MONEY MONEY MONEY

It’s all down to money – or rather profit. Yes, there are around a million empty houses in the UK, but it’s cheaper and quicker to built anew. Also, new houses are easier to sell to the Ikea Generation.

A few miles from Scampton both Skellingthorpe and Swinderby have been trashed by property developers, with little remaining of the domestic site at Swinderby. Other sites will follow, including Bicester, given time (listed buildings can be delisted).

With a direct rail link from Lincoln to London on the cards, local developers will want more and more land near this attractive and popular Northern city. With recent changes to planning guidelines for house builders (PPG3), it will now be childsplay to built on any airfield, even one as historic as Scampton.

There is little anyone can do. Get use to it…

A little tad cynical?

Why shouldn’t they pull down the old and out of date housing stock? I know quite a few people up here who stay or have stayed in RAF married quarters, and have said that they are no longer fit for purpose. Besides, does a domestic site truly have a historic value when there are so many other similar styles of buildings extant nationwide? Once we start coming to the last few sites, I can see your argument, but who wants to live in a house not designed for the 21st century when you can buy a new one… Refurbishment is not always a practical alternative.

As funds for the MOD are not infinite, why should they have to pay to upkeep a historical site? That is not their remit – they are there for the defence of the realm, and as a taxpayer, that is what I primarily expect them to do. I do realise the historical impact of losing something like Scampton, but why not preserve parts of it rather than the whole lot.

Will upkeeping Scampton as a museum pay for itself? I think Duxford works because of Location Location Location. Plenty of easy access for visitors. That helps offset the costs. Could Scampton really say the same thing, give there is likely to be so much work to take the buildings up to standard?

There are plenty of people on here who have complained about Brown’s government, but all that will happen is financial pressure will come to bear on the government and MOD if Scampton is retained, and you have a choice to make – reduce the capability of the MOD for funds to be diverted, or raise more taxes. As I am against paying any more than I already pay, and feel our armed forces are stretched far enough, then perhaps selling surplus sites is not so much of a bad idea if the important parts are preserved. I do believe Pagen 01 said something about there being a shortage in the RAF for ATC staff? Mmmm, money saved from not running a surplus base such as Scampton could assist that cause. I know I’d rather have a competent and not overstretched ATC network compared to a totally preserved base.

I’m sorry, but I do not see the government preserving Scampton for a bunch of plane spotters (I include myself in this), especially if they aren’t even considering something a lot simpler as a Bomber Command medal. My heart says yes, Scampton should be preserved, but in reality it’s just not going to happen.

The thing we have to get used to is us enthusiasts are in a minority, things move on, there is only so much a government can do with finite tax revenue and there is only so much space on this island – we cannot save everything. These are the real issues – perhaps that is what we need to get used to. Can you honestly say the nation will pay more tax for this? I think probably not. Yes, it does come down to money, but that’s just how the world works. It’s not a case of getting used to that, it’s the way it has always been.

Kind Regards.
Scotty

Tragic, considering the historical importance of the base and the fact that it’s a big, well-equipped airfield, but the RAF is patently obessed with the “Superbase” mentality now, and Scampton just doesn’t fit in.

As a UK tax payer, I’m against keeping Scampton open soley because of it’s historical importance. It would be the same argument for keeping the trenches in the fields of Flanders? Far more people paid the ultimate sacrifice there. Time moves on, and if the station is no longer economic to run due to either the lack of trade, personnel or the amount of maintenance required, then maybe it is time to call it quits.

On small Island such of ours we can’t preserve everything for all time. Best decide what portion we want to keep, and let the rest go maybe? Playing devil’s advocate, perhaps the Dams Raid may not have the same historical relevance in 100 yrs time within the bigger picture of world history. It’s a matter of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’ these things disappear I am afraid….

The money the MOD would save could certainly be better used elsewhere.

OMG…….start adding up the current value of a P51….let’s say $US 1.5 M to 2.0 M ……for every one of those beauties turned into teapots and toasters and it sickens the heart.

Yup, but they wouldn’t have been worth that then…. If we save everything, then the value will be lower, and we’d eventually run out of room!!!

Isn’t hindsight a wonderful thing?

All the best
Scotty

WL747 and Nashio, where have you been for past month or so, NX611s possible return to flight has been well discussed here!

I’ve been floating about on the Bay of Bengal working with limited internet access for nearly 2 months seeing as you ask. Some of us have day jobs!:p:p

I just haven’t had time to look through the forum for the answer I was looking for yet…

All the best,

Scotty

Just a few questions:

A/ How much would it cost to restore a Lancaster to flight under CAA rules, compared with a Shackleton? Bear in mind both would need re-sparring.

B/ Which would you rather see fly?

C/ Which would have the greater appeal on the public to assist in funding its future operation?

Think the obvious answer would be the Lanc, although I’d say Shack for answer B. However, the Shack is slightly more complex than the Lanc, especially with the contra rotating assemblies and I’d imagine there’s more appeal to the public in a Lanc. Unless you tell people a Shack is the Grandson of a Lanc.

To be honest though, most of the general public would see a Shack, and probably think it’s a Lanc anyway…….

Off topic I know, but is there any update to the Panton’s plans for NX611?

how about a bare metal polished Red Bull Shackleton!

Why not if it gets it up, I wonder how many people payed attention to the Sea Vixen who might otherwise have not given it a second glance.

There’s the Shack at Vic’s Viking Garage that was painted in Coca-Cola colours, and it was absolutely revolting IMHO! A Sea Vixen has speed, so a ‘go-faster’ colour scheme can be got away with, but I doubt it would look as good on something as sedentary as a Shack…..

Keep it sea grey…

Kind regards,
Scotty

Good luck to them, and I sincerely hope they manage to achieve their aims, but it’s going to be one hell of a struggle. Although they wish to get to an airworthy condition, do they have enough spares to satisfy the CAA? 4 yrs seems a bit optimistic….

I’ll be delighted to be proved wrong…… 🙂