Graham, the idea of sending 558 to the US isn’t new – I’ve discussed it at length many times before, especially on Pprune. It could be done and if all else fails it should be done.

It is obviously much easier to operate the aircraft in the US where is can be flown in the “Experimental” category (as will the Lightning T5 when it’s completed). The costs problems are much the same though, but statistically there must be more opportunities of finding companies or individuals with cash in the US than in the UK. Naturally, it’s a long shot and it might prove to be fruitless but if there’s no chance of the aircraft flying again here, it makes perfect sense to use whatever resources are left, to get the aircraft out of the UK before the CAA prevent the aircraft from ever flying again (which, in effect, they would, once it was grounded again).

The talk of “keeping the aircraft British” is just nonsense. Surely, the object of the exercise is to keep 558 flying so if it cannot happen here, then the US is the only other proverbial straw to clutch-at. Simply saying “I’d rather see her fly here” and so on, is just selfish.

The idea of going to the US isn’t new. David Walton negotiated with Nasa many years ago and almost sold/leased 558 to Nasa back then, so it’s not as if the idea is revolutionary.

It this smple – if the project reaches a dead-end here, are people really so selfish and stupid to keep 558 stuck here, slowly rotting (there’s no museum that will accommodate her), rather than risking a chance of getting her into the air in the US one day? It might well never happen but it’s got to be worth a try if all else fails.

Maginicent photos here!

Page I agree with you that the poor ol TT.18 never gets much coverage. It’s almost as if 7 Sqn didn’t exist sometmes!

I’m always continually disappointed that their beautiful T.19’s weren’t photographed more too!

I noticed TVOC’s new poster today – you’ve got to admire their nerve

quote:-
“made possible mainly due to many small donations from the public…”

Since when? I rather thought it had all been made possible by the generosity of some major companies, a one-off donation from a well-wisher and a pile of cash from HLF! I do find this constant begging for kids to send-in their pocket money rather offensive, especially when they’ve wasted more money than they’re ever likely to raise this way.

Just on the original thread point, I dunno when one becomes an “aircraft photographer” – I guess it’s subjective, or perhaps it’s when you start taking photographs for a specific media outlet, be it a book, magazine or website – although not all websites as of course the vast majority are simply amateur postings for pleasure rather than being professional productions.

It’s certainly true that photographs tend to be more interesting when they tell a story, and this usually means an interesting background. Isolated shots of aircraft in the air are “ten-a-penny” and unless the aircraft is particularly rare, they’re not of much interest. Airliners.net fall into the trap of assuming that a photo is only of interest if it is “technically perfect” but of course it’s a subjective view, depending on whether you like clean, sterile images, and how interesting you think the subject matter is. Ultimately everyone gets something different out of a photo.

Personally I’ve never even tried to post a photo on Airliners.net. I’ve seen too much of the rubbish on another enthusiast site where people have to congratulate themselves (or others) for having got their picture posted or having had it viewed so many times – as if it’s some sort of achievement. It’s quite ridiculous and very childish, but it panders to the growing pastime of trying to out-do each other with fancier cameras or bigger lenses, or how many views one gets on a website – as if anyone cares. Once upon a time we took pictures for our (or other people’s) pleasure – simple as that. Now it’s all about seeing who thinks they’re “better” than someone else, and I think it’s all rather sad.

I guess I could put myself in the “aircraft photographer” category if I wanted to, having had loads of my stuff published, but I don’t see any need to categorise myself. I’m a photographer because I take pictures but that’s all. Ultimately, I only pursued the pastime because it was a good way to scrounge free seats in military aircrraft, and the pictures were merely an added bonus as far as I was concerned, and I still look at the photos as being a means to illustrate my writing rather than being an end in themselves.

As has been said, anybody can take a picture of an aircraft these days – there’s enough fancy equipment around to almost have the picture taken for you, and that’s partly why I rarely bother these days. I don’t think I took a single aeroplane picture last year – far easier to look at other people’s! All the interesting and unique aircraft have gone, so there’s really nothing new to see or photograph. It’s the historic pictures that interest me now. I’d rather look at a slightly scratched picture from Changi in the ‘sixties than a beautiful air-to-air shot of an F/A-18F… I mean, who cares?!;)

Not accusing anyone of anything Bubbles, just commenting that Pleming’s comments usually prove to be worthless so I’d be inclined to believe HLF, not him!

Oh well, it’s not like we didn’t see this coming, is it?

I had to laugh when I read their line:-

Whilst huge numbers of people saw the Vulcan display last summer, by contrast, hardly anyone appears to know of XH558’s plight now.

If nobody knows, then what the hell have they been doing all these months? Drinking tea? What a joke they are!

The America saga has been raised before. I discussed it at length on here and Pprune weeks back and people scoffed at the idea even though it’s entirely plausible (indeed David Walton nearly sold 558 to Nasa years ago). It’s only being “kept for the nation” until it’s “not kept for the nation” – simple as that. If nobody will finance it here then surely it’s worth getting the aircraft out of the UK to at least try elsewhere, rather than let her rot under CAA restrictions here in the UK. But my view is that TVOC have no intention of even considering the idea. Once their wages income stops coming in we won’t see them for dust I suspect.

As for a Memorial Flight that’s just a joke. The RAF will barely fund BBMF at the moment. And no, 558 never had anything to do with BBMF, I have no idea where that notion came from. It belonged to 55 Squadron at Marham actually.

Richard Branson? Well at least he’s said something on the subject at last. If TVOC have any gumption they’ll pressure him to do more. Even if he can’t/won’t sponsor the aircraft he has the ability to make one hell of a PR splash out of giving TVOC one donation if he wanted to.

But we’ve been here before with all these comments. Truth is that everyone has comments to make, and nobody can or will actually do anything. This is partly because people are good at making wise cracks but awful at doing anything practical, but partly because we don’t even know what the reality of the situation is – because TVOC never tell anyone. Issuing a bleak press statement every month is hardly the greatest of communication.

As I’ve said before, let these guys run themselves into the ground and then perhaps they’ll go away. Who knows, there might just be some other people out there who will come along and do a better job.