Discussion
aeropilot said:
eltawater said:
The Vulcan Experience is off the cards due to a fundraising shortfall of £2.2 million:
https://vulcantothesky.org/news/lack-of-funding-me...
Hardly news is it, its just confirmation of what the world and his dog have known for years.https://vulcantothesky.org/news/lack-of-funding-me...
However......
Picking a civilian active 'International' airport was always going to make the 'accessible' to the public bit of that statement a continual problem, and at some point, if security reasons dictated it (high probability in todays world) a non-starter.
Also, the need to be able to operate other historic aircraft was a chuffin pipe dream....they were never going to raise the money to put a building over '558, let alone raise the money to put the Canberra back in the air, so again, that is a red herring argument as well.
Pretty much anyone that has more than a passing interest in historic aviation beyond the '558 knew that this was an inevitable situation once '558 landed for the last time at Doncaster.
Picking a civilian active 'International' airport was always going to make the 'accessible' to the public bit of that statement a continual problem, and at some point, if security reasons dictated it (high probability in todays world) a non-starter.
Also, the need to be able to operate other historic aircraft was a chuffin pipe dream....they were never going to raise the money to put a building over '558, let alone raise the money to put the Canberra back in the air, so again, that is a red herring argument as well.
Pretty much anyone that has more than a passing interest in historic aviation beyond the '558 knew that this was an inevitable situation once '558 landed for the last time at Doncaster.
Simply put xh558 not flying would not generate the income needed to keep it running. Even with a hanger this would fail very quickly.
You don’t pay for a museum with 1 exhibit unless you’re passing and that’s the only way to go to the loo. Without flying it’s just another Vulcan, the others at least have something else to see when you’re there.
You don’t pay for a museum with 1 exhibit unless you’re passing and that’s the only way to go to the loo. Without flying it’s just another Vulcan, the others at least have something else to see when you’re there.
Alias218 said:
It’s rather a shame that Duxford couldn’t take her, but then there’s already one there so no real incentive, even if they weren’t under any contractual obligations.
The way I see it now, XL426 is our best hope of preserving a Vulcan in taxiing condition for the foreseeable.
Duxford, Cosford and Hendon all have Vulcans on display so no need for another. As has been mentioned as soon as it stopped flying then it suddenly was not a unique example or with any real history to warrant people visiting that over ones they can see elsewhere. The way I see it now, XL426 is our best hope of preserving a Vulcan in taxiing condition for the foreseeable.
ecsrobin said:
Duxford, Cosford and Hendon all have Vulcans on display so no need for another. As has been mentioned as soon as it stopped flying then it suddenly was not a unique example or with any real history to warrant people visiting that over ones they can see elsewhere.
I think that sums it up really well.A lot of people were very critical of how VTTS/Pleming et al did things - but they did what many thought was impossible by getting a Vulcan onto the civil register and operating it with an excellent safety record and reasonable availability - and kept it going right up to the point that factors genuinely beyond their control meant the game was over.
After that, their job was done. And done well.
Seight_Returns said:
I think that sums it up really well.
A lot of people were very critical of how VTTS/Pleming et al did things - but they did what many thought was impossible by getting a Vulcan onto the civil register and operating it with an excellent safety record and reasonable availability - and kept it going right up to the point that factors genuinely beyond their control meant the game was over.
After that, their job was done. And done well.
We’ll said, my thoughts entirely.A lot of people were very critical of how VTTS/Pleming et al did things - but they did what many thought was impossible by getting a Vulcan onto the civil register and operating it with an excellent safety record and reasonable availability - and kept it going right up to the point that factors genuinely beyond their control meant the game was over.
After that, their job was done. And done well.
I rather think that this latest setback might have been overcome had RP still been alive, but that’s just speculation.
Alias218 said:
It’s rather a shame that Duxford couldn’t take her, but then there’s already one there so no real incentive, even if they weren’t under any contractual obligations.
The way I see it now, XL426 is our best hope of preserving a Vulcan in taxiing condition for the foreseeable.
Just checked XM655, seems in good health? What am I missing? Not checked for a long while but I thought 426 was more restricted due to location?The way I see it now, XL426 is our best hope of preserving a Vulcan in taxiing condition for the foreseeable.
toastyhamster said:
Just checked XM655, seems in good health? What am I missing? Not checked for a long while but I thought 426 was more restricted due to location?
655 at Wellesbourne is indeed in good health and does "fast" taxi runs several times a year.Every time she looks like she's gonna head for the skies as she lifts her front wheels...
JeremyH5 said:
Seight_Returns said:
I think that sums it up really well.
A lot of people were very critical of how VTTS/Pleming et al did things - but they did what many thought was impossible by getting a Vulcan onto the civil register and operating it with an excellent safety record and reasonable availability - and kept it going right up to the point that factors genuinely beyond their control meant the game was over.
After that, their job was done. And done well.
We’ll said, my thoughts entirely.A lot of people were very critical of how VTTS/Pleming et al did things - but they did what many thought was impossible by getting a Vulcan onto the civil register and operating it with an excellent safety record and reasonable availability - and kept it going right up to the point that factors genuinely beyond their control meant the game was over.
After that, their job was done. And done well.
I rather think that this latest setback might have been overcome had RP still been alive, but that’s just speculation.
5 years after it stopped flying and Vulcan to the Ground are still sucking money out of people and still moaning they can't raise funds.
The last available accounts showed an income of 2 million over a year...........well there's the 2 million in one year that they are supposed to be trying to raise...........
Except, they had expenditure of 1.2 million..........!
On what exactly, its not being flown anymore, what are they spending 1.2 million on.........?
Well, how about £633,000 on advertising......
Tyre Tread said:
toastyhamster said:
Just checked XM655, seems in good health? What am I missing? Not checked for a long while but I thought 426 was more restricted due to location?
655 at Wellesbourne is indeed in good health and does "fast" taxi runs several times a year.Every time she looks like she's gonna head for the skies as she lifts her front wheels...
Back to my point of Duxford, while there is another there it is rather boxed in and stationary. Having XH558 as a live example during various air shows held there would be a great draw and compliments the other Vulcan. However, it is a moot point.
Alias218 said:
Fair enough - I’m not aux fait with the condition of XM655 (XL426 is my “local” Vulcan - I remember standing beneath her enormous delta wing as a child in the 90s), but I am glad to hear there is another in fine fettle
Back to my point of Duxford, while there is another there it is rather boxed in and stationary. Having XH558 as a live example during various air shows held there would be a great draw and compliments the other Vulcan. However, it is a moot point.
But when the shows they put on already sell out what’s the need? Back to my point of Duxford, while there is another there it is rather boxed in and stationary. Having XH558 as a live example during various air shows held there would be a great draw and compliments the other Vulcan. However, it is a moot point.
ecsrobin said:
Alias218 said:
Fair enough - I’m not aux fait with the condition of XM655 (XL426 is my “local” Vulcan - I remember standing beneath her enormous delta wing as a child in the 90s), but I am glad to hear there is another in fine fettle
Back to my point of Duxford, while there is another there it is rather boxed in and stationary. Having XH558 as a live example during various air shows held there would be a great draw and compliments the other Vulcan. However, it is a moot point.
But when the shows they put on already sell out what’s the need? Back to my point of Duxford, while there is another there it is rather boxed in and stationary. Having XH558 as a live example during various air shows held there would be a great draw and compliments the other Vulcan. However, it is a moot point.
ecsrobin said:
Alias218 said:
Fair enough - I’m not aux fait with the condition of XM655 (XL426 is my “local” Vulcan - I remember standing beneath her enormous delta wing as a child in the 90s), but I am glad to hear there is another in fine fettle
Back to my point of Duxford, while there is another there it is rather boxed in and stationary. Having XH558 as a live example during various air shows held there would be a great draw and compliments the other Vulcan. However, it is a moot point.
But when the shows they put on already sell out what’s the need? Back to my point of Duxford, while there is another there it is rather boxed in and stationary. Having XH558 as a live example during various air shows held there would be a great draw and compliments the other Vulcan. However, it is a moot point.
In a perfect world, lots of aircraft would be given a safe haven but unfortunately that’s not the case.
Alias218 said:
ecsrobin said:
Alias218 said:
Fair enough - I’m not aux fait with the condition of XM655 (XL426 is my “local” Vulcan - I remember standing beneath her enormous delta wing as a child in the 90s), but I am glad to hear there is another in fine fettle
Back to my point of Duxford, while there is another there it is rather boxed in and stationary. Having XH558 as a live example during various air shows held there would be a great draw and compliments the other Vulcan. However, it is a moot point.
But when the shows they put on already sell out what’s the need? Back to my point of Duxford, while there is another there it is rather boxed in and stationary. Having XH558 as a live example during various air shows held there would be a great draw and compliments the other Vulcan. However, it is a moot point.
In a perfect world, lots of aircraft would be given a safe haven but unfortunately that’s not the case.
Alias218 said:
It’s not so much to help sell tickets but to provide a means of long term preservation for what is one of three running aircraft. Perhaps I’m looking at this from too much of an emotive stand point than a practical one.
In a perfect world, lots of aircraft would be given a safe haven but unfortunately that’s not the case.
I go back to my earlier post, when there are 3 ground running it’s not unique if there was none it would be another story. In a perfect world, lots of aircraft would be given a safe haven but unfortunately that’s not the case.
ecsrobin said:
I go back to my earlier post, when there are 3 ground running it’s not unique if there was none it would be another story.
I don’t see uniqueness being the only prerequisite for assigning value to something. Three is still a vanishingly small number of aircraft, more so when none of them have guaranteed (or as close as possible) long term security. Doncaster, Wellesbourne, Southend - all of these could become housing estates at the next sign of trouble in which case the planes that can’t be flown out would be chopped up. Look at that Victor last year; a great shame despite other, better airframes existing. Indifference to keeping what we have is what leads to unique aircraft.
As mentioned, I know there are overriding practical considerations but three can easily become zero without realising what we have while we have it.
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