RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight endangered

Support the BBMF with your vote

Photograph and Copyright Caz Caswell - Used with Permission

It has been suggested that the RAF's Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) which celebrates the sacrifice of those who flew during the 2nd World War, will be part of the next round of defence cuts. This will be a travesty if it goes ahead.

The BBMF costs a mere £3m a year, less than 0.1% of the defence budget. It is a great delight for all who see their displays, and the memory of 'The Few' will be lost.
If a British Citizen (either UK Resident, Expatriate, or Crown Dependency), please vote in the E-Petition to the Prime Minister to ensure that the BBMF is not closed.

I am sorry to say that the many supporters of the BBMF who are not British Citizens cannot add their votes, but it doesn't stop you emailing HMG!

Avro Vulcan XH558 50th Birthday Appeal

2010 marks the 50th Birthday of Avro Vulcan XH558 - Built in 1960 and today the last of her kind flying anywhere in the World. Keeping such a large, complex unique Aircraft flying safely costs a lot of money and as this is a British Conservation Project funds are always on a knife edge. At this time of year with no revenue from Display Appearances and Annual Maintenance a priority, just paying the Engineers who are the key to the project is a  is a major concern, but other bills also rise during the winter, so any donation however small is welcome:

As a reminder of the awesome Vulcan see these videos:

British Sons and Daughters

I received this as a chain email and unusually for me, immediately passed it on to many of my contacts. However by posting it here I hope to distribute it even more widely and quickly - The Idle Man:

If you read this, you WILL forward it on.You just won't be able to stop yourself.

Here's to the heroes: Especially for all of the young ones we have recently lost.

The average age of the military man is 19 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, just old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's, but he has never collected unemployment either.





He's a recent Comprehensive School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and a 155mm howitzer.

He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but hecan field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark. And He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must.

He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional.

He can march until he is told to stop, or stop until he is told to march.

He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity. He is self-sufficient.

He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry.

He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts.

If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low.

He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands.

He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job.

He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay, and still find ironic humour in it all.

He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short lifetime.



He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed.

He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while at rigid attention, all the while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away' those around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking.

In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful.

Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great-grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the BRITISH Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years.




He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding.
Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood.

And now we even have women over there in danger, doing their part in this tradition of going to War when our nation calls us to do so.

As you go to bed tonight, remember this shot. ...

A short lull, a little shade and a picture of loved ones in their helmets.



Prayer wheel for our military... please don't break it Please send this on, after a short prayer.

Prayer Wheel

'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands.
Protect them as they protect us.
Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen.'

There is nothing attached...
This can be very powerful...
Of all the gifts you could give a British Soldier, Sailor, or Airman, prayer is the very best one.

I wouldn’t dream of breaking this one,Please pass it on to everyone

40th Anniversary of Concorde's First Flight:

Today the 2nd March 2009 is the 40th Anniversary of Concorde's First Flight on the 2nd March 1968 and the Fleet was withdrawn from service 34 Years later on the 24th October 2003.

The following YouTube movie (one of the many of Concorde) makes a fitting tribute to this great aircraft:

Concorde: First Flight

Save Our Vulcan

Save Our Vulcan Donate By Clicking this Link

BAA Refuses British Eagle Tribute Flight - UPDATE

This is an update to my previous post: BAA Heathrow Refuses British Eagle Tribute Flight

The BAA in its original statement as to why the Slots had been withdrawn, gave the reason as: They were concerned that the operation of the DC6 at Heathrow was potentially disruptive to normal operations.
To quote from my previous Post:
As every effort had been made to ensure that the DC6 operation would be no more potentially disruptive than any other Heathrow Flight, this is balderdash!


In the Flight Global News Article, the reason was: Congestion Concerns.
As the Slot Requests were originally granted by ACL (Slot Coordination Limited) Who are responsible for Heathrow Slot Coordination on behalf of all concerned, obviously wouldn't have granted slots if they had any indication that this would cause/exacerbate congestion.

In an email response Mike Brown (BAA Chief Operating Officer Heathrow) stated: To operate nostalgia or other flights of this type is totally inappropriate at such an airport.
This is interesting on several counts as:

• The DC6 has Operated a commemorative flight for the BAA from LHR
• If this was the policy, why were slots initially granted and arrangements made to waive landing and other fees?
• f the DC6 was carrying an AOG Spare, or a commercial cargo, would this have meant it was OK?

In addition, it should be noted that extremely well run European and US Airports welcome the occasional visits by 'Heritage Flights' and do everything possible to accommodate them.

Subsequently the Heathrow Media Centre in an another email response reverted to the Congestion Concerns Theme.

Personally I believe that Mike Brown's stated reason was probably nearest to the truth.

But I will leave final word to someone more erudite than !:
The BAA, the current incumbent of what amounts to an aviation heritage site as well as a major contributor to the UK economy, is also displaying a lack of any sense of history; and a mean-spirited lack of gratitude to the industry on whose past and present motivation its revenues depend.

BAA Heathrow Refuses British Eagle Tribute Flight

Whilst this crass last minute decision by the BAA to refuse to allow this tribute flight to operate, has the Idle Man 'spitting feathers' others are close to apoplexy!

At a time when the BAA needs to win friends and influence people, this decision will lose friends and alienate people, well done chaps!

Background and Summary
As the last leg of a successful European Tour that has taken Douglas DC6A G-APSA to Innsbruck, Berlin Tempelhof (prior to the closure of that historic airpot) and Rotterdam, it was planned to operate into London Heathrow.

This was not just any Rotterdam-Heathrow flight, but to commemorate the 40th anniversary on the 7th November 2008 of the last British Eagle Commercial Flight which was also Rotterdam-Heathrow, with an Aircraft delivered to British Eagle in 1958 (Fifty Years ago).

Now operating into the World busiest International Airport requires more planning than the other Airports on the Tour, but as the Aircraft has visited Heathrow in recent years both on Commercial Charter and two previous commemorative flights (including one for BAA), the team planning this flight understood what needed to be done to enable it to go ahead.

Included in this was satisfying Air Traffic Control that the DC6 could conform to the relevant requirement and this was achieved, plus obtaining the required Airport Slots and again these were granted.

In addition the planning was positively helped by BAA Staff who arranged for Landng Fees to be Waived and by Signature Flight Support the Handling Agents who agreed to waive handling fees.

Yet two days ago the BAA withdrew the Airport Slots because they were concerned that the operation of the DC6 at Heathrow was potentially disruptive to normal operations.

As every effort had been made to ensure that the DC6 operation would be no more potentially disruptive than any other Heathrow Flight, this is balderdash!

The DC6 Flight Team News Report In Full
The following is the full News Article from The DC6 Website an Air Atlantique operation:

HEATHROW REFUSES ENTRY
With great regret we must announce that we are no longer able to visit Heathrow this Friday, 7 November. We realise that this will be a bitter disappointment to many people.

Operation into London Heathrow, in common with many large airports, requires the allocation of a slot for each movement. Slots for our intended operation were allocated to us last week, at which point we confirmed with our supporters that we would be making the journey. Yesterday, however, we were advised by a representative of BAA, the airport operator, that these slots were to be withdrawn because they were concerned that the operation of the DC6 at Heathrow was potentially disruptive to normal operations. In the course of several commercial charters into Heathrow in recent years, and two previous commemorative flights (including one for BAA), our experience has been that the DC6 does not cause any inconvenience. Moreover, we were able to demonstrate to the relevant ATC unit that the normal approach speeds and operating procedures of this Public Transport certified airliner were in line with current standards and would require no special treatment. We have had the great pleasure over recent years to visit each of the other capital airports in Europe. Regrettably, this busy international airport felt unable, at the eleventh hour, to agree to our visit.

Our flight this Friday was intended to commemorate the last commercial flight, exactly forty years ago, of a British Eagle aircraft on exactly the same route from Rotterdam to Heathrow. The captain of that original flight was to join us. We had hoped that this would be an uplifting event in these turbulent times, to remind people that flying can still be a fun and romantic endeavour. Unfortunately it appears that commercial priorities, or perhaps a misunderstanding of the nature of the DC6, has caused BAA to decide otherwise. We are tremendously grateful to our handling agent at Heathrow, Signature Flight Support, who generously agreed to sponsor our ground arrangements, and to members of the BAA team who arranged that our landing fees would be waived.

The aircraft will return directly from Rotterdam to Coventry within the next few days. We will publish the times accordingly. This will conclude public flying for this season as the aircraft enters scheduled maintenance on 23 November.

We look forward to an exciting new season in 2009 and to meeting more of you throughout next year.

Bournemouth Aviation Museum Reopens

The 24th October saw the official reopening of Bournemouth Aviation Museum at its new site at Adventure Wonderland next to Bournemouth Airport. The reopening was carried out by the Mayor of Chrischurch and celebrated by a flypast from locally based Percival Pembroke BNPH.

The Museum is open daily from 1000 to 1600 (except certain winter public holidays) - See the web site: Bournemouth Aviation Museum

I am really pleased that the Museum has, due massive efforts by the Trustees, Sponsors and the Volunteer Supporters, managed to get back up and running. However the circumstances of its closure on the 17th December 2007 at its original site on Bournemouth Airport, even now are a cause of some angst (See: my post of 08th June 2008 entitled Bournemouth Aviation Museum Closure).

But that is in the past and the Museum has great plans for the future, which I hope they can bring to fruition.

The last flying Vulcan Needs Help - Please Sign the Petition (British Citizens Only - Sorry)

Those of you who have seen the Avro Vulcan flying will know that it is an awesome sight. Now there is only one flying example, XH558 and this is endanger of being grounded forever.

The Vulcan is a living symbol of the Cold War Era when along with the Victor and initally the Valiant formed the Aircraft Types equipping the RAF Medium Bomber Force and the four minute warning, meant something other than alerting you to your next appointment, or to check the dinner in the oven.

However even in those dangerous times the Vulcan Squadrons could indulge in at a least a wry smile,
Like the successful Attack on New York which so frightened the Pentagon:
Extract from a Guardian Article :
n 1961, four nuclear bombers entered United States airspace, flying high above the maximum altitude of the defending American fighters. Three jammed the ground-based and airborne radars directed at them. The fourth arrived unchallenged and unforeseen, over New York City.

The aircraft was an Avro Vulcan bomber, capable of carrying a 21,000lb nuclear payload. It looked like a scary version of Concorde. The New York stunt was part of an Anglo-American military exercise which proved the plane's ability to deliver nuclear bombs wherever they might be needed, whoever the enemy. The RAF called it "the tin triangle".
End Extract
Come to think of it the RAF Vulcan Crews did play some serious tricks on the USAF as in Red Flag 1977 or 1978 where they used the Girlfriends and Wife's Picnic (with lots of Cars) at a specific geographical location as an offset aiming point to get them on target (tsk, tsk). Getting even snottier on one departure by doing a spectacular full bore ultra short take-off at max weight (thus wrong footing all the TV and Still Cameras), whilst an RAF Type was telling the press with feigned surprise 'that was how they always did it'!

Even when not armed and dangerous, the Vulcan was used to 'show the flag' across the world from Australia, through the Far East . USA and Canada. A single Vulcan doing even a simple display, was as exciting as the Red Arrows.

In 1982 when the timetable for phasing out was set, the Vulcan went to war for the only time in its long career when single Aircraft, each supported by Victor Tankers flew the Black Buck Raids over the Falklands.

Whilst The Government supports the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight through the RAF , the entire Vulcan project has so far only been supported by private donations and volunteers. Whilst we are in a global financial crisis, Government support to keep XH558, is flying is not even going to show on Government Spending statistics.

So please sign the 10 Downing Street Petition: to keep Vulcan.XH558

Honouring the past and inspiring the future.

Links:

• The Vulcan Operating Company and Vulcan to the Sky Trust Site

• THE Vulcan Site to visit is: Vulcans in Camera

Vulcan Videos:
There are a lot of recent video's of XH558 since its return to flight, but the following are often overlooked:

• Anti-Radiation Flash White (The Death Ride Era): The Avro Vulcan - If this had been for real, the surviving Aircraft and their Crews would have had no Airfields to return to!
• Vulcan and Blue Steel (With Test Launch and Vickers Valiant shots)
• What might have been: Vulcan Skybolt Testing
• The Year after operational retirement Avro Vulcan airshow display Commentator/Interviewer the late Raymond Baxter
• AVRO VULCAN XH558 DISPLAY SCAMPTON '91
• Flying the Vulcan

Bournemouth Aviation Museum Closure

Update 28th October 2008
See Post Bournemouth Aviation Museum Reopens

Original Article
I maintain a list of United Kingdom Aviation Museums I want to visit and so far haven't. This has become almost masochistic as there is now an even longer list of UK Aviation Museum I wanted to visit, never did and cannot now because they closed. Admittedly most of these were small andwere probably unsustainable as organisations, but over the years a number have been major collections, and each closure resulted in a pang of regret.

The closure of the Bournemouth Aviation Museum and the organisations ongoing attempts to retrieve the situation has made me annoyed. In part because Bournemouth Airport has a very important place in British Aviation History, because the collection whilst not huge contains some important exhibits and finally because this situation, despite a lot of effort reached the point where the Museum Closed and is now 'homeless'.

Now Bournemouth Airport is currently owned by Manchester Airport Group which is owned by a group of Councils in and around Greater Manchester. Manchester Airport maintains a the 'Viewing Park' which includes a Concorde and restored Trident 3B, plus a forward section of a DC10, so they cannot be entirely Aviation Heritage unfriendly.

So what happened at Bournemouth. Well firstly the Museum did only have a short lease, which the Airport decided they could not renew because of development plans affecting the Museum Building and surrounding land. Whilst the development in this area, is apparently provide a new Car Park, it is part of the Airports Master Plan and whilst I am sure being replaced by a Car Park really irks the Museum Team, this should not be an issue. The Airport and Museum principals held many meetings once the non-renewal of the lease was advised in an attempt to find alternatives within the Airport Perimeter. But all to no avail.

The Museum had to go and by a set date and that is that. Well this is when I do get a trifle annoyed. I accept the Airports Commercial Interests come first and that they have provided the Museum with 'Some wriggle room', but if they really wanted the Museum on their land would have been looking at how they could have included it in the master plan and consultations should have been ongoing when the lease was signed.

Secondly although MAG trumpets their Community friendly credentials at no stage have they appeared to have considered how they could mitigate the Museums Problems in relocation, After all the Museum is a registered Charity with a high dependency on volunteers, plus it has exhibits important to UK Aviation Heritage and in some cases very significant to Bournemouth Airports past, plus it was an educational resource, all of which should give high ranking in the MAG Bournemouth Community Projects Fund. Whilst other Airport Tenants have assisted, or at least tried very hard to assist the Museum in the lead up to the final eviction date, the MAG Management at Bournemouth other than offering the aforesaid 'wriggle room' have provided no practical help. (If I am wrong I will unreservedly apologise).

Whilst it is obvious the new Museum Trustees are making progress in finding a new home, and have at least local Political support for their efforts, they are inevitably going to lose most if not all of the revenue from this summer. Volunteers and equipment loans can cover a lot of financial holes, but funding and survival are irretrievably linked and maybe this is where MAG should help. After all they are part of the continuing story of Bournemouth Airport and therefore this is their heritage too!

Well time will tell, but unfortunately I am not optimistic that MAG will assist financially and although I believe the Museum will survive it will take a long time to recover, plus there will now always be a feeling of resentment between the Museum and MAG, which will fester for many years. MAG is certainly well within its legal rights. The Museum did make an assumption that the lease would be renewed. But was there consultation between tenants and the Airport over how the Master plan would affect them, if so it is apparent the current Museum Trustees were not party to any consultation.

Heritage can be good for Business and Business can be good for Heritage, but far too often in this country the two collide because neither thinks ahead.

Losing the Bournemouth Aviation Museum completely would almost certainly bolster other collections as exhibits would transfer across, but inevitably some would be lost. The real loss would be the link with Bournemouth's Aviation past and once its gone, it can never be brought back.