More engines arriving yesterday

If anyone comes across an FA.2 stick please let me know!!!! Or victor yokes for that matter!

I think you mean Cosford and I too noticed that. To be fair a lot of people were fretting about the traffic after the appalling mess on the way in in the morning. Her display was as graceful and impressive as ever. Well done to the engineers and volunteers who work extremely hard to put her there. Nice to hear that Dr Pleming was the only ‘team member’ mentioned by name during the commentary, I guess he can sail to the bank on the tide of public adulation.

Doesn’t change the fact that it could have all been privately funded. Could be more transparent and while the CAA may dictate that the trust is run by paid personnel I am pretty damn sure they don’t dictate the level of the wages. It also doesn’t change the manner of the fundraising and the overall feeling that there is a master plan at the top and everyone else is being slightly played. You included bubbles.

I’m not suggesting that they have done anything illegal and I agree that charity’s use lots of tactics, pictures of starving children on deaths door in Africa etc is all emotional manipulation. I was simply pointing out that this whole thing was entirely predictable. We have become embroiled in a larger argument since. You’ll notice I’ve already changed Vulcan people to supporters, it’s hardly quaint. Besides if you are not directly involved why are you taking this so personally? I’ve put my hand in my pocket in the past and probably will again this Sunday at Cosford and again at RIAT and Bournemouth. What choice do we have?

As for Dr Pleming, your largely correct he is drawing a representative salary for a large charity CEO which is precisely why my argument is valid. His wage will only get paid as long as she stays in the air, money will dry up fast as soon as her wheels touch the ground for the last time. A plan will have been in place for a lot longer than the last few months to squeeze every last safe flying hour from her they just can’t hit the donating public with it all at once as it may scare people off. This is also not meant as a personal criticism of him, he’s always come across as a nice enough chap and lets face it we live in a capitalist society and its a good gig if you can get it.

Lets just agree to disagree. I’m not trying to convince anyone here, just airing an opinion based on personal experience of the project and the senior members of the team dating back over 13 years. Whatever was said in any specific press release it is pretty clear to anyone who is not naive that there is a certain amount of factual manipulation going on to serve a specific purpose. I know that this touches on a nerve with a lot of the Vulcan supporters but I need to stress that this is in no way a criticism of any of you or the physical effort that has gone into the project.

As long as the first chunk (6 figures) of any money that is raised goes to pay a single wage at the top this is always going to look a little like a gravy train for a few. Think how many ordinary people, probably with significant financial pressures of their own have dug deep due to this incessant begging and fear of not seeing her fly again this year. Now think how many of those people’s donations have gone effectively directly into the pocket of the senior people. Who else in the UK has been able to turn a charitable classic aircraft operation into such a machine for generating personal wealth? It just feels a bit wrong, if the money came from private funding then fair enough but it doesn’t and that is a fact that no one can argue with.

I’m not accusing anyone of anything, I’m airing a frustration, an opinion. It’s just all so predictable, I had conversations with a few people months ago and it was pretty easy to see where this was going. To make a press release that was picked up by the national press saying that this was it, the last year so quick everyone dig a bit deeper. Then fairly quickly another press release teasing with a few details about the possibility if a life extension and then low and behold with impeccable timing once the funding for this year is in place the new press release. Yes we can do it we only need x amount of extra money, all timed for the start of the display season so as to best pull on the heart strings of all those supporters as they see her put through her paces over the summer. I’m sure there will be more begging over the next few months, don’t let this sight pass into memory etc etc. Im not a cynic and it’s not designed to take away from any of the amazing achievements of the team but I don’t see certain people offering to take a pay cut this year to help fund this.

Can anyone here really say they didn’t see this coming?

So much for free speech……