Any good craftman within the fields (mechanical, electrical, structure and avionics) would be a boon, provided that he/she is more traditionally skilled.

Craftsman and traditionally skilled are the three important words in the quotation, as someone from an electrical engineering background my experience is that real craftsmen are hard to come by in this age of automation and black box replacement. We the consumers do not want to pay for craftsmanship!

The aviation industry is full of new manufacturing techniques and new materials that do not require the old skills. The result of progress (?) is that the traditional skills are in short supply, those who need those skills will I suspect snap them up!

Eric

On this day of all days, I hope I can speak for all on this forum by extending our sincere condolences to the family of the pilot.
May he rest in peace!

Regards

A very saddened Eric Gray.

As Roger has said this move has been hinted at before. I get the impression that Mike would like to move the flight to a new location that would have sufficient space to allow for a museum facility. Like most aspirations of this sort financing as well as location will be high on the agenda.

Whatever Mike’s detailed plans are, I know that his wish has always been to keep the classic flight together, I wish him well in that enterprise!

Regards

Eric

Dean,

I am a relativity happy 20D owner and must say from the start that I am in total agreement with Paul. However, in as much as the new 40D has been mentioned I would hold off for a few months and see if the body prices edge down a bit!

Eric

Brian,

What can I say, the images are great!

Eric

Breifly BAE Systems signed a 1.1 billion pound contract in 1996 to develop the MR4A,it will fly at Mach 0.77 have a 6000 mile range ,engines will have 25% more thrust and be 30% more fuel efficient, plus advanced radar etc the contract is for 12 aircraft, completion is 2012 😎 😎 😎

If memory serves me correctly, the contract started out at 18 or more airframes. I wonder what its hot and high performance will be like? Pity the aircraft is at least 7 years late at the moment!

Eric

I suspect that repatriation of the deceased from either world war in the circumstances of the time would have been next to impossible! In any case, anyone who has visited any of the war cemeteries in mainland Europe will I hope agree that they present a potent image of remembrance and a massive reminder of why we must be always guard against evil!

Regards

Eric

I must disagree with the comments regarding the aircraft wreck alleged to be in Lough Neagh, various searches have been made over the years by divers from the sub-aqua club at Aldergrove and I believe by divers from Masserene camp in Antrim town. On one occasion, at least I believe a search was attempted using side scan sonar; bottom conditions in the identified area doomed that one from the start.

During and after World War II a local company had the contract for maintaining targets on the lough and for recovering aircraft that had the misfortune of crashing into it. The contractor involved over many years maintained that anything that crashed into the Lough was removed by his company.

The position of the alleged wreck has always been quoted as been in the area close to the end of the east / west runway at Langford Lodge. We at the Ulster Aviation Society have never found any records to support the idea of an aircraft crash in that area. The station records just do not support the theory.

Over the years, the society has been approached regarding various aircraft in the lough, notably a barge full of P38’s, not to mention aircraft engines etc buried on the Langford Lodge site! Sorry folks the records just do not support such manna from heaven.

Sorry to disappoint!

Regards

Eric
🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁