There has never been a British team operating it. There have been one or two British pilots along with Americans and the odd Australian. As for the operation, it has always been under the control of its owner with occasional help from sponsors. This is one of the things that is so good about it, an American team celebrating the achievements of British and Australian aviators and designers.
As for museum Vimys, there are three. The Science Museum Alcock and Brown one, the England/Australia one in Oz (the original G-EAOU) and the replica in the RAF Museum. When this goes into the NASM whole future generations will learn that the first person to cross the Atlantic by air, non stop was not Lindbergh, as many of them believe, and that there may have been some aviation going on outside the US in the 1920s and 1930s.
I agree it would be good to see it but I think its value as a museum exhibit is now more valuable than its flying life. I joked about flying the Alcock and Brown one, of course no one would but this one, in its time, will be almost as historic. A 1919 bomber that flew the England/Australia route, England South Africa and hopefully recreated the Alcock and Brown flight. That is one seriously accomplished aeroplane and should that even be risked again? I am not sure it would. I would love to see it again. I have been lucky enough to photograph it and fly in it, and I would love the opportunity again, but it will has done its job and it is important that such an aeroplane should be properly preserved for future generations.
And Peter deserves some time off!
I can see your point and if you haven’t seen it then you are missing out but this is one that deserves its retirement, it has earned it.
Melv
you’re sounding like an angry old man again.
Ask Matron [Carol] for some of those nice blue pills again.
Otherwise you’ll have to go back in the cowshed again–where it’s dark and warm and you feel safe.
It’s not Raptor’s fault that you’re old enough to remember A&B.
Later
Bridget.
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