Week End Visits

I believe the AVP at Manchester is slated for a possible move, maybe to the southside, IIRC, and that will mean yet another move for the recently arrived Trident as well as Concorde, the DC10 nose, the RJX and possibly the Vampire. Ramp space is at a premium and it is also possible that the last remaining original building at Ringway, the old Officer’s Mess, is also lokely to go in the pursuit of space. By the same token one wonders on the likelihood of the land along the road where the Officer’s Mess stands being compulsorily purchased at some point?

It is the issue of a ‘big shed’ as Moggy calls it which is the biggest problem. The collection at Cosford is starting to look very shabby and they could all do with going undercover. It would be nice to see a central collection of airliners somewhere. I’ve never been but have often wondered if Lasham might be a possibility? Or even Kemble now some airliners are flown there to be parted out and then scrapped.

Regards,

kev35

How about expanding still Manchesters collection of airliners….finding a big field etc…. ( I guess thats “pie in the sky thinking”)

It’s never the big field that’s the problem. There are aircraft rotting in fields all over the UK. The issue is ‘big shed’ and that’s were the problems inevitably lie.

Sincere best wishes to your missus. She sounds priceless 🙂

Moggy

10th aniversary

Visiting old airfields on your 10th wedding anniversary? She must really love you! Please pass on my congratulations (and commiserations??!!)

Welcome to the forum. THere are many interesting posters, plenty of stuffy old gits like me ( who actually chuckles at posts like Snapper’s) but we all share a passion for old birds.

Let me rephrase that….

Hairyplane

A civil airliner museum would be very interesting, could even go back to the beginning of civil passenger aircraft with Dragon Rapides etc….. ahh i can dream

Visit Mojave airport some time… the place is awash with stored airliners, even some new ones in chromate primer…

A civil airliner museum would be very interesting, could even go back to the beginning of civil passenger aircraft with Dragon Rapides etc….. ahh i can dream

Thanks Mike

…..Yep I think you have it about right. Now I have yet to visit East Fortune but I understand there is quite a bit of space free in the Concorde hangar. How about using that space for “front end” sections of airliners before they end up in the scrap yard. Perhaps those that don’t make it undercover at Duxford ?

What could be better for the “younger” types to be able to sit in the Captains seat……?

Thanks all for my gentle introduction…..

Also managed a recent visit to Cosford, where the 707 & VC-10 looked very tatty indeed.

In my (very humble) opinion, a vast sum of money appears to have been spent preserving too many Concorde’s. It would be a very great shame if we end up with lots of preserved Concorde’s but no Herald’s, BAC 1-11’s and VC-10’s etc.

Have been very impressed with the work done to look after Trident ZK.

I know this is really asking far too much and perhaps not living in the real world. However, would the preservation movment be better off trying to look after “old airliners” at one facility, where the manpower and knowledge to maintain them could be focused. Leaving say Duxford to posess a more period feel.

Having worked in the UK Charter airline industry for over 20 years now, I would hate to see the old British airliners disappear completly.

How about expanding still Manchesters collection of airliners….finding a big field etc, getting local aviation companies involved etc ( I guess thats “pie in the sky thinking”)

As ever, the website suffers from being over corporate (light on fact, long on PR & design)

Cheers

Thats what worries me about Airspace….or should that be ‘Officespace’

First aircraft I ever worked on that Viscount…

Strange, in Wessex Boys quote of my post, if you click on ‘dinner plate’ you get directed to an online search for buying dinner plates! Good to see the Viscount i agree, lovely airliners

True, but the Cosford one doesn’t have a rotating dinner plate on the top, maybe the Mildenhall ones don’t but not very up to date with USAF aircraft

If there is a lot of transatlantic Traffic they extend their circuit so that I get KC135s queueing over my house (when the F15s from Lakenheath aren’t practising Air to air!), they mainly have the refuelling appendage, occasionally there will be an Earwacs or the curiously bumped EC137…..

As for Duxford, doesn’t the Britt belong to the estate of Roger Hargreaves (of ‘Mr Men’ fame?) I seem to remember reading about it in an old copy of Propliner.

The Viscount is having a lot of good work put in, it was on my Grandfather’s fleet (channel Airways) and my father put baggage in it to pay for his PPL on Austers!

True, but the Cosford one doesn’t have a rotating dinner plate on the top, maybe the Mildenhall ones don’t but not very up to date with USAF aircraft

There are rumours on a forum about the HS121 Trident (forget the address, sorry) that the British Airways collection at Cosford is due to be cut up/sold off or something like that, hope not it would be a great shame, only Boeing 707 in preservation over here i believe.

Last time I saw Thorpe Abbotts it was the wrong way up….. Good museum though, although in spite of driving past it 3 times a week I’ve not visited for 18 months.

Having spent 20 minutes scratching himself and staring vacantly into nothing, Snapper read a serious question and exclaimed,

He’s a student now. More to be pitied than blamed.

I visited Thorpe Abbotts about ten years ago and admit to being very moved by the whole place.

Regarding Duxford’s airliners. I agree it is a shame. Cosford’s British Airways collection is beginning to look a little the worse for wear.

Although snapper’s comment was very much tongue in cheek (I hope :confused: ) we have to remember that for many it is the first trip to an airport or on an airliner that lights the spark that eventually turns us into passionate anoraks.

Regards,

kev35

Having spent 20 minutes scratching himself and staring vacantly into nothing, Snapper read a serious question and exclaimed,

I wouldn’t worry too much about the Britannia, it’s a bus. It has no place at Duxford. It’s just somewhere for the birds to nest and it provides shelter during the rain. As soon as that and Concorde rot to nothing it’ll be ok. RE: the Victo, as it has no guns it also is not worth worrying about greatly – they only keep it as the paint scheme matches that of some of the buildings.

Who’s stopped Snapper’s dried frog pills?

I wouldn’t worry too much about the Britannia, it’s a bus. It has no place at Duxford. It’s just somewhere for the birds to nest and it provides shelter during the rain. As soon as that and Concorde rot to nothing it’ll be ok. RE: the Victo, as it has no guns it also is not worth worrying about greatly – they only keep it as the paint scheme matches that of some of the buildings.

So what’s due for restoration first in the restoration area of Airspace? From what i remember it was the Varsity and Victor, hope so, they seem to be the ones that need the most work. By the way, what’s wrong with the Britannia? I was there last Easter (think it was Easter anyway) and she seemed in pretty good nick

Hi Waco,
First up, welcome to the forum. You can have fun here. 😉

The Victor is a hot topic for its poor state, you are not alone in your concern. If you have a look here (I suggest you search on ‘Duxford’ & ‘Victor’ as a kick-off) you’ll see some of the popular topics. I posted a few thoughts on DX in generalhere and there was a lot just previous to that date. I’m sure you’ll find it all entertaining.

I’d also recomend a visit to the IWM’s website here where you’ll find some info on the AirSpace development. As ever, the website suffers from being over corporate (light on fact, long on PR & design) but is reasonable authoritative as to some of the plans.

I’m sure you’ll hear more soon!

Cheers