Do you know where the flight sim company is in Ripon David? I live here and I can’t find them! When I spoke to that chap in the market place last year he said he was getiing a complete Vampire in exchange for refurbishing a Spitfire for. I think, Dumfries and Galloway museum.
Jim

Hi just toi clarify a bit of confusion.
Howard Whiting who has the Simulator company at Ripon works with us.He currently has XD606,A very nice 2 seat fighter cockpit (cant remmeber what it is)and a 727 crew trainer.
We have the Dumfries and Galloway Spitfire in our workshops between Ripon and Leeming as well as a flying flea,A Soko Kraguj Ground attack aircraft at our other site at Borough bridge and our Vampire T11 shortly arriving in stages from North of the Border.As well as a few other odds and ends.And the components ready to start build on a griffon Spitfire once some space in the workshop becomes available..

anyone want to contact me direct can do so
[email]mike@firefly53.freeserve.co.uk[/email]

Firebex

Just been speaking to Howard who is connected with the Simulators apparantly we got approached about 8 weeks ago re this aircraft by two different people and we said YES both times the aircraft could be stored where we are safely and the contact details got passed back down the line for the owner to come back to us so we could help him.

As we are only 4 miles away as the crow flies and have lots of equipment and access to trailers etc. To date we have had no response.

So at a bit of a loss the approach was made to us we said yes and nothing more.We can only assume the owner wants to now place the aircraft with a museum .But if anyone has direct contact with him if as has been suggested the move is urgent and he needs somewhere in the next two weeks then you have the details come back to us.

Mike

A chap from the Ripon flight simulators concern told me last year that he was getting a complete Vampire from somewhere north of the border – is this the one?
Jim

No it isnt !!!!

The Spitfire has been bought by Mr. M. Oliver of Knutsford, local businessman and engineer. It is a philanthropic act swelling the British Legion coffers and still giving them access to the ‘plane for fundraising events. We should celebrate such useful acts and feel relieved it is not a real aircraft that could have an accident as it is moved around the country but still give the feel of the Few’s aircraft to the Many..well done sir!
link to details here:
http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/news/general/legion-replica-spitfire-sold-by-bonhams-ahead-of-auction

What a load of Bull fertilizer

sorry but having been the main engineer building the aircraft and having to deal with the shoddy way the RBL dealt with everyone the articles are just window dressing even the Ripon Branch got ripped off by the RBL and its members mistreated.

So many events and veterans let down by this organisation no wonder people are turning away and supporting the likes of Help for Heroes.The RBL fro the whim of one individual mothballed the project in November 2009 and anyone connected with it was accused of all sorts of things NONE of them true and all withdrawn.The aircraft had so many bookings to support veterans and events in 2010 for the anniversary of the B of B but the RBL would consider none of them.

The aircraft is now in Mr Olivers private museum for a sum in excess of the guide and will very unlikely venture out much for the benefit of others.

Sorry Mr Moderators but this project and the RBL has left a very bad taste in a lot of peoples mouths.The aircraftwas supposed to promote the RBL but the RBL would not let it and even refused to promote to other branches around the UK for their veterans events.Facts !!!!!!.

Even the poor Ripon Branch has been very badly treated and let down and they have had to fight tooth and nail to even get back the monies they raised specificaly for the project from local business etc.So they can put it back into supporting the community and veterans in North Yorkshire.

would we be this upset if the Tornado fleet was axed?

Dear Boy if you go near RAF Leeming you will notice that is exactly what they are doing on the QT. best part of 27 of them to go through RTP in hangar 3 many of them have already,perhaps someone has jumped the gun and they will now have to get the super glue out and stick some back together.There was also some info that even some of the German or Italian ones may be coming over for the same treatment.

Spending god knows what on gutting these airframes and sending parts to depots that havent got the space to put them.We have been told a lot of the bits are getting binned because they dont want them,dont need them ,cant store them .Why undertake such a seemingly pointless exercise stripping,shipping. Plus while in storage waiting the axe they have to be ground run and test flown on a regular basis,when again there must be a residual value ?.

At the risk of us getting a bit near the bone and being censored or whatever we get these days for being a bit vague with our threads.

If we go back longer than I care to remember being around during did not a certain government get rid of 90% of our front line aircraft projects TSR 2 and a lot of others because ?.”We wont need manned aircraft in future conflicts we will use only rockets ” Someone will correct me I am sure but did we then not spend millions on US equipment and converting places like RAF Hemswell to fire these things.(Did we ever get the war heads to go on them ?.I think not).Then we could not have certain aircraft as we would upset our American cousins so lets buy F111. Then no that isnt going to work we spent to much money debating it lets have a load of ex US Military Phantoms and make do?.

Is it me or is history repeating itself yet again ?,Do we really have a similar bunch of “A——-s” at the helm making the same mistakes ?.

Anyway, was any threat to the BBMF mentioned during Osbourne’s speech ?
No and neither was the RED ARROWS. At least with the Red Arrows with centre line ordanance,the BBMF for UK Defence and the Vulcan for HI Lo or Lo Lo bombing Roles and I am sure the lads could get Lindy flying for a few in flight refuel jobs we are sorted !!!! well I think its more realisitc that the idea the dipsticks in power have come up with !!!