Excellent pics, particularly like the one showing her topside. Thanks for posting them!!

Weather forecasts never wrong??

To be honest, if there is a fairly good chance it’s going to tip down, fair play to them for cancelling it, before they start paying for all the minor things like aircrew and fire cover…

Tomorrows flight has been cancelled due to the weather.

YOU tell me your involvement with the tvoc and i will tell you mine l

WELL, you know the chimp in the bomb aimers window…

…i bet that my contribution is a lot biggger than yours…in the future

Yeah, wouldn’t be surprised if that meant you’re gonna torch her…:eek:

Look back over this and other threads TVOC assumed that and indeed hoped that all the airtests would be completed in two flights after first flight this i feel shows the lack of understanding of the task involved i would of hoped that they had been told this was virtually impossible no snags after all the work that had been done.

The funding was set aside for this so when a 3rd or 4th flight was needed funding becomes an issue DONT YOU AGREE this money was put aside ?? or you would like to think so.

The airtest and DAf light was a idea agreed by tvoc and all other parties i suspect and i can not see this arrangement been done again hope so but if it was only to try and get 558 to Cosford then i doubt it.

SO to the fault or blame if you had a car and the mot was due would you only put the test fee aside OR do you think it might ned more put additional funds away.

Yes i know its easy if you have the funds and we all know tvoc dont unless the major sponsor as fathomed out i dont mind funding a bottomless pit WITH NO PROSPECT OF ANY RETURN

No Christmas card from them last year then?

You never know, they might get you a new pram this year…

Some good news…

Taken from DeHavilland Aviation on UKAR:

DH110 Sea Vixen G-CVIX (XP924) – the World’s last remaining airworthy de Havilland Sea Vixen.

De Havilland Aviation is pleased to announce that one of the major issues affecting the commercial viability of the Sea Vixen G-CVIX (XP924) has now been sorted.

Thanks to a joint venture with one of our fleet operator friends in the aviation World, the aircraft is now insured on far better terms than the previous insurance quote of over £80,000 per year. That original cost had, understandably, made flying operations completely untenable for 2007 and, as a result, the aircraft was temporarily grounded.

Now, with this major element of the total operating costs sorted via a different mechanism, we can now concentrate on getting Foxy into the airshow circuit at more commercially acceptable rates for those air show organisers wishing to offer the aircraft as part of their display programmes.

In addition, our renowned Chief Pilot, Brian Grant, has signified his intention to start his well-earned retirement, which would leave us without a qualified display pilot. However, we have secured the services of a very competent and respected pilot in the form of Lt Cdr Matt Whitfield RN, OC of Fixed Wing Standards for the Royal Navy based at RNAS Yeovilton.

As such, with the superb support of the Royal Navy, Foxy will be based temporarily at Yeovilton whilst Matt completes his type training and DA under Brian’s expert tutelage. Foxy will be based there to commence this stage of the programme once we have completed her annual service and scheduled flight test.

We have had many enquiries and requests for her to attend various air shows and events around the country. We are aware, of course, that (after the Vulcan) she remains the largest vintage ex-military jet on the UK circuit, and certainly provides the most enthralling display out of all the larger jets, due to her manoeuvrability.

We are working with those organisers as fast as we can so that these fit in with the training schedule. But, some events have already been pencilled in and are as good as confirmed. These include the Yeovilton Air Day on 5th July – in thanks to the Royal Navy for their assistance with Foxy – and the Bournemouth Air Festival where she will appear on the Friday 29th, Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st August. Sunday (31/08) is likely to be Brian’s last ever public display, and we are in the process of arranging a very special join up to wish him well on his retirement; more news on that later, when we have formal confirmation.

Despite this good news on the insurance front, the costs of keeping Foxy in the sky remain high, but we at DHA are determined to help preserve her for the sake of the country’s aviation heritage and for her many fans around the globe. As such, we have started a membership fund to attract donations, sponsorship and the profits from merchandise sales. We have received some donations to this fund already, so thank you to those who have contributed so far. This account is ring-fenced exclusively in a separate account for the sole operation of Foxy; no deductions are made for DHA general overheads or other aircraft operating costs.

For those interested in joining as members of the official Friends of Sea Vixen XP924 Group (maybe it’ll become known as the Friends of Foxy Club?!), basic annual Silver membership of £25 entitles you to a membership pack, invitations to Foxy’s special events and discounts on official XP924 merchandise.

Gold membership includes all those benefits plus invitations to our corporate events, including photo opportunities, plus a limited edition lithograph of the aircraft signed by all the team and associated Navy signatories. Gold membership, at £100 per annum, will only be available to the first 250 applications. Those fans of Foxy who have already donated to the appeal fund in excess of £99 will automatically be granted Gold membership retrospectively. Experienced photographers who are Gold members may also be invited to shoot the official shots of Foxy for each publication request, and these may include air-to-air sorties.

These will also be a Diamond level of membership, and we are happy to discuss those benefits with you, upon application.

There will also be a Junior level of membership (for those under 16) at £15 pa, plus Family Membership options at a discounted rate.

Donations and membership applications can be sent to:
The Friends of Sea Vixen XP924
De Havilland Aviation Ltd
Hangar 600
Bournemouth International Airport
Christchurch
Dorset BH23 6DQ

Or emailed to [email]accounts@dehavillandaviation.co.uk[/email]

Membership can also be applied for via telephone on +44 1202 593600, where payment can be made via debit or debit card (VISA/MC/AMEX only).

PayPal membership can also be made via [email]accounts@dehavillandaviation.co.uk[/email]

Please note that, in future, all requests for photo participation must be made to the Managing Director at the address above. We will anticipate a small contribution from any proceeds to be made to the Appeal Fund in exchange for these exclusive photo opportunities to help keep this magnificent aircraft flying. With one notable exception, the aviation photographic community has gladly accepted this policy, so we trust that this will continue to be an acceptable arrangement. We have been more than pleased with the exceptional assistance of aviation photographers such as Tim Skeet, Morley Lester and Richard Paver in the past, and hope to encourage more in this field to be involved in Foxy’s publicity portfolio, along with our other aircraft photo shoots.

A new range of XP924 merchandise will be launched very shortly, and certainly in time for the major air shows. The profits from all merchandise sales will be put directly into Foxy’s flying fund, so we would encourage all fans to wear your Sea Vixen gear with pride.

We hope that this news will be welcomed by the aviation community, and thank you to all those who have helped, encouraged and donated to make this happen. We look forward to seeing you on the airshow circuit and at other events in the near future.

From all the team at De Havilland Aviation.

—————————————————–
This press release may not be reproduced on other forums or outlets except in its entirety, and remains unedited, and is duly acknowledged.

Another ppic from the day for a fellow forum member. There were some jewels hiding in the car park too!

That is a beauty!! I had one of those, a white 2.0 about 11 years ago, admittedly not in that condition mind you!! This was at Bruntingthorpe for 558’s second test flight in April and it was parked up at Cottesmore as well…

A slightly unusual twist to the normal aviation art that’s available, Rob Evan’s new aviation art print pays tribute to record setter Donald Campbell who was killed while attempting to become the first person to go over 300mph on water.

This pencil print features a ghostly Avro Vulcan jet bomber over Campbell’s Bluebird, representing a hitherto mystery Vulcan which reportedly flew over the lake in tribute the day after the accident. The RAF denied it was “one of their’s” and as no one else flew the magnificent Vulcan, the story largely became part of the Bluebird legend, known only to a few.

Thanks to research by Rob it now transpires that the salute was a personal tribute by one Don Dale, Vulcan pilot with 12 Squadron. Having diverted from his flight plan to make the tribute he was in a certain amount of ‘hot water’ with his superiors in the RAF!

4 years ago I tried to trace the Vulcan used for the flypast through the Vulcan Forum. Imagine my surprise when on May 6th 2004, the pilot of the Vulcan (XM657, the last Vulcan ever built), Mr Don Dale, gave me this response via PM:

The Vulcan in question was XM657, Cottesmore Wing, 12(B)Sqdn Crew.

Briefed for 2 Low Levels, entering in the West Country. Gin clear day. We could see Hilpsford Point (Barrow) coasting out of North Wales. Radar and plotting gear was switched off. Began a climb to 2000′. Nav plotter went to the bomb aimers window for back up map reading.

We flew over Coniston and dipped our wings in tribute to a very brave man who had just lost his life. We re-entered the Low Level route at the next radar significant point and completed a successful RBS delivery on West Freugh, then back to the West Country for another Low Level run along the same route. This time there was no deviation and we returned to base.

Then it became exciting…

It had been on the radio at lunchtime, it was in all the evenings newspapers and headlines in the National Press the next morning, quote “Bomber Command, on being approached, said it was not one of ours”.

Poingnantly, on recovery of Bluebird and of Donald Campbell, his internment ceremony was planned to have a flypast of 4 Tornado’s, sadly, the weather was too bad for the flypast.

Perhaps I was 25 years too early, but I had given him an appropriate salute. I was not off track and I was 2000′ feet over the surface of the lake, so not illegally low flying off the Low Level route but flying safely and with due consideration to normal decent convention to the family and to the deceased.

Had I asked for formal permission, I guess it would have took months to get a negative answer. They finally got me for leaving the Low Level route when not authorised to do so. When I asked for clarification of this I recall that I received the “GET OUT” response!!

RIP Donald…