Albert, the Flag on the tail includes a passage from the Koran and was always blessed after being applied to the aircraft, I believe. When the aircraft was aquired I am certain that BAe made it clear that they did not want that portion of the flag containing the text repainted on the aircraft, without the express permission of the Saudi’s.
It is no different than you technically having to apply to the MOD to retain any former service aircraft in its full marks after it has left service and goes into private hands.
At the end of the day the aircraft was virtually gifted from BAe as were a small number of other frames over the years, its a relationship which has served the museums interests and may well into the future, to jepodise it over the painting of a flag is not sensible, especially when 99.9% of visitors do not even notice.
Mark Ray
Former Trustee
The views expressed are my own and not representative of the current museum administration.
Do you mean to tell me that as each flag was applied to each Saudi Lightning on the production line at Warton, as the painter finished the last arabic ‘squiggle’, it was blessed??? :confused: How can this be related to MoD service aircraft retaining their military markings, as I thought that only applied if you FLEW them in those markings, not if they are in a museum.
Seems to me this is akin to displaying a Luftwaffe aircraft in a museum without a swastika on the tail, just in case you might offend someone!
A country can hardly condemn you for preserving its aircraft historically accurately, flag and all! After all, how many times does that flag have to be blessed?
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