It could be farewell to another old friend

[DaveB]

With the amount of time it spends going 'tech'.. you could hardly guarantee it reaching any target be it some dusty part of the globe or Duxford! Nice idea Mark but as unlikely as the RAF Memorial flight taking it on. It was mentioned some time ago, though I have no idea how true it was, that the cost of running the Vulcan either equalled or exceeded that of the entire BBMF
Nice as it would be to see it go on forever (I might get to see it this time round!).. my 'giving' days are over as they are for many others leaving fewer folk to dig deeper. It's like my 16th century pub. You can throw as much money at it as you can find and it'll still take more or won't be enough. Keeping the rain out and the electricity and gas bills paid is far more important to me

ATB

DaveB

[FlyTexas]

What they need is something like a corporate sponsor in the big league, somone like Red Bull for example, who is happy to cover the big costs and use public donations for the little stuff...

Agreed, but personally I'd rather see an aircraft sitting in a museum (with dignity intact) than being used as a flying advert for a company who only cares about how much revenue their sponsorship will bring in.

Brian

[Paul K]

Don't care. As long as she is flying, I'll donate. Some things are above all financial considerations and XH588 is one of them, in my opinion.

[Chris558]

The fact that the general public are coughing up the required ammounts (just in time!) shows just how close to peoples hearts this icon is - even in these dark days where everyone is holding their breathe - and how emotionally proud of our heritage we can be as a nation. Yes, we'd all love there to be a major sponsor, and that is what they have strived to achieve, but it just hasn't - or moreso - didn't happen. If folk didn't want to or couldn't afford it, then fair enough that would be it, I woudn't be complaining. But the results show very strongly, otherwise.

What the VTTS team/engineers have achieved is is outstanding and unique, and therefore we owe them, aswell as '558. Every display season she can fly does justice to it all.

We could have just settled with the Millenium Dome...and look what happened to that!!

[Paul K]

Chris

[DaveB]

What the VTTS team/engineers have achieved is is outstanding and unique, and therefore we owe them, aswell as '558.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion Chris and E&S is a good place to air them. However, I'm almost too flabbergasted to comment on the particular statement above but feel moved to do so. What complete and utter poppycock! The VTTS team and engineers have done an outstanding job but.. 'therefore we owe them, as well as 558'

Without getting too serious about this, I have to laugh because that's one of the most amusing and nonsensical things I've read for a long time Have you considered going into politics mate??
558 is a flying example of our cold war nuclear deterrent and was made airworthy by the efforts of the VTTS. Hat's off to them for that but we 'owe' neither the aircraft or the team of engineers anything at all simply because the aircraft can fly and they made it so The reality is, they 'owe' it to us.. the thousands of folk who've already made donations and have yet to see it fly.. to keep it flying and funded from other sources so that we may one day see it fly which is why we all made donations in the first place

Anyway, for those who remain ready willing and able to continue to fund it.. it is your money and your prerogative to do with it as you so please. I can't be fairer than that

ATB

DaveB

[Garry Russell]

I also agree that we owe them nothing........also I must add that if it were as popular as thought them I would have thought the finance would have been forthcoming without the begging

The very fact that it get repaired at the last moment to me says that people are hoping someone else will cough up and when it looks dire they reluctantly cough up when it looks like no one else will

This is one of many historic items kept alive, yet we have it drilled into us that we all must keep supporting it.

Other project carry on as best they can without all this fuss

I would like that money spent for example on something like stopping the last Beverley falling apart and got under cover.

Up to the individual whom they support but I don't like this public begging...we all know about it yet they feel they have to remind us. Perhaps it's not a popular with the country as a whole as they would like to think.


I am glad it still flies.make no mistake about it........but I don't like the methods used to keep it that way.

[Nigel H-J]

Wondering whether to add my tuppence worth to this thread as I used to refuel and take the crews to these magnificent aircraft which left me with a permanent and lifetime legacy (High Frequency Deafness)!!!

Like the Victor and Valiant they served their purpose well and were truly a great British Icon but is all this begging for money to keep her airborne really warranted? How many people have been to airshows especially to see XH558 and have been let down by unserviceabilities? More importantly how are the public going to be treated when the day comes when the kitty finally dries up and contributions fail to reach the target figure to keep her airborne? Will they then turn around and kick us in the teeth by saying as a consequence to peoples' lack of charitable donations we will have to scrap her?

When that day comes I don't think I for one will lose any sleep, I can think of more uses for the money be spent on keeping other British Aircraft Icons intact before we lose them completely due to lack of funds and I am sure that Dave would welcome some of that money for the Vanguard and its engines and not to mention the fuel!!

If people are willing to donate large amounts to keep her in the air then fine but remember, she is an expensive piece of kit to keep airborne, is all electrical and liable to a lot of failures and there can be no guarantee that she will make it to an airshow near you during the display season!!

Regards
Nigel.

[petec]

Up to the individual whom they support

Say's it all really I s'ppose, some of us will keep digging in, others won't.

Some people would like to see the Vulcan kept airworthy, others would like to see the money go to other aircraft (Beverley or Vanguard have been mentioned here). The main difference is that money is being asked for the Vulcan, but I've seen no high profile requests for donations towards the other two

but I don't like this public begging

Well, a lot of charities have to do this ( and I have to say, and to put it in perspective, a lot of them are more worthy than 558.........cancer etc etc), but that's the way of the world.

[Garry Russell]

There is a lot of difference between public begging for charities to help medical research or the less fortunate and this....which is a wonderful aeroplane......but in reality just a plaything and not really a charity whatever it's tax status might say

Trouble is, people irritated by this sort of begging might lose sympathy with genuine needy cases.