Only just seen the pictures. Never going to Cosford again, as there isn't really anything else I want to see. Especially as the others are going the same way soon.
Onwards and Upwards!!!!!!!!
Jetty!
If God had of meant us to fly, he would have given us wings! He did, it's called an aeroplane!
People are criticising BA for cutting up the Trident. Yes, it's a shame. But BA are a business, were privatised with shareholders who want to make money on their shares. BA is finding the going tough enough without "wasting" (in their shareholder's view) money on the upkeep of an aircraft that can never earn them any money. They are not a charity or a State funded body so they have no obligation to retain anything other than possibly some documentation.
There is an argument for the Science Museum to preserve one, which I assume is the one at Duxford (although I stand to be corrected on that if not) but not one of every marque. Sorry, but as a taxpayer I would see that as a waste when there are plenty of other calls on the small Government heritage pot with equal justification. I'm also not prepared to see my local A&E department closed to divert funding into increasing the pot of money the Government allocates to heritage either,
I for one won't be going to Cosford again, not in some half-witted boycott but because the only reason I went there previously was because of the airliners as I have zero interest in missiles and fighters. I don't blame Cosford for any of this, nor do I blame BA. It's just life.
I think Toby made a good point earlier. Where the hell do you park a full sized preserved aircraft and how to you continue to fund it's upkeep? The same problem is beginning to bite in railway preservation as lots of over enthusiastic groups buy up old diesels, often duplicating or more examples which have been preserved elsewhere, then find out it takes a lot of money and effort to keep them going, and the number of private heritage railways with siding space for their locos are diminishing rapidly. They then hit the wall that the public whose fares keep heritage railways going (enthusiasts don't make up a big enough number) prefer steam, and this will always get priority in most railway's eyes. Now, diesel enthusiasts are finding two of the biggest railways are stopping preserved diesel days as they put off too many ordinary punters and end up costing money. The public's love of steam also means that there are very few preserved electric trains, even though future generations will moan about not being able to see a type of train that shifted millions into and out of London and should have been preserved so future generations could have seen them.
In aircraft terms the equivalent will be the public love to see propeller planes, especially Spitfires, Hurricanes and Lancasters, will gladly queue up for a chance to ride a Dak or a Dragon Rap, but think jets are modern and probably can't see the difference between the MD80 they flew to Malta on their holidays and the Trident. Most museums will depend on ordinary Joe and Joanna public paying the admission fee to see lots of old planes, and probably get the same kind of reaction from them when they see a jet airliner as heritage railways do when their punters are faced with a 1960's vintage diesel. Add to that the fact that many existing preserved airliners seem to be in poor nick, with faded paint, slightly mildewed interiors and looking careworn, probably because it is such a huge job to keep them in good shape, but also because for many enthusiasts the military jets they usually share space with are more interesting and quicker to spruce up, and I can see why some of the small, shoestring preservation groups and sites are luke warm about airliners unless they get a sponsorship deal - increasingly less likely as low cost airlines crucify the big carriers who traditionally have supported preservation.
Even if you were able to raise the cash, have enough to keep it in tip-top condition, and were convinced there were enough "ordinaries" out there to pay to see it, you would need to find a nice large space to house it and some sort of interpretation centre/souvenir shop/bogs and buffet, then find a local authority Planning Department who would grant permission not only for the hertiage loos but also the plane itself which would be a permanent erection after 28 days. Despite what some of you might think, that need not be as difficult as it seems for a public attraction, but there would be highways access arrangements and other considerations to overcome. You'd also need public liability insurence and thanks to no-win no-fee lawyers that won't be cheap, and security to consider. Buying an old airliner as a private item would be nigh on impossible unless you owned a mansion with big enough garden to house it, in which case you may find planning permission a bit more difficult.
Without enthusiasts there would be very little heritage preserved at all in this country. However, they are not the most objective of people when it comes to seeing the bigger picture. There are perfectly sound and rational reasons why old jet airliners are no longer permitted to fly, nothing to do with the EU at all but simple things like insurence, noise restrictions (which are international, not just Europe, and the vast majority of the public are in favour of noise restrictions and complain bitterly when any noisy aircraft overfly them) and expense, not just in repairs and maintenance but in fuel, as older airliners wer not exactly fuel efficient and with fuel prices and availability starting to become an issue, again who is going to pay enough to see old jets flying?
I predict that a lot of the corporate sponsorship from airlines supporting the preservation of old aircraft will become increasingly scarce over the next few years and it wouldn't surprise me to see more old airliners cut up as museum groups find their upkeep unaffordable. Airlines are businesses and as business becomes more marginal the goodies will dry up as they focus on keeping out of bankruptcy.
I suffer from paranoid amnesia. I can't remember who I don't trust.
