How would you feel?

[Sad Sam]

In the glory days, when 558 was a living breathing entity not an afterthought abandoned in a sewage farm, one of the threats used to extract money from the supporters (once the trust had worked out that "give us your money or the engineers will all be sacked" did not work too well) was "Give us your money or 558 will be sold to the United States!"

Given the current situation where the trust appears to be in total melt down (assets abandoned outside with no protection, fire sale of merchandise and spares inventory etc., no tangible progress on either ETNA or the temporary hangar) how would you feel if someone from the other side of the pond purchased 558 and flew her away?

As I see it the trust is a slow motion car crash.  For whatever reason they seem determined to destroy everything they achieved.  Perhaps if they just folded the trust there would have been some sort of penalty payable to the HLF or other creditors so they have decided to try and kill the thing off by suffocation, I know nothing but it seems bizarre to have something so great and then destroy it.  Perhaps this all some sort of brinksmanship with the HLF to persuade them to pay for ETNA, which I was told was paid for two years ago?

How would you feel if 558 was placed on the American F.A.A. register as an experimental aircraft?  She would flown to the States where she would be part of a privately funded collection, flown on the U.S. show scene and bought back over for a summer season once every two or three years.  The well healed (and those of us with a massive bucket list) would be able to go to the States to see our baby and there would be the chance of her coming back to reinvigorate the flagging European airshow scene.

Otherwise she can just stay where she is on the off chance that Roberts master plan comes off.

I am not saying that it could or would happen.  I just wonder how people would feel if it did...

[dee]

I would be ok with that!!
If she was looked after with respect and not just a cash cow to keep them upstairs in wages!!

THE SITUATION SHES IN NOW (SHITE POND AND LEFT TO ROT!!
Beggars belief how this has turned out because of BAD Management!!
Id give money to let her go to the STATES..

[ascot5046]

Any measure would be better than the current situation. I can't afford to give any more money towards 558, but what is the reality of Sam's suggestion?

Assuming the US did buy her, lock stock and barrel, would the CAA ever give a 1-off permit to fly out of UK airspace?  Previous attempts by Mike Beechy Head to fly his Lightnings out were scuppered and they were dismantled and shipped to Capetown.

Right now, she should at least be displayed in a more prominent position on the airfield within sight of the public, even a "gate guard" would be a more fitting end to her life.

I think its time to place 558 back in the public domain, especially after the vast sums of money raised by said public.

[StAthan lecky]

I agree with all of the above but how viable is this option over flying her out to a UK airfield ? only the Trust and the CAA know and I doubt the Trust (as in the past) will be forthcoming with any information other than  "Give Us More Money"   

Mike

[sickbag_andy]

I'd be sad to leave these shores but if it ensured a safe future then that would be a good thing.

I agree that the current situation is sad and worrying, these things have a habit of just dragging on with less and less interest as time goes by and she could easily end up basically abandoned there if money dries up.

I think the problems to be overcome in flying her out to the USA are probably too much but if there were a way of flying her out then why not a short ferry flight to a suitable location in this country, I assume that even if the aircraft were registered in the USA the CAA would still have a say on whether or not she could fly in the UK to allow a departure.

I hoped she would be able to taxi at some point but fear that may never happen for the reasons already discussed on here. I feel the safest way to ensure she is preserved well is a move to an established museum in this country even if it means dismantling her and moving here by road so that she can never be powered up again. Gregg said it couldn't happen but I'm not sure why unless he was thinking that it would see a great loss of face by the Trust and that would stop it.
Concorde G-BBDG was moved from Filton to Brooklands in a similar exercise and more recently VC.10 XV808 to Cosford likewise so it is feasible if the will is there, the will may be the biggest obstacle at present.  Second may be money but are the Club funds still waiting to be handed over - in which case could they be assigned to such a plan rather than just going into the wage pot.

The Trust say that 2017 was to be a hibernation year but will there soon be another big appeal to bring her out of hibernation for 2018, I just worry that this 'we need money urgently' scenario will just keep repeating itself whilst she's at a commercial airport because of the pressures of cost for keeping her both hangared and in ground running condition to meet their requirement on the pipedream of a fast taxi which let's face it will only be available to the chosen few and those with deep pockets - not a good way to use valuable money.

If I had a choice I'd rather donate money to see her dismantled and moved somewhere accessible although I wish that had been thought about before flying ceased. I said previously that I thought Doncaster was a good choice whilst she was flying but wrong for once she stopped. She had to be in airworthy condition to fly anyway so there was no extra maintenance costs involved, now she has to be kept close to flying condition if she is allowed anywhere near the runway. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, foresight should have realised that anyway.

[JACKB]

As things stand currently I would rather see 558 flown to the US rather than be stuck on the ground at doncaster where most interest has been lost, maybe as Sam said maybe doncaster was the wrong place for after the final flight! 

[jakspeed]

If you'd have asked me that 2 years ago it would have been a 'No' without much thought.

Now it's a definite 'Yes' because anything is better than the debacle that is going on in front of our very eyes 

The present situation is absolute sacrilege, it's scandalous that 558 and 163 are parked where they are - proof that the Trust are right in the sh1te!

I agree with Sickbag Andy in that I would pay good money to help pay to get her out, whether by road or air.  I'm past caring where - just as long as she's loved and looked after and not used as a Cash Cow to pay a handful of people's wages.

Absolutely DISGUSTED at the Trust's attitude towards 558 AND her loyal supporters.......

So, if the USA was her passport out of this sh1thole then I would be behind it 100%.

[StAthan lecky]

The trouble is with this thread and the "So That's It" one is that no matter how many people post on this forum and make sensible and passionate pleas regarding the fate of 558 the Trust just carries on doing what they do best which is is to ask for further donations without explaining why they need the funds and TOTALLY ignoring any comments made by current and ex members of the Club and the wider public.I believe that the Trusts mindset is if we (the Trust) just ignore all the posts then they (us) will eventually go away !.Occasionally (very occasionally) Ian Homer will stick his head above the parapet and make the odd comment  (usually in defense of the Trust) and then turn round and claim that he is JUST a contractor when it should be apparent to all that he drives the current business model that generates funds to pay the current employees wages and  clearly must be in touch with Trust members on a routine basis.
Stop treating us like fools Ian,if you are not able to answer simple questions posted on this forum then get one of the Trustees to make a statement addressing all of the issues that are currently doing the rounds on the various threads.

Mike

[vulcanlover]

Having lived in Blackpool for 21 years, I know only too well what can happen to Vulcans left outside Airports.

Any chance to save her, GO FOR IT!

[PhillyJ]

Having lived in Blackpool for 21 years, I know only too well what can happen to Vulcans left outside Airports.

Any chance to save her, GO FOR IT!

Crikey, you just come out of hibernation! Is Blackpool that bad ;-)

[sickbag_andy]

Having lived in Blackpool for 21 years, I know only too well what can happen to Vulcans left outside Airports.

Any chance to save her, GO FOR IT!

Crikey, you just come out of hibernation! Is Blackpool that bad ;-)

blimey , a voice from the past!  Duxfordian will re-appear on UKAR*E next.

Welcome back Rob.

BTW our old friend Clive (WCG) still one of our all time highest posters is still alive and active on UKAR where he goes under the name of Brevet Cable, he still reads what he can on here apparently. - best wishes clive!

[wcg]

As Andy said, I'm still lurking here.
Disappointed that I've been ousted as the top poster here 

Yes, I'm Spartacus....err...I mean Brevet Cable on UKAR, as some on there already know.

For those of you who frequent the UKAR forum, you'll see that the XH558 topic has again been hoofed, which makes it the 4th incarnation to have been deleted unless I'm mistaken.

Despite what some of you may feel, there are a majority of posters on there who do support XH558.....what most of them don't support, though, is the Trust, which now seems to be the case on this forum as well.
( And like others, I'm still trying to work out who 'Neverfuel' and 'Bernarde' are on there )

Like Rob, I've seen what happens to a Vulcan and other aircraft which haven't been properly looked after at an airport ( XM569 at Cardiff ) and it would be a depressing waste if the same were to happen to XH558, especially given the many £millions which have been donated to the various appeals over the years.


Back to lurk-mode.

[Gregg]

I had no idea you were the irritating welsh bloke over there. 

[brains_mt]

They don't want me on UKAR!! I've tried to contact them several times and in various ways but to no avail! I am actually registered on there just need to know my password Oh Well

[sickbag_andy]

I wonder how long incarnation 5 will last? I bet neverfuel posts some thoughts to get things going later!

I'm surprised the mods agreed to dump it so quickly after Dan B's dummy throw or was it his decision alone?

your chance to have a guess: http://www.vulcantothesky.org/smf/index.php?topic=7848.0