Many thanks AH and t_NZ for the Chipmunk pics, your help is appreciated.

EH – you’re right in what you say, but in practice, those who abuse their DA’s don’t normally keep ’em for too long, so if a pilot holds a DA, then they are normally OK.

W UK, I’ll look forwad to the visit, let me know beforehand, if you can.

Three Magisters – we’ve asked Breighton to send the third Magister to Old Warden for a show, and we await their reply. Regading the other aircraft, as WarburdUK hints and as I’ve said earlier, it’s all down to cost, and running these aircraft becomes more expensive each year.

Dez,

The Chipmunk canopy is British, but the colour scheme is Canadian – the Canadian version had bubble canopy – can anyone help with a picture.

Airbedane

Many thanks for all your comments – I really appreciate the forthright replies!

Here’s a few off-the-cuff responses:

The Mansion accommodation cannot be advertised as it doesn’t meet full hotel regulations. However, discount accommodation is (and has been for several years) available for any pilots/pasengers who get stuck due to late finishes. I’m not sure of the current rates, but the year before last it was £20 per person for B&B in the student accommodation – very basic, but better than the alternative!.

The evening shows go on until dusk as that’s when the good air is around for the Edwardians. All vistors are informed of this before arrival, so they fly-in for an evening show at their own risk. See above for the Collections way of making it easier to stay rather than chance it with a dusk departure.

Acquisitions: It’s all down to money. If owners want excesive sums for their machine (and why shouldn’t they…?), then the Collection must reserve the right to refuse the purchase, however nice the aeroplane may be. Recent acquisitions have been made under the Collections current policy of covering the first 100 years of flight. All are looked at on merit and a majority decision taken. Remember that we have to make sure that we have something to display, no matter what the weather, and the Prentice, Jungmann, Provost, Chipmunk, etc are all machines that can be flown and displayed in light rain – which is not the case with some of the more precious machines.

Colours and configuration – the Chipmunk is either in the wrong colours or the wrong fit. However, it’s in serviceable flying condition, so why change. It would take up valuable engineering time and a signiicant input of money to either repaint it or change the canopy. Please live with it until it needs a recover or renovation, when we’ll do something about it. The same applies to the Gladiator. On the other hand, if you do feel strongly about it, you could consider sponsoring a re-cover and repaint…….?

Visiting aicraft – again it’s down to money. Recent insurance and fuel cost increases have increased the cost of imported acts. We have always had a good relationship with the CAA, and that remains the case. Nothing has caused us to change our policy in that respect for at least the 14 years I’ve been a member of the team.

RAF participation – again, it’s expensive. The Tucano was cancelled because the RAF insisted we pay for good hotel accommodation for two pilots and two groundcrew for three nights (Friday thro’ Monday) plus at least three landing fees and parking at Cambridge for two aicraft over the weekend. It became non-viable. It wasn’t the RAF’s fault, it was simply because there was no RAF airfield open over the weekend near to Old Warden.

Apologies for the generally negative responses, but I can’t think of a better way to answer the questions.

Airbedane