Still possible! 😀

I’ve just tried to find another thread in which this topic was discussed in a bit more detail – without success. 🙁

IIRC last summer a ‘multi-department team’ visited various potential host museums / locations to canvas interest – IIRC this was a first! 🙂

On ‘another thread’ figures of between £12k to £18k each have IIRC been mentioned!

IMHO the days of getting on a disposal list are long gone!!

For many years NAM had a nominal policy of keeping the aircraft in its last operational scheme / markings, which gradually has been relaxed in recent years.

I’ve tried to persuade NAM to return TG517 to its 1950s MET colour scheme; without luck due to the airframe mods that would be required along with the fact that the dark grey fades too quickly.

The Duxford Hastings looks superb in its ‘Operation Plainfare’ markings and the other’s in their red, white and grey schemes accurately reflect the mid to late Cold War training role so vital to the defence of this country!

As some people will know the museum has a split site, part is leased and the other (Southfield site – Hangar 2) it owns. Technically on the leased site the museum cannot sub-let, hence why the Aeroboot is held on the Southfield Site.

If anyone needs to swap items the best plan is to come right along the taxiway and into the grass field car parking area.

We currently have a few issues regarding the taxiway car parking, which wasn’t helped a couple of years ago by one individual ‘setting up shop’ and trading from that area after he’d been declined a pitch at the Aeroboot. 😡

NAM’s potential interest was notified in autumn 2008, but everything went cold – with the R1 still a possibility down here, NAM would now be out of the picture!

June 19 & 20, 2010

Before everyone gets too carried away I just need to gently re-emphasise a couple of points made on the Briefing thread:

You have to pre-book to have a stand at the Aeroboot that runs alongside Cockpit-Fest – there will be NO pitches available on the day.

Also, at the request of the landlord a no trading restriction will apply to the taxiway car parking area!

Cockpiteers are OK to ‘operate’ from their display areas.