizes (at 68!) 😀

Roger – email them and ask them if they want the cash ! That usually gets a swift response in anything I do!

VTST

Whats great is that its the work of the Volunteers at the Vulcan to the Sky club that really got the finger out and raided the money needed for the appeal, where the people at Vulcan to the Sky Trust (the people actually running the show) were failing miserably.

Well done to everyone involved in what turned out to be a close shave……and I guess a big thank you to those on here who had faith and pledged whatever amount they could

Can someone put me right – is the VTST still operating, still raising funds?

I have a book of raffle tickets that were sent to me by the VTST some months ago to be returned by 3/10/06.

Should I fill them in and send with a cheque or rip them up :confused:

Roger Smith.

Sorry, I stand down on my comments……the negativity towards the Vulcan still appears to be here 😀 ….

Where?

You are clearly either trolling or looking for trouble, as far as I can see. Not impressive, or helpful, and certainly not constructive.

Of course Bruce, Roger, Ian, Moggy and Melv’s comments come from people with an unimpeachable track record of (mostly airworthy) restorations and or fundraising for aviation memorials – and aren’t ‘anti-Vulcan’ but simply ask some basic questons still to be addressed by the Vulcan groups.

While I note you’ve got no comment that’s constructive OR to the point. Play nicely, please.

Sorry, I stand down on my comments……the negativity towards the Vulcan still appears to be here 😀 ….

I shall continue painting the B.P P111 in it’s new white colour scheme and keep out of this Vulcan lark 😀 😀

Any ideas (in case, the top 100 FSTE don’t sponsor 558) how to fund the operating flying costs of a Vulcan post summer 2007?

sorry but someone else mentioned it here mite start a new thread sorry for the confusion what was that about civil servants?

Rob,

Remember the most recent obstacle was largely overcome by the generosity of one man. There are many others who have dug deep, but without that one single donation, the project would be at an end.

Bruce

A bit of irony – or should that read coincidence.

When MAM had the opportunity to purchase a Vulcan in 1982 we needed to raise the £5,000 cost. Much support came from individuals in, mostly, small amounts of money. Further calls to the press “we’re not going to get it if we don’t raise the rest of the money”, step forward one individual (who wanted to remain anonymous but passed away some years ago) who came up with the balance of about £3,000 (worth a lot more 26 years ago).

History repeats itself?

Roger Smith.

PS the final cost of the Vulcan, delivered to Baginton, was (I think) £5,085.

Rob, There are many others who have dug deep, but without that one single donation, the project would be at an end. Bruce

And there is still the question of the on going operational costs and how they are going to be funded.

Am I Negative? Yes;
Pleased that the Vulcan may take to the skies again next year ? Yes;
Gone quiet because that some money has been raised ? No, just other more interesting things to think about;
Sceptical that it will stay flying for the next tens years ? Yes.

I was just thinking to myself…….have you not noticed how the negative attituder’s have all stopped posting on this thread since it was announced 558 had been saved….

These people make me laugh, they know who they are, they are the one’s that think they know everything about aviation and that what we should do is believe them, they don’t do anything for aviation, they just sit at home thinking about what they can type on this forum to currupt us hard aviation enthusiasts, they think they control this forum……….HOW WRONG THEY ARE!!!!!

Rob,

That response is beneath you. Whilst there may be a number of doom mongers on the forum that forecast the end of the project for no reason other than they were following the pack, there are also a lot of people who have experience of operating and restoring historic aircraft, over a good many years. You may not agree with them, but their point of view is no less valid.

Remember the most recent obstacle was largely overcome by the generosity of one man. There are many others who have dug deep, but without that one single donation, the project would be at an end.

Bruce

Trust a civil servant to start talking about Driffield on a Vulcan thread!

driffield is now driver training. ive bin round it, slept there, ran round it, crawled over it, drove over it.

All i can say is this- driffield is yorkshire heritage, people died there, aircraft flew from there it was part of the local economy, it stands dormant like some old aircraft waiting to come alive. To demolish it is a knife in the back of all who served and died there. only to be replaced by cheaply built expensive naff houses for some first time buyer who doesnt know much about what was there. Is this progress? is this right? is this fair? look what happened to sutton on hull! its now replaced by the worst council estate in england

This would make an excelent aviation heritage site and all because some whitehall bean counter cant be bothered to say yes to keeping it we all have to suffer, because we are in a small group of people that gets ignored.

im sick of hearing lame excuses about who is consulting who, its red tape bu*****t trust me i know im a civil servant, just give the base to the council and let the people who care about aviation history decide before we lose somthing else or is cutting a cow in half more important?

I was just thinking to myself…….have you not noticed how the negative attituder’s have all stopped posting on this thread since it was announced 558 had been saved….

I expect I’m counted amongst your ‘negative attituders’

The confusion of realism with negativity has become enshrined in some people’s psyche.

I’m sure there is nobody here who doesn’t want to see the Vulcan fly. But for all the reasons Melvyn so cogently outlines above, the opportunity to see all but an initial flight or two could still be denied us.

I for one will be there for the first flight if it happens … just in case there isn’t a second.

Moggy

Robmac

I agree with Melvyn Hiscock’s comments and credit due to VTTS’s last minute efforts.

Your ‘stirring’ must come from all the excellent painting work that’s being done at MAM!

I hope the paint doesn’t end up sticking on the brush!! 😉

There were indeed many individuals who expressed their concerns, and as Melvyn has outlined, these concerns have not neccessarily been allayed.

However, the last few days have seen some unreservedly good news for the project and its personel, and it would be churlish and mean-spirited to yet again wheel out all the well-discussed arguements at this time. Robmac’s emotive condemnation of the ‘nay-sayers’ is piffle.

Given that this Forum is devoted to historic aircraft, the vast majority here surely DO support the notion of the Vulcan being operated successfully in a viable manner, but the devil is in the detail.

It is also very noticeable how few people said anything about the good news for the families of the people that are working on the Vulcan, that their mortgages are going to be paid for a while. A lot of people have gone on and on about how important the Vulcan is, and more or less forgotten the people that nearly ended up out of work. (try looking back through the thread!)

Speaking only for myself, as I have been accused of being ‘negative’, I think it is great that the funds have been found and deplorable that it had to happen in the way it did. Even so, the pledges are still only pledges and let us all hope they are honoured. If only for those mortgages.

As for the Vulcan whilst some ‘doubters’ may have gone quiet many other people have been to Specsavers for even brighter rose-coloured glasses.

I have stated here, in black and white so that people could understand, I would love to see the Vulcan fly again and the first stage of that finally seems to be coming to fruition.

But it is only the first stage. Money still needs to be found for it to remain airworthy. Various figures have been bandied about regarding what the airshow fees will be (£7-10K as I remember) but these will in no way cover the costs and the vast majority of airshows will not be able to afford even that. A potential crew member on here stated that he thought “something would turn up”. A figure of £1.2M per year has been mentioned for operation which would mean the prospective ten shows per year, even at £10K would still leave them £92K short. Where is that coming from?

People on here have said how the ‘negative’ comments on here would turn investors away. Sadly that is not the case, what will turn investors away is the lack of any current firm and public plans to finance the ongoing operation of the aeroplane. Without those I would not touch it if I were interested in investing.

Having been involved in planning and working on airshows, operating my own aeroplane, talking to a lot of industry professionals and just asking questions I still can see no viable way this can be operated on a year by year basis.

I have suggested on here that someone might like to detail how the finance will operate, as remember I actually want to see this aeroplane fly.

What worries me is not the rose-tint/naysayer arguments on here, that are mostly very naive, but what a lack of investment into the Vulcan after its first flight could lead to within the preservation world (which as a whole is far more important than any one project) and to the damage to small operators that the Vulcan could do if the fees are as high as have been estimated (£35K per airshow with 75% per annum sponsorship.)

I still want to see it tear the sky apart again but I worry about the damage to the industry that this could do, the damage that not raising the flying money could do to the preservation movement and the bad publicity that could be generated nationally, that would put this little forum’s petty squabbles well and truly into perspective’, if the lottery money that has been spent gets publicised as a ‘waste’.

There is a lot hanging on this and I am still not convinced the sums are done correctly. That is not being negative, it is being realistic. Asking a question is also not negative, that is also realistic.

Being glad that people have kept their jobs is also realistic.

Checked back yet? Not many of us said that did we???

I was just thinking to myself…….have you not noticed how the negative attituder’s have all stopped posting on this thread since it was announced 558 had been saved….

These people make me laugh, they know who they are, they are the one’s that think they know everything about aviation and that what we should do is believe them, they don’t do anything for aviation, they just sit at home thinking about what they can type on this forum to currupt us hard aviation enthusiasts, they think they control this forum……….HOW WRONG THEY ARE!!!!!

Didn’t see any locks on the crew door? Does look like somone who doesnt know about aircraft doors tried to gain entry

Vulcan 903 Have you been inside her? any pics?

I like that video of XM655… smokey old beast!

Sorry no, the cockpit is locked up, and the aircraft is owned by the council of Happy Valley.

Vulcan 903 Have you been inside her? any pics?

I like that video of XM655… smokey old beast!