They paid a £1.00? I hope that they got some change:diablo:

A friend of mine was posted there as SATCO. I never did find out what he had done.

exmpa

Given one of the conditions of sale:

Significant price reduction if Lufthansa does not opt to sell bmibaby before completion

See here for further details.

Then maybe VS could have baby for £1.00 as a consolation:dev2:

Sadly this will mean now mean the loss of a significant number of jobs at bmi and the disappearance (sooner or later) of the bmi brand. However, at least a significant number of people will keep their jobs which would not have been the case had the operation just been shutdown.

exmpa

I thought I’d have a closer look at what IAG were getting.

The route network is fairly disparate with 14 mixed short hauls and 17 largely ex-Bmed medium/long hauls, 8 of which aren’t non-stop. This got me wondering are BSL, TXL, HAJ and VIE operated on behalf of LX, LH, LH and OS respectively (and likely to go back) or are they true BD routes?

The routes are largely irrelevant, what IAG are buying is the slots. Midland’s problem has always been that it never had the mass to make a real impact in other than niches. In the 80-90s this was the domestic trunks and closer European destinations. Pressure from the new “lo cost” operators forced the move in to the mid-haul market on the former BMed routes. The long haul effort was always under resourced as the core business that should have underpinned it was contracting. This was all happening against a backdrop of the main shareholder’s exit plan. For the last 10 years before DLH acquired it the business was run with the aim of ensuring that SMB departed with the largest possible pot of cash. That meant preserving the slots, much of their operating loss being underwritten by the brilliantly negotiated European Co-operation Agreement (ECA). A wonderful agreement from SMB’s point of view but not so good from that of the other parties. The end result was that DLH was forced into buying an airline whose losses they had been subsidising for the previous 10 years and whose only real value was its slots at Heathrow.

Unfortunately those slots on their own are insufficient to run a profitable operation in today’s very difficult environment, particularly as the overheads of operating from Heathrow are already high. However when added to to the existing IAG holding the picture changes. When put into the IAG “pool” the BD slots can be used much more efficiently and there is the opportunity of squeezing some profit out of them. Particularly as the buyer is a much better resourced company. All in all, a purchase by the BA parent is probably the most benign outcome. Sadly a significant number of BD employees will probably lose their jobs although I would hope a fair proportion will keep theirs and probably have a more secure future.

As far as the non-Heathrow parts of the business are concerned, the situation is far less clear. Regional will it seems be sold to a consortium that includes its management. I would presume that DLH will agree to some sort of “dowry” to get rid of it and tide it over the initial period. However the Embraers are getting long in the tooth and will need replacing sooner rather than later. Where will the money come from, the revenues from the current routes cannot be that great? Baby is a bigger conundrum, not really big enough and little in the way of assets. I cannot really see who might want it other that in some kind of trade sale.

A final point is the role of Virgin in the bidding for BD. If they have the money then DLH will sell it to them, simples.

exmpa

with hydraulic flying controls it was indeed smoking hole in the ground time if they didn’t get it on the deck quickly.

The Vulcan does not have hydraulically powered flying controls. Each horizontal surface has its own electrically powered flying control unit (PFCU) and the rudder has two. Each PFCU contains an electrically powered hydraulic pump that provides the power to move the surface.The PFCUs have no connection to the aircraft hydraulic system.

exmpa

The Rapid Air System was only fitted to the Vulcan B2. The B1 had an externally powered electrical system. As Sven says, I believe that the Victor 2 had a similar system to the Vulcan 2.

I have enquired of an acquaintance who flew both the Victor and Valiant and shall post his reply.

exmpa

Im wonder did anyone email the seller prior to the auction ending and point out the issues with the medal?

Why should anyone do that? If you have any doubts about anything on Ebay you can ask the vendor questions and if you don’t get the right answers you don’t bid.

Caveat Emptor

exmpa

There is something odd about this decision. If the cause wasn’t negligence or technical failure, what was it?

That is the issue. One can, as the Board of Inquiry (BoI) did, investigate a number of possible causes and even arrange them in order of their likelihood. But and it is a very big BUT indeed, without reliable evidence you cannot reach a conclusion on the culpability of the participants. The BoI reached no such conclusion but when the findings were reviewed at Command those findings were overruled and the finding of Culpable Negligence was inserted. Apparently the two Air Officers concerned had sought legal advice before they overruled the BoI findings and felt that in the lack of any evidence to the contrary then a finding of Culpable Negligence based upon what may have been the most likely cause was lawful.

I can only surmise that they must both have been asleep throughout the relevant law lectures during their initial training. Even I can recall 45 years later that to return a finding of Negligence you require incontrovertible evidence of the shortcomings of the individual(s) concerned. A lack of evidence of any other possible cause is insufficient.

YS

I obviously misread the letter!!

The Station Commander doesn’t normally invite you to the annual reunion.

exmp