The BBMFs future is not as fragile as one may led to be believed. IMHO

Too late for NU Labour tossers to do anything about them, a huge negative publicity campaign would ensue right before an election and a guaranteed vote loser. Still, I wouldn’t put it past these idiots to ‘threaten’ their existance publically, then pull off a coup by ‘saving them for the country’ at the last minute, even though there was not threat to begin with. These tossers will do anything, anything to get back into power.

I digress.

It’s going to be great to see Just Jane back in the air again, and I hope she retains the Upkeep fit out for as long as possible when she starts regular shows.

There seems to be various assumptions that the Pantons are doing this just in order to get it onto the airshow circuit and generate revenue.

Perhaps they just want to see it fly, perhaps their own business has provided sufficent funds to enable their hobby to progress further. They are not getting any younger after all. If I had the money, I would just do it because ‘I can’.

Perhaps a well known Kiwi benefactor is funding the rebuild for use in a certain film? The eyewatering level of revenue generated these days by top director films would laugh at the cost of even returning a Lancaster to the skies.

Exciting days, let the speculation continue with even more outrageous themes.

I think it is excellent news and will not adversly effect the current operation at East Kirkby. I do wonder though what with all the hype about two lancs in formation, isn’t there some rule about BBMF not flying in formation with other non BBMF aircraft?

IIRC that has been broken on more than one occasion

Probably the question no one has asked is how easy will it be to transport to New Zealand to join the rest of the film set?

I’d be very surprised if it needed to go there at all given the FSMs and CGI what it is today.

If I was PJ I’d want to do some on site low level flying over Europe where the targets are in all their glory for the shots required.

Does anyone have access to the historic statistics for deaths attributed to exposure to historic aircraft cockpit instruments? I presume that they are significant.

(Interestingly, the background level of radiation in Aberdeen is typically double that of the UK)

Why does a great project like this bring out the naysayers who can only see reasons to fail rather than taking a totally positive attitude of how do ‘we’ help to make this happen?

Panton family, go for it….

I think the concensus is that everyones pretty positive so far Oscar, lets not talk it down already!!

(Fingers crossed that the purveyors of doom from the appalling XH558 thread keep themselves out……..)

Are we safe just looking at the instrument from our computer screens?

As long as you don’t stuff it down your underpants all day, she’ll be right mate.