How can a “Museum” lack enthusiasm.If you are saying that there is a lack of enthusiasm, it can only be about the staff. How am I not supposed to take that personally?

Fair enough point taken. I withdraw my comment and apologise for saying that the museum lacked enthusiasm.You are right in saying that it can only be the staff that I am critising and when I look at it from your point of view I can see that now. But sometimes it seems like nothing is being done about things or that there could be more done. Down to the point of even advertising for local help instead of contractors to tidy up or paint doors etc etc. All this would save money in the long run.

Let me just tell you something. I’ve not yet been there three months, and already I’ve worked about the equivalent of a week and a half in flexi-time which is more than can be carried forward and therefore I will never get paid for. I’m not complaining about this – I’m happy to have done it and get through the work needing attention.

If you are not complaining about it then why mention it. I too dont get paid for any overtime I work but I work it just the same so that my job is made easier the next again day. I even work on Saturdays for no pay. There are many of us who work for little or no pay.

I’m trying to ensure that the collection is properly documented so that we know what we’ve got.

And you are to be congratulated in bothering to do this why else would you be appointed assistant curator unless you could do the job.Well done.

Without this, we can’t look after it. But don’t tell me the museum is not enthusiastic because I can only be offended when such inaccurate comments are made. I stand by my earlier statement – please withdraw your comment.

Answered at the start of the page RE Apology.

As regards planning for the airshow, has anyone making comments here on this subject ever organised a civil airshow? Our events officer does it single-handed, along with a multitude of other events throughout the year and is under a lot of presssure. She didn’t want to cancel, but has been facing increasingly impossible odds. How about supporting the museum which you claim to enjoy, rather than complaining about the cancellation of one event in an otherwise busy calendar. And it’s not as if there is no flying taking place at the Museum of Flight at all this year. The airshow is one day – the WWII weekend is two days. Where is everyone saying “well done” for that. Exactly! Some things are just beyond our control and you have to look at the bigger picture. I’m happy to take constructive criticism, but whingeing is no help whatsever.

Just remember it is the whingeing public that make the museum and pay your wages without which there would be no museum and indeed no jobs. I have supported the museum over the years and you know that from quite a few years back. I havent had a go at the event planner organiser as such but there is one thing I totally disagree with is having one person organising the events when at other events around the country it takes a whole army to organise such things. This should be amended but as for her being under pressure well arent we all. I would love to swap jobs for a week and see what its like to do something I love under pressure rather than something I put up with.As for VE/VJ day why would we want to say well done until we have actually experiance the weekend I dont have the powers to see into the furture and besides it might turn out to be a complete waste of time. Who knows? In the other hand later on in the year once it has passed I may well be saying great show how about one like that next year etc etc. We will just have to wait and find out.

As regards the suggestion that we are no longer interested in the long term preservation of our entire aircraft collection, this takes time and money which Concorde will unlock. Development of the museum on a scale never possible before should take place, but it doesn’t happen overnight. Yes, three of the hangars are not ideal conditions, but there are restrictions to what work can be carried out due to the site being a scheduled monument, etc. Look at how many months it takes to build a small conservatory – scale that up and you can only begin to imagine the task involved in bringing the whole site up to the standards we would wish to see. This is only possible because of Concorde, which is definitely good for the museum. But to suggest that I’m not interested in preserving our aircraft collection is deeply offensive and personally hurtful.

Never once did I say the staff were not interested in the preservation of the aircraft but the organisation of the aircraft at present is less than ideal is it not. I remember someone on her complaining about some aircraft sitting in pools of water in damp condition under a leaking roof.

What I did say was and I quote.”but Jonathan dont you feel the same about the level of care the aircraft at the museum get. And I dont mean the level of care the staff give them.”

Perhaps it is mor eto do with the managment of the museum rather than anything else then. As it is always the management who get the blame. I wish I could remember back to some of our conversations over the years about the museum I seem to remember some fierce critisim from yourself over the years Ian.

I have to say, these comments over the past few days don’t exactly make me feel like welcoming a forum visit. I thought members throught more of me than this, but clearly not. You are all welcome to visit and I hope you enjoy the museum, but I’m not sure that I want to participate in any such visit.

I hardly think these comments are fair as it is only me really that has said anything about the museum and not any of the other scottish forumites so please dont take out your frustration on them. Please dont feel that you wouldnt be invited or welcome to any forum visits in the future as I wouldnt like to feel that this was because of me. And for the record Ian I have seen you do more for the museum in your short time there than some others have done in years so I do respect you and the job you do I just dont have to agree with you 100% of the time. Anyhow if the other forum members decide not to invite myself to a museum visit because of this then so be it. I can visit myself anytime as a paying member of the public although it was nice to be part of a group visit and I think another is long past due but does anyone want to organise one.

One last thing I know I am not the only person to have these thoughts and that a lot of others will have the same thoughts and feelings its only that I just cant let them go without saying something. Better to have said something at the time and regret it later than to have kept quiet and wondered what might have been.

And the “I want the moon on a stick” award goes to….

but Jonathan dont you feel the same about the level of care the aircraft at the museum get. And I dont mean the level of care the staff give them.

I must say that I take personal exception to your comment that the museum staff have a lack of enthusiasm. On what basis do you make this comment? I find it highly offensive and would strongly encourage you to withdraw it and apologise. 😡

Ian please read my comments before you take them personally. My comment wa that the Museum lacks enthusiasm when it comes to these things and not the STAFF. I was commenting on the way the museum has been held back over the years and for “planning reasons” etc we have seen the decline of the airshow from a 3 day spectacular to 1 day. Sorry I will have to correct myself it was a 2 1/2 day spectacular.We have seen promises of bus services for years which from other sources comment seems to have been rubbish. But I cannot comment on the service now as I havent heard any feed back as to what the service is like now that concorde has finally arrived. I know some buildings have been repaired or renovated but what of the important ones that house the proper collection of aircraft are they too to be airconditioned and dehumidified in time or are they to stay original. We have seen the Yes we will buy the runway etc etc etc this story is now so boring I dont even listen to it any more. This was the plan at one time wasnt it.

Personally Ian I find the staff at the museum rather plesent when I have visited but is there one member of staff down there who wont complain or have a complaint about the way the museum is run.

Now do you still wish me to apologise or can my commetns now be taken in the context they were meant in.

http://www.transportphotos.com/Air/PN48/Military%20Selection.doc

This is the only link to any kind of picture I could find during a quick search. It has a Black and White picture listed on the document.

Goodluck in your search for a colour photo and I hope you find one.

(That is why my big Mustang is finished but still on a shelf waiting for my skills to catch up with my confidence…. re. Piper Cub vs. tree fiasco )

Cmon get a grip of yourself man. I have crashed 2 aircraft to date and still I push the boundaries of model flight. I had a mid air experiance with my plane and my brothers and a large model 83″ span that lasted 4 flights due to a battery detachment. Still I chuck my mustang about the sky. I now have an even bigger project on the go which is 93″ span and all the gear to date has cost roughly £1500. And how pray tell shall I fly this aircraft. Chuck it about the sky I will all be it in a scale manner. Just go for it and if it ends up in bin bags then its only money just build another.

Now for the serious bit. Kiddies who have bought the spit and never flowen before please go and buy a trainer aircraft and learn on it first. Visit your local club and try and get an older trainer from a club member and some gear. Also join a club and fly with the trainer while building you spit. In a years time when you have finished the spit you might be able to fly a low winger and will have gotten valuable rebuilding skills after your many bangs and scrapes.

I dont mind admitting that we are buying the magazine for our son. He has shown a very keen interest in building the spit. He is disabled and enjoys building things. The format suits his needs a couple of parts each week to fit onto the model and he is happy.For me its not about the money its about seeing the enjoyment on my lads face when he completes the first part of his model.

As a person who has never had the pleasure of seeing a vulcan in the sky I just want to see it actually take flight because its been a long time coming.

so there.