Black Mike F4 Phantom fund

Well Mr Wilkes if you are not a thief or fraudster get your a*se on here and explain yourself! I await your reply more in hope than expectation.

Thank you for clearing things up, I understand the cannot say anything due to investigations on going and will leave it at that.

That’s not Bombhead365’s fault… I said I would reply for him but have been rather busy of late (apologies).

As to answer your question, the loss of funds via the ‘gofundme’ page is currently under investigation by Dorset Police but unfortunately, I can’t go into too much detail there as it will surely go to court at some point and any in depth conversations on here could potentially jeopardise a good outcome.

As for XV582 – She is stuck in limbo until the ITAR agreement is finalised with the Americans but as the bidding that won her was under a totally different name to the British Phantom Aviation Group, it will probably end up going back for tender unless this fraud case sees it that BPAG were wrongly done to and therefore should take up the ownership. Unfortunately this has left a sour taste in many peoples mouths especially those that kindly donated. Lessons have been learnt the hard way unfortunately but as a group, we will endeavour to regroup and continue with what we set out to do..

As soon as I have more info that is able to be published here, I’ll do so as and when.

Kind Regards,
Phantom Phil.

That is all well and good but where are the funds already raised via Mr Wilkes as no one will answer a simple question. And how do things stand with a Black Mike?

Bomb head was going to put out an official statement? But that was days ago.

Latest as per the Chairman:

Sam Thompson

17 June at 14:15

TRANSPARENCY STATEMENT

In light of recent events, it has been decided to produce a statement detailing the measures that have been/in the process of being put in place, in order to prevent such events repeating themselves.

Fundraising –

Any future fundraising will be created and run/overseen by at least one member of the management committee. Currently those involved with fundraising are as follows:

– David Butterfield
– Sam Thompson
– Phillip Moore
– Justyn Keeble

Collectively we will have access to all fundraising pages and accounts. Where possible we will impose a multiple signatory’s culture.

All funds will go either directly to the groups’ bank account or via a fund raising page, controlled as stated above, then into the groups’ bank account.

Bank Account –

The British F4 Phantom Aviation Group currently banks with the Unity Trust Bank, based in Birmingham. The group plans to continue banking with them for the foreseeable future.

Each month we will make available a statement of account status. This will detail the group’s current balance, as well as incomings and outgoings.

With the relative infancy of the group’s bank account, there are currently two signatories on the account. These are:

– David Butterfield
– Sam Thompson

In time, the number of signatories will increase to include all relevant members of the committee. The result of which will be made public.

There is a system in place within the account with the bank for the amount of signatures required from the signatories in order to process transactions of above certain limits.

For transactions over £3000, we will publish details of the transaction with any relevant supporting documents.

Sincerely,

Sam Thompson

General Secretary
The British F4 Phantom Aviation Group

Hi All,
Maybe he’s trying to find Amos so they can return to haunt the Woolpack Inn……..:D

Geoff.

As said the UAS are a registered charity. However it’s maybe open to debate whether they’re a museum yet as you can only visit by prior appointment, and the hangar they’re in is owned by the NI government. From my perspective they’re basically a private collection and unlike Bentwaters they’re not an accredited museum. A pedantic point maybe, but I think worth clarifying.

Thanks Airfixtwin for putting me right, however as a charity, money going in, cannot disappear as easily like the case of Mr Wilkes.

No one audits groups like that unless they are proper museums (like UAS or the BCWM) that play to the rules to hold the charitable status. I asked some questions to the chairman of the group and got snappy answers back like “why ask probing questions?” I never bothered to ask what the relationship with them and Wilkes was. He probably said “I have done this and that” and they replied “Will you do this for us?” . Doubt anything was in writing with a signature, hope there is an e-mail trail to link everything together.

As said the UAS are a registered charity. However it’s maybe open to debate whether they’re a museum yet as you can only visit by prior appointment, and the hangar they’re in is owned by the NI government. From my perspective they’re basically a private collection and unlike Bentwaters they’re not an accredited museum. A pedantic point maybe, but I think worth clarifying.

Yes the aorcraft is still ok. It’s still currently sat in a HAS at RAF Leuchars.

There will be an official update on here later today/tomorrow.

Or he’s sitting on a tropical beach, drinking c*cktails and laughing at the gullible…!!!

Eleven grand wouldn’t even buy him a decent getaway car, meanwhile what is happening with the Aircraft, is is still ok?

Surely any project that asks for donations requires a level of gullibility from donors? In other words, you are investing money because you wish to see an aircraft restored. There is the risk that you don’t donate enough, or that those in charge are shysters. Who audits these organisations? I could set up a Kickstarter campaign tomorrow and claim I was going to recover the Gannet from the long grass at RAF Errol… it doesn’t mean its going to happen.

No one audits groups like that unless they are proper museums (like UAS or the BCWM) that play to the rules to hold the charitable status. I asked some questions to the chairman of the group and got snappy answers back like “why ask probing questions?” I never bothered to ask what the relationship with them and Wilkes was. He probably said “I have done this and that” and they replied “Will you do this for us?” . Doubt anything was in writing with a signature, hope there is an e-mail trail to link everything together.

Or he’s sitting on a tropical beach, drinking c*cktails and laughing at the gullible…!!!

Surely any project that asks for donations requires a level of gullibility from donors? In other words, you are investing money because you wish to see an aircraft restored. There is the risk that you don’t donate enough, or that those in charge are shysters. Who audits these organisations? I could set up a Kickstarter campaign tomorrow and claim I was going to recover the Gannet from the long grass at RAF Errol… it doesn’t mean its going to happen.

…..Just a possible explanation as to the silence?

Or he’s sitting on a tropical beach, drinking c*cktails and laughing at the gullible…!!!

Don’t know the guy, neither do I have any inside information.

However quite often those under investigation receive legal advise not to say anything or make public statements until after investigations have been completed by the authorities. Just a possible explanation as to the silence?

Ahhhhhhh

No update as yet gents. It would appear that the bid by the BPAG was changed at the last moment to try and acquire the aircraft for another unrelatred group. The aforementioned Matthew Wilkes seems to of changed the gofundme page details at the last second then took the page off line.

Based on what’s been written on the facebook page for the BPAG, It looks like he has taken all the money donated for himself to try and fund getting the aircraft moved to another museum. This was without the knowledge or support of any of the other members of the BPAG, and to that end, I believe the matter has been passed is currently under investigation by the police.

I appriciate that there are 2 sides to every story, but he has yet to respond to any of the questions being asked of him.

http://www.pprune.org/military-aviation/548560-help-save-phantom-2.html

Maybe it’s time to wait for the group to issue a statement rather than making a statement regards the person concerned.

Still waiting for the statement.

Who is Matthew Wilkes? Has anybody ever come across him before?

Any news or updates anyone?

…..and the Victor at St Mawgan. Ended up as ‘just’ the cockpit because of it.

Baz

History repeating itself. Didn’t the same thing happen to an early Vulcan appeal? (Pre-dating, and nothing to do with, VTTS)

Moggy