However, just kow-towing to the new rules and paying up doesn’t strike me as a sensible solution, as it only helps out this one aircraft – what about all the others hit by the same problems of increased insurance costs?

Good point, well made.

Nice thought about the US forces. Compared to their annual budget, the insurance cost of a B17 would be insignificant.
Thinking of the Maddingley cemetary flypast alone, the cost of the fuel an maintenance for 4x F15s for an hours flight is probably more than the insurance cost for Sally for a whole year.

Prehaps any exemption could apply to aircraft not in commercial use or flown for profit, as in the case of Sally.

Willow

While I personally really like the target tug scheme on both the IWM’s Mosquito and Hendon’s Tempest, I am slightly worried by part of the reasoning behind the decision to paint these aircraft in these schemes.

To justify this paint scheme with the need to show a different (and very important) aspect of the RAF is quite acceptable. To do it just because the aircraft has no wartime service means that this aeroplane purely represents itself, and not the Mosquito as a type. I am quite sure this is not the main reason for choosing this colourful scheme, however…..
If the IWM is only going to paint aeroplanes in there own genuine colours, then I will expect the CASA2111 to be restored into Spanish AF markings and the ‘Ju52’ to be repainted into a Portugese scheme. This is clearly (I hope) not going to happen as these aeroplanes represent far greater things as they are (or will be, in the case of the CASA).

I do not expect that the IWM has any such idea in mind (although there was talk of the Sunderland being painted into a French scheme many years ago) and is simply producing a more attractive exhibit. Let’s face it, compared to how this Mosquito used to look, it now looks fantastic, even if it doesn’t suit your personal taste.

Well done IWM

Now PLEASE tell us when the roll out will be. Some of us will pay the entrance fee just to photograph this beauty outside!!

Or better still, put it out on the ramp during ‘Flying Legends’ and let everybody see it 🙂 🙂

Willow

‘Jack! Jack! are you still in there?’

Willow

Is this a Brewster Bermuda?

The aircraft in the background is a Martlet (Wildcat) which is clearly NOT what is in the foreground!!

Willow

I too was in Arnhem/Oosterbeek for the commemorations as my wifes grandfather (84 this year) fought in Oosterbeek during the battle as part of B company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Airborne. A party of eleven of his family, including his three year old great-grandaughter, escorted him back there for the weekend. We attended various events on the saturday including the Driel parachute drop. Sadly, part of this had to be cancelled due to the wind but the Polish freefall demonstration went ahead. This is an interesting parallel, as in 1944 it was the Polish which were delayed by the weather! We then went to Oosterbeek to see the vintage vehicle run. My wife was impressed to see local people asking her Grandfather for his autograph. The feelings the Dutch people have for the veterans is amazingly strong after so many years. While on the main street we walked up to the Hartenstein but couldn’t get in as by now it was being closed for security reasons due to the Royal visit that evening. The air display was not on our plan of things to do, but I did notice a Mitchell and Catalina in the distance. By this stage, however both the 3 year old and the 84 year old in our party were getting tired, so we retired for the evening.
We were up early on Sunday so as to attend the main service at the Oosterbeek Military Cemetery. We luckily managed to get parked very close to the cemetery which meant a much shorter walk. The service was a very moving experience for us all and as Moggy has said, the reaction among the veterans to the lone Dakota was immediate and tear-jerking.
On the Monday morning before heading home my wife and I drove from Ede, where we were staying, to Arnhem and drove over the Bridge, before heading down to Nijmegen and over the bridge there. Overall we had an excelent weekend spoilt only by the ferry journey home in gale-force 8 conditions!

I wish to congratulate the organisers as I thought the whole weekend was extremely well planned. I would also like to thank the Dutch people for making us feel so welcome. My wife and I are intending to visit the area again soon to spend more time there as there is so much we feel we didn’t see.

As for the John Frost Bridge, I have seen photos of it in late 1944 after it had been destroyed by RAF bombing, so it must have been lifted back into position and repaired.

Regards

Willow

Its degree of fantasy is your wishful thinking surely? Anything I’ve heard whispered is that it falls very far short of such a description.

Moggy

Well, the Farnborough programme included an article about the Typhoon OEU at Warton (17sqn) and created the impression that the service pilots are VERY impressed with it, and that they had successfully ‘bounced’ a pair of F15s over the Irish Sea.

The programme was produced by Key Publishing, so, obviously, I believe every word written in it.

Don’t YOU believe everthing published by Key? 😉

They didn’t say it was better than F22, just second to.

So I don’t think they’re being too unrealistic 🙂 .

Our government still hasn’t confirmed the second order for Typhoon anyway, so we may not get the whole 232 originally intended.

Willow