Duxford Shack

Size isn’t everything!
Gatwick/Coventry don’t have 5 Hangers a AAM or a Land Warfare hall to look after.

I bet they have more engineers/volunteers per aircraft than Duxford.

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“Toujours Pret”

pleaaaaaaaaassseeeeeeeeee! I dont think so

As an engineer at GAM, I can confirm that we certainly dont have 5 warm cushy hangars or land warfare hall, plenty of volunteers, millions of pounds a year, dedicated tooling, paid management, full time staff,corporate funding, lottery funding, first dibs on available airframes etc etc etc etc.

We have 23 aircraft and 2 shackletons, not 1…but 2. all in need of contant maintenance, looking after, painting every 2 years, corrosion prevention/ treatment .6 aircraft are maintained for ground running, including jets and propped birds, along with another 3 aircraft in the process of being re-built and returned to ground running, and one is kept airworthy and flying.

Constant maintenance of ground equipment, indoor exhibits, restoration documentation, web site upkeep, parts sourcing, should I continue??? All of the above is done all year round by approx 8 volunteers,safely, with minimal funding, and no corporate sponsorship, all outside, and whilst fighting the local council for our existence.

Now tell me that Duxford have less than 8 volunteers for 23 aircraft, 6 of which to be kept running, on a shoe string. Talk about complacent! We at GAM see first hand what goes on at large museums such as Duxford and East Fortune, and quite frankly its mind boggling.

Aircraft such as the Shackleton end up in that kind of state for no good reason. Complacency and poor management! Its time the Duxfords looked at how the smaller collections operate, we all operate with efficiency and maximise every hard earned penny and opportunity we have, too much comes too easily for the big boys, and its squandered.

A pat on the back goes to DAS for taking on the shack, good luck guys, and well done! If u need any help, just shout, we will b more than happy to help.

There has been no excuse for Duxford letting that aircraft go, It flew into Duxford in a mint airworthy condition!

sighhhh

mjr