I’ve read much over the last couple of weeks here and on Pprune about how the HLF is the only ‘saviour’ of the project and how they should be made to cough up running costs. Also, the idea of selling the Vulcan airframe is risible – I would suggest that the title in the airframe probably reverts to HLF in the first instance. However, someone here or on Prune (who has had dealings with HLF too) raised a point which has been lost amongst all this.

If TVOC are worried about Hangarage costs and access to the runways at Bruntingthorpe then why not generate a proposal (in co-operation with other groups) for HLF to fund building of a Hangar that could be used to keep XH558 under cover and also be used as a realistic engineering base for other organisations? This would reduce some of the ‘running’ costs of the project by not having to pay hangarage, the proposal might even stretch to funding purchase from the MoD of a ‘care and maintenance’ airbase to create a centre for Aircraft preservation.

I know we have Duxford et al – and I’m not trying to take away from what they or the companies based there do – but smaller organisations such as LPG (for example), Ritch & Max and so on that have one specific type they wish to work on, might welcome the chance to move to a site where they have low (or no) rent to pay – decent buildings to work and eat in, cover for their airframes and access to workshops occupied by likeminded groups. As a capital project, the basic structure would come from HLF and any ongoing costs could be raised by donation, sponsorship or what have you. After all, this is what David Walton seemed to have in mind when he started Bruntingthorpe – but commercial concerns are now beginning to overpower his capacity to ‘subsidise’ the preservation activities there.

That’s my two penn’orth – rip it to pieces or whatever.

It may be too late to act – unless TVOC are once more playing the ‘gripping climax and sudden rescue’ card again and they secure finance – but I think that one thing is for certain amongst all this, there are people who can fix things, there are people who can raise money and there are people who can manage people that do both – but I’m not sure that Dr Pleming is now the person at TVOC able (or needed) to do any of those.

Nice to see that someone’s being allowed close to 558 to see her running – shame that us folks who donated/pledged at square one of this project only find out from here rather than from an eMail or a letter from TVOC…

http://web.archive.org/web/20030418154123/www.tvoc.co.uk/pledges.htm

My names on that list along with quite a few others, we were promised privileged access, names on the airframe, tickets/access to first flight after restoration (not a ticket for a draw that may get me a ticket) and so I paid up my pledge and made two or three donations since. Yes, I’m a club member too and buy stuff from the club stall when I get to a show to put some money in the pot.

I’m sitting here now feeling very angry at the way this is playing out and the shambolic way I’ve been treated along with the other folks who pledged – TVOC is getting no more money from me.

I feel for Dennis and the others from the project who are ‘brave’ enough to put their heads above the wall to defend the actions of a project that they can not influence in any way – not sure that I would have the strength of character after seeing so many ‘promises’ not honoured.

Well it doesn’t sound very reliable & why does it still need ndt after such a long hangar check?
Despite my continued skepticism I was sorry to miss it at Fairford, hopefully I will catch it before the end of the season. Good luck to all concerned:).

Only one of the main undercarriage legs is receiving ‘out of cycle’ NDT every 10 landings because it is an original unit that is almost “Life ex’d”. A refurbished leg is on they way back from the OEM and will be fitted during the winter maintenance session thus removing the need for the regular NDT.

Tenuous logic there Ian… We (as a nation) pay for a lot of stuff we shouldn’t and also ‘vice versa’ we do not pay for some stuff we should do,I don’t think anybody on here expects government funding for jane.
Not many people seem to learn from history …. sadly !!
E.G…I can never work out why governments try so hard to be so unpopular with the working backbone of the country…they know they will be out next time but still waste squillions and tax the ar5e off us …absolute donkeys

I agree Baz – unfortunately (as with most politicians) – the ‘Nation’ is a variable feast.

It’s you and me when fuel costs £1-20 litre to pay for nuclear missiles and identity cards because the ‘Nation’ wants security – when it comes to giving some tax back via memorials or grants and so on, the ‘Nation’ can’t afford to.

I am asked about none of these things when it’s done in my name and when I put my name on a letter to ask, I’m ignored – wonderful thing democracy!

What a sham !!!!

Why was there no ‘wet weather contingency plan’ ???

How about clearing a large proportion of the ‘static’ area and using this for parking. Surely that would have been better than cancelling the entire event (and I’m sure that they would have done this if the queen’s visit depended on it !!!!!). Its started raining from Wednesday, so they must have had time to reorganize things.

It’s been said before – the Americans don’t want onsite parking anymore – they used to, but then folk driving cars full of explosives into airports and menopausal women dancing round B2’s while wearing a Union flag put paid to that. I’ve been amazed they let folk on-site with bags and stuff – the security checks seem to want to discourage it, however the price of a burger and a cup of tea for a family of 4 makes it a bit impractical!

What we need is one location for RIAT, SBAC show, Air Races and somewhere we can draw together the disparate and ‘at risk’ historical collections (be they documents, photo’s or whatever) that escape the attention of IWM and other collections.

Ideally, I suppose it would have been Duxford but some clever political planning shortened the runway! 😎

Mods – sorry found this topic after I posted in the other – perhaps they need a merge?

Moreover, it is not only their money, as a lot of people donate to the cost of running NX611 (although they bought her in the first place).

Finally, EK is their airfield, but a similar arguement pertains concerning its value to the Nation as a living memorial.

If they can afford to pay for the work to get NX611 flying again – and there is surely the expertise available to do so then why not?

Yes, it’s a living memorial and has been kept and maintained as such by the brothers and their supporters but it plainly has no value to the ‘Nation’ or the ‘Nation’ would be paying for its upkeep!

Memorial’s such as this are valued only by the families who sacrificed, folk such as the contributors here and a small proportion of the general public – it’s an oft forgotten sacrifice (witness the objections to have the ‘spare’ plinth in Trafalgar Square bear a War Memorial) that we would do well not to forget.

Who will tell the 10 year old looking in wonder at a Typhoon 3 or JSF 3 in the years to come about what came before? The ‘Nation’ seems to have no intent to – so it’s down to us and likeminded folk. Who said “If we don’t learn from the mistakes of History – we’re doomed to repeat them” ?

Sorry – rant over – I’ll calm down now

If the DA and Permit to Fly have been issued – then congratulations to TVOC and all who chipped in some money for todays result.

The smile on DT’s face on the Look North interview will probably be nothing to the one when he touches down after first display and powers it all down – good luck Mr Thomas!!