Graham, I’m pretty astounded by your remarks and lack of knowledge of the facts surrounding the above…. As a long-time member of the Midland Air Museum, and working on my project “XF382” Hawker Hunter, can I take this opportunity to correct you, or enlighten you?
Regarding the F-86 move from Duxford – it is on loan to the Midland Air Museum from the IWM @ Duxford (who as has been pointed out, own it). So no alleged breach there ok? (That was a serious allegation you made)…
Regarding the USAF Museum’s policies – they do in fact loan airframes out to private museums – the Midland Air Museum being one of many… On our books, we have T-33 / Mystere / Hunter XF382 all on loan from the USAF Museum, and that’s just the ones I know of as fact…. The Hunter has an intriguing reason for being on loan from the USAF, as it was built in 1956 with funding from the USA Military Aid Programme which was their financial assistance to the UK to enable it to re-equip it’s forces post-WW2. Built at Coventry by AWA, it flew it’s entire career with the RAF, and once retired, officially belonged to the USA Goverment, which meant it could not be offered up for disposal by the usual MOD means, as the MOD didn’t own it. So the Museum acquired it via the USAF Museum, who remain as custodians of all ex-MAP funded airframes in the UK. So there’s the correct background to the policy of USAF owned airframes being on loan to private Museums…..
I’ll get off my soapbox now, but felt it right to defend the Museum which I have worked at for the last 11 years, and who always do things right I might add… Amateurs only by virtue, professional in conduct….
Pete Buckingham
Hunter XF382 Groundcrew
Midland Air Museum
Pete,
Steady on chap. Apologies for the mis-understanding of the F-86 move. I’d got my info from another thread on this forum. Guess that was incorrect then!
When you have been faced with as many brick walls as I have when trying to construct a largely USAF-orientated museum then the slightest hint of a breach of the USAFM rules makes me see red.
As for my lack of knowledge, well….believe me I’m pretty well up to speed with the USAF’s Mutual Defence Assistance Programme (MDAP) so I’m aware of most of the issues. I think you’ll find that all your quoted MDAP airframes (T-33/Mystere etc…) were acquired before the ‘private’ museum rule came into effect (post 9/11). Suggest you check up on that as that is what I was told by Gen. Metcalf at the USAFM. Incidentally, Flixton’s Hunter is an MDAP airframe.
Sign In
