A sensitive question…

Personally, I think the best memorial we can give them is to remember them for who they were, what they did, and the pleasure they gave to thousands of us. And if the families have decided upon a worthy cause in their memory (as in Mark Hanna’s case), we should consider trying to help that as well. Just my 2p’s worth…

I Have always thought there should be a memorial somewhere for all pilots we have lost and maybe if Duxford won’t host such a thing the next best thing is a web site where we can post maybe a photo of the lost crew and Aircraft and leave a message of condonance or something.

The webmaster of the WIX website asked the WIX community if they would like this done. The majority said no, and the main reason is that any type of online memorial could be used against the warbird community by the news media, insurance companies, governments and other entitities. It’s a fantastic, nice idea, but when reality of what it could do to the warbird movement intrudes, then you see that it is not a good idea at all. It’s really a shame, it would be great to honor all these pilots, but in the end such a list would be used against all of us, pilots, enthusiasts, etc… A sad sad evil world we live in.

John

I Have always thought there should be a memorial somewhere for all pilots we have lost and maybe if Duxford won’t host such a thing the next best thing is a web site where we can post maybe a photo of the lost crew and Aircraft and leave a message of condonance or something.

“I am supprised that “Duxford” would not want to support the idea.”

I’m not.

IWM Duxford is a business. If you pay for a memorial bench (pay them their VERY inflated price) they’ll let you have one, that meets strict criteria.

But Damien is saying what I heard.

… I hasten to add that if you travel to Sywell you can see a memorial to Paul Morgan at the airfield. .

… which is of Spitfires. It’s a lovely memorial, but he never owned a Spitfire!

I think a memorial at Duxford would be very fitting. I am supprised that “Duxford” would not want to support the idea. After all, without the people that fly the aircraft, Duxford would not enjoy it’s present reputation as the heart of European historical aviation.

Andrewman – this was the basis of a feature in FlyPast a short while after the incidents at Biggin Hill. The opinion from Duxford was that it wasn’t something they wanted .
I hasten to add that if you travel to Sywell you can see a memorial to Paul Morgan at the airfield. I guess it’s down to the airfield operator and the feelings of people on the site.

Just an idea but is their any chance of setting up a memorial at Duxford or somewhere to remember everyone who has lost their lives at air shows in the last few years ?

Nothing ott just a nice fountain or even a tree but somewhere to go and remember the people who lost their lives doing displays for us.

I have a feeling that the wreckage has already been scrapped – although that info could have been on a thread that was deleted when the arguments got out of hand.

Flood

I believe the policy of the FAA is not to rebuild aircraft involved in fatal crashes. I anticipate that the wreckage will be scrapped. I hasten to add that I am not commenting on the rights or wrongs of rebuilding aircraft
that have been involved in fatal crashes .
The subject has been debated at length – I don’t think there is anymore
mileage in debating it.