Just reading the latest A*roplane, and there’s a mention of Spitfire Ace in the “Contact!” column.
He points out that Channel 4 have mistakenly put on their website that there is only one two-seater Spitfire operational, but in fact there are seven around, four of which are operational:
ML407;
MJ627;
PT462; and
MT818
What about TE308? Was this just a slip of the memory? :confused:
By: Eddie - 16th March 2004 at 22:40
Originally posted by merlin70
Has anyone from the BBMF been asked their opinion. I’m fairly certain they regard themselves as non-operational.
😉
I’ve read the opinion of someone from the BBMF on this very issue recently, and they said that the BBMF is operational.
By: Bluebird Mike - 16th March 2004 at 22:36
LOL, the thought of PA474 being sprayed ‘Desert Pink’ and sent out to the Gulf!!! 😮 😮 😮 😮
By: Mark V - 16th March 2004 at 22:33
Search out the post titled ‘Guess the Aircraft’ started by Eddie about a month ago as it has lots of up to date pics of the TE311 restoration.
By: merlin70 - 16th March 2004 at 22:08
I’ve a valve (inlet if my memory is correct) from P7350. I would love to think that it came from a currently ‘operational’ Spitfire. Has anyone from the BBMF been asked their opinion. I’m fairly certain they regard themselves as non-operational.
TE311 foreground and TB382 to the rear, taken June 2001. Little relevance but has anyone got amore recent photo of either.
By: Merlin3945 - 3rd March 2004 at 23:00
Originally posted by ZH875
BBMF ARE NOT OPERATIONAL, THEY MAY BE MANNED AND FLOWN BY RAF PERSONNEL BUT HAVE NO WAR ROLE AND THEREFORE ARE NOT OPERATIONAL. THE Pilots may be operational on their parent unit but not on BBMF.
There are a hell of a lot of RAF aircraft out there that have NO WAR ROLE but are still operational.
Take the RAF rescue helicopters or Search an Rescue or ALL the Training aircraft.
Therefore BBMF ARE OPERATIONAL as instructional or teaching aircraft.
By: Hatton - 3rd March 2004 at 22:49
Gee ZH875! CH4 putting operational doesn’t have to mean in regards of military operation. Can ML407 be operated? yes, it can, therefore it is operational. I dont think the people who do the CH4 website think of ‘operational’ in the way a lot of military aircraft enthusiasts do.
If we are taking the BBMF and arguing if they are ‘operational’ in a military sense then yes of course they are. The BBMF has many aircraft in many roles and all are operational in some sense, they just have different roles. So the F3s are air superiority aircraft, Hercules, transport aircraft, Red Arrows raise awareness of the RAF and help recruit and the BBMF raises awareness and most importantly is a memorial….still operational in the role the RAF keep it for.
will someone help put teddy back in the pram.
By: DazDaMan - 3rd March 2004 at 22:43
Look forward to seeing them, Mark 🙂
By: Corsair166b - 3rd March 2004 at 22:38
Better bloody believe TE308 is up and flying, she just came out of annual over here and Bill is planning on taking her to Sun and Fun as usual, with another busy airshow season to follow…and as soon as I get my air to airs of her back from Vancouver, I’ll be posting some of them off of the CD I’m getting to this website.
Mark
By: DazDaMan - 3rd March 2004 at 19:56
I hope so – would be a shame if something had happened to TE308 🙁
Looking forward to seeing PV202, though 🙂
By: Fluffy - 3rd March 2004 at 19:16
Daz
It’s probably just a mistake that TE308 was over looked. anyway I saw PV202 last week looking realy good so there will be another two seater operational whoops!! I mean flyable in the near future.
By: Der - 3rd March 2004 at 19:15
Looks like the teddies are operational in any case. Flying all over the place!
By: Stormin' - 3rd March 2004 at 18:12
Watch out Fluffy, seems that your not the only Teddy loose this afternoon!!!!!!!!
By: DazDaMan - 3rd March 2004 at 16:07
Calm down, ZH875!!
Let’s face it, they are owned, operated and maintained by RAF personnel, even if they are no longer considered weapons of war (although you could stick guns in the fighters, cameras in the recon aircraft, and bombs in the Lanc – theoretically speaking, of course!). They’re an air force exhibition and memorial flight, so technically speaking they ARE in service! With the exception of AB910, P7350 and PZ865, the aircraft have always been on charge with the RAF in a number of ways.
Anyway, that’s not the bloody point!!
Why’s TE308 not on this list? As far as I’m aware, she’s still flying (there was a thread about two-seat Spits a few weeks back, too).
By: ZH875 - 3rd March 2004 at 15:30
Originally posted by Fluffy
DazSorry to confuse you, but of course BBMF are a operational unit I was just commenting on ZH 875’s stupid statement
BBMF ARE NOT OPERATIONAL, THEY MAY BE MANNED AND FLOWN BY RAF PERSONNEL BUT HAVE NO WAR ROLE AND THEREFORE ARE NOT OPERATIONAL. THE Pilots may be operational on their parent unit but not on BBMF.
By: DazDaMan - 2nd March 2004 at 22:18
No probs, Fluffy! I’d always thought they were, anyway 😉
By: Fluffy - 2nd March 2004 at 22:16
Daz
Sorry to confuse you, but of course BBMF are a operational unit I was just commenting on ZH 875’s stupid statement
By: DazDaMan - 2nd March 2004 at 21:28
Too confusing for my little brain! 😉
By: Fluffy - 2nd March 2004 at 19:41
BBMF not operational, now I know why we didn’t go to the gulf or the Falklands !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mind you I didn’t see the Red Arrows there either, they were probably on a sales pitch somewhere for BAE.
By: cas - 2nd March 2004 at 19:40
the lancaster is the RAFs last operational strategic bomber and the fighters must be classed as operational if the fly within the military regime ?????
By: DazDaMan - 2nd March 2004 at 19:26
But they are still flown and maintained by the RAF…
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March 2, 2004 at 6:30 pm