All,
I am keen to see the level of interest within the forum for calling an Extraordinary General Meeting of the Vulcan to The Sky Trust to discuss the predicament we find ourselves in, and the future direction of the trust.
I, along with many of you, now believe Doncaster is unsuitable as a base for the future, and we should look at alternatives that are move accommodating - Bruntingthorpe or Elvington being 2 that spring to mind, but others can / should be considered.
We should negotiate with the owners of those sites we wish to consider to determine if they are willing to accommodate us, including the eventual building of a hanger, and regular fast taxi runs of the Vulcan (the Canberra should be mothballed for the foreseeable future, or sold to raise additional funds). Having secured a new home, we should then put every effort into exploring the possibility of a one-off ferry flight with the CAA. My understanding is that the requirements for a one-off flight are different to a full permit to fly, and can be granted subject to provisions being put in place. Should that not be possible, we may have to consider a move by road, which would almost certainly spell the end of XH558 as a live airframe - although specialists should be consulted to determine if there is a way to retain her structural integrity.
We should then look to start work at the new home, raising funds for a new hanger / visitor centre, although in the short term XH558 may have to be stored outside. We have free use of storage at Doncaster until the end of April - this may be enough time to secure funding for a hanger, so the period outside may be limited (subject to planning permission for construction etc.)
In parallel, the finances of the trust needs urgent review to cut costs to an absolute minimum. The current position where the CEO is paid more than £60,000 is unsustainable, and Dr Pleming should take on a role at no cost to the trust - in line with all other trustees. Savings here can go directly towards the upkeep of XH558 in her new home. If he is unwilling to do so, then we should thank him for his services and bid him farewell - we are a charity, but not for his benefit. we should look to retain engineering expertise if at all possible.
Under the Memorandum & Articles, any member of the charity (and I understand fully paid up members of the Founding Guardian scheme are members) can request such a meeting by writing to the chairman of the trust.
If there is sufficient interest from you all, I am willing to write such a letter to the chairman.
Like many of you, I am in full time employment, and frequently work evenings and weekends, so my time is very limited, but if you are with me, I can start the ball rolling. Much rather that, than sit back and see our girl rot away in the corner of an airfield that cannot or will not support our aims.
I await your comments.....