What an afternoon
Discussion
As the title says, really.
I've just has the immense pleasure, thanks to the TVR club, to get a guided tour of the BBMF hanger with the current OC, Smithy; together with some of the East Mids TVRCC.
We've just spent four hours going around the hangar, getting the history of all the aircraft (it's the one weekend during the season that they don't fly), and meeting the ground crew, who pulled the Lanc out to get a photo with all the cars in front.
I have never felt so humble and honoured at the same time.
We got to see the aircraft so close, we were all under the bomb-bay of the Lanc at one time.
It would have been great to be able to have given them a blast in the cars, but as it's a working, operational base we couldn't. Next time, maybe.
As Smithy said to us, we, the taxpayer, own these irreplaceable machines, they cost about 2.5 to 3 million a year to operate, to honour the young lads who flew them, and also their enemies, now friends. Lets hope the defence cuts don't mean these icons are consigned to the dead areas of museums.
They should continue to fly in living memory of the lads that fought and were killed in them, that we should not forget.
maggit
I've just has the immense pleasure, thanks to the TVR club, to get a guided tour of the BBMF hanger with the current OC, Smithy; together with some of the East Mids TVRCC.
We've just spent four hours going around the hangar, getting the history of all the aircraft (it's the one weekend during the season that they don't fly), and meeting the ground crew, who pulled the Lanc out to get a photo with all the cars in front.
I have never felt so humble and honoured at the same time.
We got to see the aircraft so close, we were all under the bomb-bay of the Lanc at one time.
It would have been great to be able to have given them a blast in the cars, but as it's a working, operational base we couldn't. Next time, maybe.
As Smithy said to us, we, the taxpayer, own these irreplaceable machines, they cost about 2.5 to 3 million a year to operate, to honour the young lads who flew them, and also their enemies, now friends. Lets hope the defence cuts don't mean these icons are consigned to the dead areas of museums.
They should continue to fly in living memory of the lads that fought and were killed in them, that we should not forget.
maggit
When I visited with the air cadets I remember that everyone there was very happy to be doing it and took great pride in their work and were very keen to show us about. Those aircraft are immaculate and yeah spitfires are lovely but that Lancaster is the most important aircraft we've got and it's scary just how many young men died in them. Terrible.
mrmaggit said:
We've just spent four hours going around the hangar, getting the history of all the aircraft (it's the one weekend during the season that they don't fly), and meeting the ground crew, who pulled the Lanc out to get a photo with all the cars in front.
Wheres the pic then? come on....
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