XH558 - VTTS Stitch Up
Discussion
HoHoHo said:
aeropilot said:
HoHoHo said:
Surely the airframe is still airworthy and one more transit flight can be arranged to a better long-term home for 558?
She hasn't flown for nearly 18 months, we don't even know if the required anti-det schedules have been maintained in that time to satisfy the paperwork trail for a one-off ferry flight.No one knows if the CAA would even allow a gear-down, ferry flight without OEM support, and I doubt that would now be forthcoming in the circumstances.....oh, and they have now made all the engineering staff redundant, and by the few accounts I've heard, they wouldn't come back for love nor money now anyway.
Which means, it ain't flying anywhere.
What a great shame and I think we all know what will happen in the next few years
aeropilot said:
XM597, the Vulcan that created a political storm when it went tech and had to divert into Rio de Janeiro on its way back from a Black Buck Shrike missile attack on the Falklands.
It flew was flown into East Fortune by the RAF after retirement in 1984.
Didn't know 'went tech' covered the refuelling probe snapping off It flew was flown into East Fortune by the RAF after retirement in 1984.
That must have been a real "oh, s
t" moment.ChemicalChaos said:
Would I be being too cynical in thinking the engineers have been fired to prevent the plane being granted a transit permit so it HAS to stay in Doncaster?
Would I be being too cynical in thinking the engineers have been fired so there is enough money in the pot to continue paying the remaining employees?Steve
Nanook said:
aeropilot said:
Halmyre said:
Just remembered there is a Vulcan at East Fortune, which then posed the question, how did it get there?
XM597, the Vulcan that created a political storm when it went tech and had to divert into Rio de Janeiro on its way back from a Black Buck Shrike missile attack on the Falklands.It flew was flown into East Fortune by the RAF after retirement in 1984.
It's a fantastic day out, a lot of really cool stuff to see!
* OK, maybe shouldn't go there in winter...
found this on another site
Some sad news today from Doncaster about the future of XH558..credit to David Robinson for the update.
A very sad day today folks, made a final visit to see XH558 in hangar three, which you might think was sad enough, but there was more bad news to come... Today was an ideal opportunity to have a chat with one of the engineers, someone that we have known for many years, and when I asked him if he was being kept on, he dropped a bombshell by saying that no one was being kept on, all the engineering team, including Taff Stone were being laid off. Only two people will remain, possibly on a part time basis, and I think you can guess who they are, yep Robert Pleming and Andrew Edmundson, everyone else....gone. I asked if Taff was there today, he said no, he had left and gone for an interview, I believe he said at Cranwell. When asked if he would go back if asked to by the Trust, he said no, not after the way they had been treated. More info came to light, that 558 will move into hanger one and put into storage, but he said that it will only be allowed to stay there till April, if no new home has been built / found by then, she will be moved and stored outside. Also spoke to one of the volunteers, again someone we have known for many years, and he told us that all the volunteers will leave at the end of the week, and will only return if a new home is found for 558. At the moment folks, the future to me doesn’t look to bright. If there are no engineers, how are they going to keep her in taxiable condition, something that the Heritage Fund said they had to do when they got the grant, hope they wont want their money back. No one would be drawn into a conversation re WK163, except to say, that the Trust realise now that they made a mistake in buying her.. As I say, to me the future doesnt look to good, no engine runs, no taxi runs, no engineers, no volunteers and no visits for the foreseeable future for members of the public. There is a possibility of course that all of this, and more, may be in tomorrow nights newsletter, we will have to wait with baited breath to see…
Some sad news today from Doncaster about the future of XH558..credit to David Robinson for the update.
A very sad day today folks, made a final visit to see XH558 in hangar three, which you might think was sad enough, but there was more bad news to come... Today was an ideal opportunity to have a chat with one of the engineers, someone that we have known for many years, and when I asked him if he was being kept on, he dropped a bombshell by saying that no one was being kept on, all the engineering team, including Taff Stone were being laid off. Only two people will remain, possibly on a part time basis, and I think you can guess who they are, yep Robert Pleming and Andrew Edmundson, everyone else....gone. I asked if Taff was there today, he said no, he had left and gone for an interview, I believe he said at Cranwell. When asked if he would go back if asked to by the Trust, he said no, not after the way they had been treated. More info came to light, that 558 will move into hanger one and put into storage, but he said that it will only be allowed to stay there till April, if no new home has been built / found by then, she will be moved and stored outside. Also spoke to one of the volunteers, again someone we have known for many years, and he told us that all the volunteers will leave at the end of the week, and will only return if a new home is found for 558. At the moment folks, the future to me doesn’t look to bright. If there are no engineers, how are they going to keep her in taxiable condition, something that the Heritage Fund said they had to do when they got the grant, hope they wont want their money back. No one would be drawn into a conversation re WK163, except to say, that the Trust realise now that they made a mistake in buying her.. As I say, to me the future doesnt look to good, no engine runs, no taxi runs, no engineers, no volunteers and no visits for the foreseeable future for members of the public. There is a possibility of course that all of this, and more, may be in tomorrow nights newsletter, we will have to wait with baited breath to see…
Q&A on the topic by Dr Destroyer himself.
I think what's most important from his perspective is that he remain on the payroll as long as possible and continue to collect as much "donations" from the misled public based on unrealistic promises so he can continue to line his pockets.
http://www.vulcantothesky.org/news/855/82/Survival...
I think what's most important from his perspective is that he remain on the payroll as long as possible and continue to collect as much "donations" from the misled public based on unrealistic promises so he can continue to line his pockets.
http://www.vulcantothesky.org/news/855/82/Survival...
Edited by acer12 on Saturday 28th January 06:43
acer12 said:
Q&A on the topic by Dr Destroyer himself.
I think what's most important from his perspective is that he remain on the payroll as long as possible and continue to collect as much "donations" from the misled public based on unrealistic promises so he can continue to line his pockets.
http://www.vulcantothesky.org/news/855/82/Survival...
Having read that, the word 'omnishambles' has never been more apt.I think what's most important from his perspective is that he remain on the payroll as long as possible and continue to collect as much "donations" from the misled public based on unrealistic promises so he can continue to line his pockets.
http://www.vulcantothesky.org/news/855/82/Survival...
Edited by acer12 on Saturday 28th January 06:43
OK.....I had a read.....
I don't agree its bad luck, it was all too predictable, and Dr Evil just wanted to keep his gravy train running.
And I had to laugh at the cheek of this statement (obviously a dig at Brunty)
"Being at a licensed airfield will allow us to taxi XH558 regularly and safely. The damage that can be caused to heritage jet engines by even very small pieces of debris can be terminal, we need to avoid unmaintained runways"
Silica gel bags spring to mind, which from memory cause more of a problem to heritage jet engines than a bit of gravel rash
I don't agree its bad luck, it was all too predictable, and Dr Evil just wanted to keep his gravy train running.
And I had to laugh at the cheek of this statement (obviously a dig at Brunty)
"Being at a licensed airfield will allow us to taxi XH558 regularly and safely. The damage that can be caused to heritage jet engines by even very small pieces of debris can be terminal, we need to avoid unmaintained runways"
Silica gel bags spring to mind, which from memory cause more of a problem to heritage jet engines than a bit of gravel rash
aeropilot said:
XM597, the Vulcan that created a political storm when it went tech and had to divert into Rio de Janeiro on its way back from a Black Buck Shrike missile attack on the Falklands.
It flew was flown into East Fortune by the RAF after retirement in 1984.
sadly though not in the best condition. Big rust holes rotting through it. It flew was flown into East Fortune by the RAF after retirement in 1984.
Elvington is a good shout, was there on Friday and they have recently bought more land and got planning permission for another hanger
AMD87 said:
aeropilot said:
XM597, the Vulcan that created a political storm when it went tech and had to divert into Rio de Janeiro on its way back from a Black Buck Shrike missile attack on the Falklands.
It flew was flown into East Fortune by the RAF after retirement in 1984.
sadly though not in the best condition. Big rust holes rotting through it. It flew was flown into East Fortune by the RAF after retirement in 1984.
Elvington is a good shout, was there on Friday and they have recently bought more land and got planning permission for another hanger
Sadly, I think within another 10-15 years a lot of the current outdoor Vulcans will have gone the way of the Blackpool one and become tin cans.
Shame RAFM didn't decide to pick at least one of the Black Buck Vulcans to preserve, given they were the only ones to see operational use.
I've always thought a deal with Elvington with VTTS being in a strong position to fund raise for a hanger for her (and maybe jointly to house Lusty as well) would have been the best option.
Sadly, however, such a notion was never going to fit with such a myopic organisation as VTTS.
Myopic? How could you possibly use such a term for an organisation that come up with ideas like this to raise money...
http://www.vulcantothesky.org/vulcan-coffee-mornin...
http://www.vulcantothesky.org/vulcan-coffee-mornin...
aeropilot said:
Much like '607 then by all accounts.
Sadly, I think within another 10-15 years a lot of the current outdoor Vulcans will have gone the way of the Blackpool one and become tin cans.
Shame RAFM didn't decide to pick at least one of the Black Buck Vulcans to preserve, given they were the only ones to see operational use.
I've always thought a deal with Elvington with VTTS being in a strong position to fund raise for a hanger for her (and maybe jointly to house Lusty as well) would have been the best option.
Sadly, however, such a notion was never going to fit with such a myopic organisation as VTTS.
Pretty much I think, the planes that have been left outside at east fortune are pretty much rotting away. Sadly, I think within another 10-15 years a lot of the current outdoor Vulcans will have gone the way of the Blackpool one and become tin cans.
Shame RAFM didn't decide to pick at least one of the Black Buck Vulcans to preserve, given they were the only ones to see operational use.
I've always thought a deal with Elvington with VTTS being in a strong position to fund raise for a hanger for her (and maybe jointly to house Lusty as well) would have been the best option.
Sadly, however, such a notion was never going to fit with such a myopic organisation as VTTS.
Elvington did say they needed another £1 million to build the hanger and with the support vtts have had I don't see that being too hard to an extend although reading up on XL231 elvington management do seem to have a fall out with privately owned planes.
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