Everyone has their own view on this, but here’s mine.
1. We should accept that the reason we buy most aircraft is because we like them not because there so histroically important the country couldn’t go on without them. There no different to classic cars, bikes, trains etc.
2. Most of the really historic aircraft in this country could fit in probably 2 large museums.
3. We have 4 national collections that I can think of, IWM,RAFM, Science Museum and Museum of Flight. That should be enough.
4. If one of the national collections does not have the space or manpower to keep an aircraft that it feels should be part of the collection then a museum with the facillites and labour should be found (if available) and funding allocated.
5. For a museum to survive it must appeal to the general public. If they are being asked to part with there cash they are going to expect to be entertained as well as educated. A collection of your favourite aviation artifacts is unlikely to do this.
6. Always offer a warm welcome to new prospective volunteers and go out of your way to get them involved. Asking them on there first day if they’ll mind the shop while everyone else goes and ‘plays’ with an airframe or goes down the pub for lunch is not going to encourage them to come back!
7. If you have an airframe that could be up for disposal (even if it’s in the long term) then let people know. It will give them time to get a formulated plan together, then invite them down to help with any work involved and to get familiar with the aircraft.
8. We cant preserve everything! We’d run out of room!
9. Don’t blame the goverment for everything, they don’t have bottomless pits of money and just because they wont keep you’re favourite aircraft flying and doing circuits above you’re house doesn’t mean there wrong. However when somebody does something really obviously stupid at one of the national collections (like selling P1B XA847 😡 ) then use them to put pressure on that department.
10. I’m sure there are plenty of people around who cant make a solid commitment to one group or museum (I’m one) due to various reasons. These people could however be available on odd days when you need alot of manpower (not neccesarily aviation related). If somebody wanted to start a website that was broken down into regions were we could put our names forward so we could be contacted should anybody have such a requirement then I would be up for that.
11. Have Fun!
Added to this try and avoid the situation were people become friends that form into groups, that become packs, that start hunting after the other packs at your group/society/museum, which then cause breakaway groups – it doesn’t help.
P.S. Listen to Bruce he’s a wise man…. 😀
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