No more Flying Legends at Duxford

There’s a discussion on Pprune that started a few months ago and I think the consensus was not as well as Duxford – but as Duxford was particularly suitable, where could?

Personally I suspect Sywell is the only place near enough to possibly make the show viable. There were all sorts of suggestions thrown out but given the running costs of WW2 fighters and similar, and the availability and logistics of enough pilots for the show, I can’t see anywhere further afield would have any chance of making financial sense.

Having never been to Sywell ,can it handle the crowds and traffic ? 

New venue confirmed as Sywell.

Thanks Trumper, I think Old Age got in the way

Trolley Aux , it’s an audio file ,if you click on the link , the down arrow above the word Camb  it will down load a file for you to play.

any chance of a copy and paste as I cannot get in to read it , Thank you

Hi All,

 From the man himself comes this bit of info, what say you ?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/1522r9yhqkv1kg3/Ni%20on%20BBC%20Cambs%20radio%202.m4a?dl=0

Geoff.

Could Gatwick be a possibility.There’s not much other activity there!

TFC has already said it’s not leaving Duxford and I would imagine Flying Legends will be replaced with their own show. I really don’t know why the loosing of one airshow is seen as the end of the museum. Lets face it we have no idea how much Duxford made out of the show compared to it’s own shows.

 I guess time will tell but fingers crossed this will work for both organisations.

Agreed Trumper, Duxford will become a Hendon if its not careful

The lack of viable options is also a threat, where else could a “Legends ” type display take place?.The lack of flying the airframes is still costing money in upkeep ,wages ,insurance etc.For me the flying airframes is what makes me still go to Duxford even on non flying days.

   I would really like to know the reasons for a money and attendance and advertising coup to be axed? 

The relocation of the aircraft especially airworthy not to much of an issue, the lame duck a bit more of an issue but you engineers and key staff a large problem and finding an airfield with hangarage is incredibly hard, Biggin out, North Weald out, not big enough Hangars for ArCo or TFC as I said before, Bentwaters has its flying issues and Woodbridge still used by special forces but make a great Vintage airfield that could handle most things

As far as the future of non IWM activity on the airfield, ask yourself if there are other, better, less expensive places the firms could relocate to?

Possibly not. 

It would depend on cost/rent at other airports…which I would guess depend on the health of General Aviation in the UK. (In other words are the hangar in demand by corporate aviation departments…people who would pay big money to park a bizjet).

Here in the US, I’m told that space is at a premium at desirable airports…a friend sold his hangar at a well known reliever field near a major city in record time for  very good money, and not far from me at a sleepy general aviation field in a very small town, a couple of hangars have been built to house G5-class jets for companies based in a city 45 minutes (by jet) away.

So, factors unrelated to warbirds and airships may hold the key to the future of the aerodrome.

I thought that it is only the ill-informed who use twitter as a method of communication with a target audience.

The Emily Charles comments on Twitter are quite something. Incredibly ill-informed for an IWM employee 

Once all the flying has been stopped and TFC and Arco  move my IWM membership will cease.I hope it wont come to that .How many Spitfires ,Hurrcanes, Buchons, P51’s Corsairs,Furys,P40’s etc etc etc do you need to prove it is a warbird display.

Hopefully in time we will be told the reason behind this decision.

I would guess that eventually it will come down to money ?

At least the aircraft will be staying  at Duxford  (for now anyway)

I think the reasons are plain to see  

Has anyone seen the Tweet from an IWM curator  ” …..and IMO Legend’s programme has become removed from its warbird origins…..”

But Legends never was a ‘Warbird’ show. 

It’s always been a celebration of the piston engine era.

You do wonder sometimes what kind of people these organisations employ!

Cheers

Paul

Has anyone seen the Tweet from an IWM curator  ” …..and IMO Legend’s programme has become removed from its warbird origins…..”