Airshow bookings.

[stickandrudder]

I made a comment on Facebook to the CFMC page, after looking at photo's of their Cornell being worked-on over the winter-period. I made comment that, I was hoping to see it at somewhere like Old Warden, and get a shot of it and have a look, but this never happened, even at the American-day on the 4th or East Kirkby, but in the case of East Kirkby, it was 'windy' so that put paid to that. However, whoever replied to my comment, said that, they were going to come to Shuttleworth, but the visit was cancelled due to 'costs' and it's hard to get even some fuel from the airshow people nowday's. Made me wonder if the coming 2011 season, will see some more of this. I'm sure it must be very hard to get everything going to put on a show, never a five minute job for all concerned, and must take months of planning. But some times a burger and a bottle-of water and a nice white tent for visiting aircraft performers, is not enough. Hope this is not a sign of the times. I'd pay extra for someone to get 'juice' to go home with !!

Gary.

[SoundmanJohn]

Further to this, I seem to recall Ellie Sallingboe being a trifle iffy about the effect that XH558 is having on the airshow circuit. The high cost of having the Vulcan display must be putting a strain on the available resources for other aircraft and I know that I'm getting a little tired of each donation I make to the VTTS fund being followed up rather rapidly by a "we need another half a million quid by next Tuesday or she's grounded for ever" demand, particularly as each time I've turned out to see a display, it hasn't happened for some reason or another.

Carolyn has also pointed out that there's increasing competition for the number of flying Spitfires to display at shows and I was somewhat dismayed by the lack of ML407 appearances last season, particularly as there's now a rather wonderful mother/son double act to be had, plus the fact that both Carolyn and Richard's displays are thrilling to watch and not just a bit of a canter around the circuit.

I think next year's going to be a hard one for all and sundry; all the more reason to keep the support coming in and buy lots of stuff for Christmas! The CD's particularly worth having as a way of shutting up the kids on Christmas morning...

Regards,

John

[stickandrudder]

Hmmm, thats one I never thought of, and to be honest, they have had the last donations from me, as much as I like the aircraft, and are thrilled to see it in the air, the fund-raising saga, concerns me, and after going to see the aircraft at Bruntingthorpe, the week when it had day's to 'live' I made my mind-up then, after hearing comments from staff how the whole set-up was run. Seems to me they have alot of good people giving their time for 'free' and the love of it, and two paid staff, were having a ball !! However,
I hope if the Panton Bros, and Just Jane, don't suffer, should they wish to apply for lottery funding. I also think we have to accept it's a sign of the times, at airshows, and just try to be in the right-place and at the right time to see what you love in the air, and treasure these moments, that warbird owner/operaters share with us 'fence-watchers' while we can.
I have looked hard for next season, and have cut-down big-time, not because of costs, just the way things are going on the airshow scene in this country of late. Once upon a time, I remember RAF Waddington being in June, then Flying Legends and then R.I.A.T in July, but spread apart. Now everything 'Big' is condensed into a three-weekend July set-up. Try to imagine asking your 'boss' for time-off for arrivals and departures and the fact that July is now a very expensive month for most airshow followers. And I remember a time when we had the fighter-meet at North Weald and in September The Great Warbirds display with Elly. Now the season is over 'big-show's' wise in July. I tend to do the smaller airshows then which are full of surprises, and great chances for snapping visiting aeroplanes of all shapes and sizes, but I've shown caution next year on those too. I think R.I.A.T is 'over-priced' and dislike hearing stuff about the BBMF 'Goodie' stand being charged £600 to 'pitch' their van on the airfield, and R.I.A.T. said they were giving them, that at a 'special' rate !!
Gary.

[wildcard]

Being a member & fundraiser for XH558, I feel I must also agree on some of those points raised above by John.
 
The effect on the airshow circuit that she is having, yes, there is probably some truth in this.  But over the last couple of years, there can no doubting that XH558 has also pulled in the crowds at airshows.  Some figures quoted were in the region of 30% extra or shows even sold out.  So, why if the crowds are being pulled in  - why aren't the organisers using this extra money to add more aircraft? In fact, VTTS lost money by doing some of these airshows. 

Sywell, a small and local event which Carolyn attended, was also due to have the Vulcan display - weather unfortunately grounded her and everything at Bournemouth that w/e though.  But Sywell equally had an excellent line up that day as well, so the smaller shows can be catered for, and yet still have a great airshow.  Talking of RIAT, they also choose to put their Vulcan stall right next to the Vulcan Village - deliberate cash-in me thinks!

Not widely know, I believe, XH558 helped out with Children In Need this year - a group of children and auction winners flew beside her.  I spent 1.5hrs in October watching her fly and display at Sywell,  and on C in Need night I was with my eldest daughter, helping at East Midlands Airport.  Martin Withers (Black Buck1 and current display pilot) was with us, and I managed to have a brief chat with him, and got my Vulcan 607 book signed at last    Oh, and we even made it onto TV several times 
 
As for John not seeing her, I can only say that would be very unfortunate.  She has missed one w/e's flying this year due to bad weather as mentioned above, which was also a massive loss in earnings (missing Sywell, Silverstone & Bournemouth for example).  She spent the week at Farnborough (hoping for commercial sponsorship deals....nothing I know of has yet come from this), where she had her one and only tech non-flying day (a brake issue) in 2010, but this was fixed next day.  So reliability is again, very very good this year.
 
It does cost a huge amount of money, and to be honest, I've seen first hand the lack of communication, and from my view only I must stress, a lack of planning and foresight.   Appeals are a last minute race yes - but lets also not forget, peoples jobs are with this project - some giving up their current job just to join - not just the "for free" volunteers.  The hoped for large sponsorship has still not come through (and I can't see it ever really happening) - hence it being called "the peoples" aircraft, as it has been saved by the public each time.  And yes. I too am frustrated at these appeals, but I also see how much those of us involved put into trying to make it happen each time, and how passionate people really are.  People know a spitfire, they aren't that many who know a Vulcan, and what it did (and didn't do...).  Maybe this is part of the problem?

This is the only, and probably will ever be, flying Vulcan in the world.  It was no mean feat to get it back up there as well either, so to see it for a couple more years at most (IMHO) as I think 2011 and maybe 2012 are the last seasons it will attend (unless sponsorship happens) would be fitting end, and as there are only a small number of airframe hours left now, once it's gone that's it, it ain't coming back.

Once she's gone from the circuit, what's going to replace her?  What's out there?  I look forward to the Mossie, and in time no doubt, a tribute to the Harrier....still can't believe they are going....what a mistake!   

If the Lottery Fund, and those, for example like the Panton Bros if they decide to go that route, learn from step learning curve VTTS has been on, that has got to have some positives for the future.

John, if you still want to see her, I'll keep you in the loop, if you wish, for that last chance!

Mike

[stickandrudder]

Hi,

There is no doubt, that the whole VTTS project was ever going to be plane sailing, and I agree, alot of people decide to go to airshows, because the Vulcan is down to appear. We all accept that, at times the aircraft cannot make it for going 'tec' or the weather goes against any display, but as a web-master, the amount of 'grips' I get via PMs etc on the issue of 'if you don't reach for your pockets' it's curtains is unreal. I always try to be 'positive' with regards this aircraft, but at times, I have found it hard answer messages regarding this aircraft. I think that, when the idea for putting this aircraft back into the air was first put under-way, nobody realised that in a few years down the line, this country along with many other countries worldwide was going to into 'melt-down' on the stock markets, thus effecting this project in many ways. But I think, with luck things will get better in time, long before the 10 years of planned flying life is over, for this aircraft., but only if donaters are given respect, and not sent on a 'guilt-trip' everytime there is a crisis. Yes, we know peoples jobs are at risk, connected with this project, but so are alot of other people's jobs too, in this country, are at risk. I always donate where I can, but being made un-employed in the last few weeks, as not stopped my attitude
donateing to various causes, but more careful where I donate. I am aware also that, alot of people connected to VTTS give their time up for free, and it's these people, I feel for the most.

[SoundmanJohn]

Mike,

I fully appreciate the skill and the passion that goes into keeping the Vulcan flying. I do know the history and am old enough to have seen Vulcans fly regularly (and experienced all the fun of air-raid drill at the height of the cold-war tension during the late 1950s and early 1960s) as I grew up in Bristol and Filton was a Vulcan base, so it may mean more to me than to others who are not of the same vintage.

I agree that my timing over the past couple of years with regard to seeing XH558 fly has indeed been unfortunate, but that hasn't stopped me visiting the shows, or contributing to the fund. I do worry that the fund-raising demands seem a trifle relentless (there was yet another invitation to contribute on the mat when I got back from a couple of days away) and that at some point, donor fatigue will settle in.

I think we as a group are spoiled by the attention that we're paid by Carolyn and the team and the access we get to ML407 in so many ways and that we are made to feel very much a part of a family and that's not the feeling I get from the Vulcan team, for whatever reason.

And yes, I'd very much like to see XH558 fly (and to hear her, of course) so please do keep me in the loop.

Best wishes,

John

[wildcard]

Again, I have to agree with you both.  The attention the Vulcan received is very high, and I agree wholeheartedly with the your comments regarding donor fatigue (a very apt term indeed for it - I suffer from it as well) is already here.  Unfortunately. I was born to late John    I should have been born in the 30's - as that's where my real passion lies, WW2 aircraft and later - I would loved to have been around during those post war years, to see all these great aircraft back in their day and no H & S rules at airshows! 

I didn't want to sound preachy about the Vulcan - hopefully I didn't? - as that wasn't my aim at all.  But, again, to agree with you both, the feeling I get from attending both Grace Gatherings I have been to so far, the personal contact with everyone involved with ML407 both there, on here, at airshows, access and mailings updates, etc, it really does give me a sense of it really being a family affair and by far outshines what I get from the Vulcan. 

In my opinion, maybe it's because we're a smaller & tighter group, and we are lead from the top by people I have a huge amount of respect and admiration for.  I know I've never met anyone on the VTTS or seen any of them in the flesh!

As John said, please keep us spoiled! 

Mike

[Gate Master]

Having watched one of the last Vulcan displays at Wroughton which was the last Great Warbirds display back in 1992 ?, I was most impressed as the display did not "spare the rod".
In recent years the displays have been much much gentler and that is understood however, the cost to keep this aircraft flying is huge and one could say too much for a private organisation.
I have praise for all the people involved and for the thousands who have made donations over the last few years but there are limits on people and the airframe.

Lets hope we get a few more years..

Andy