It’s nothing to do with pride. It’s to do woth money, or the saving of it, to increase profit. It’s to do with manufacturers being able to sell one aircraft cheaper than another. Maintenance and operating costs, the views of passengers who didn’t particularly want elegance or ruggedness and whose patriotic fervour went out the window when prices on airlines using other manufacturers aircraft became much cheaper due to operating costs.

You might find your quest for the cheaper ticket was a factor.

If costs were not an issue give me a VC-10 or a Viscount anyday. Or maybe an Ambassador, a York or a Viking. How about a Lancastrian?

Regards,

kev35

Well. It seems Wysiwyg got it all wrong after all. His “glider with 5 APU’s” has finally become an export success.

Sorry, don’t think there’s anything particularly sad about an airframe in store or for that matter rotting away or meeting the axe unless it has some significance to history or to type etc. A 747? Cut it up, it doesn’t bother me now. In 20 years time it might.

Regards,

kev35

I would like a personal guided tour of any facility with access to the aircraft while my legs are still good enough to get me in and out. The Lancaster at Elvington was, I have to say, a dream come true for me. (Thanks Robbo) I would also like to meet veterans and talk to anyone connected with the aircraft I am looking at.

Regards,

kev35

danairboy.

Forgot to say you would never have a problem with BMIbaby losing your suitcases because according to you there are no tickets.

Regards,

kev35

Danairboy,

you’ve been around a while now so surely you’ve worked out that a fare is the cost of the tickets and tax is added on. Thomsonfly do the same as do Ryanair, it’s nothing new. It’s just a game. How many companies list prices for goods and then in small print mention the VAT. The fares/taxes I’ve seen people mention on here seem perfectly reasonable to me. How many companies advertise Plasma tv’s for £599.00 and then you read there’s only one or two on offer. You miss the low fare you want but a good percentage of people still book at the next price. Ring Thomsonfly for a price on one of their flights and do it every few days and see the price rocket the closer you get to departure date.

Regards,

kev35

Hi.

I take it he was from Solihull, that could mean his obituary, if there was one might have appeared in a Warwickshire newspaper. Have you any idea which one it might be? Can you disclose the circumstances of his death? That might lead to another avenue to explore. The B’ham library holds the B’ham Post and I think the Evening mail. Solihull, in 1942, would have been quite a way outside the City of Birmingham.

I may be able to take a look in a couple of weeks time if that’s any help.

Regards,

kev35

A contrary viewpoint.

Our heritage, collective or individual, is about much, much more than the airframes. 58,000 young Americans died serving in the 8th Air Force. I’m grateful for the sacrifice of those men and for the efforts of millions of others from around the world. For me, their stories are the most important part of the Heritage. Without the people the aircraft would be nothing. No Spitfire or P 51 was ever scrambled to intercept the enemy without the pilot and the efforts of a huge number of other people. NEVER. We can new build or not, preserve or restore but it is the people that give it all meaning. A Spitfire is dragged out of the ground forty, fifty or sixty years after it met its end, but it is the life of the pilot which gave meaning to the loss.

Now for the contrary bit. I love seeing historic aircraft, but I’ve said before that I’d swap every memory of aircraft I have seen flying to be able to record the stories of people who put air under their wings during wartime.

The debt we owe is to the people, not the machinery. That’s why so many of us spend so much of our time researching individuals or Squadron histories. The people bring it all to life.

MH434. An incredible piece of history, but nothing till you learn of the people involved, both during wartime and now in peace.

Probably not a popular viewpoint but its mine.

Regards,

kev35