BBMF 50th ANNIVERSARY.

[dakkg651]

The BBMF is 50 years old this year. With the MoD considering the disbandment of the reds, will the BBMF be next on their seemingly endless list of cost cutting?

Anyway, congrats to Al Pinner and his team of lads and lassies at Coningsby, and to all who have helped in reaching this milestone with an impeccable safety record to boot. Long may they continue I say.

[Wader2]

Not wishing to denigrate what BBMF has done and how well it has done it, what inpecable safety record? No fatals certainly but certainly not accident free.

[Chugalug2]

50 years already? "Hear hear", to your commendations, dak. I once had the good fortune to experience a 20 mins flight in the rear turret of "City of Lincoln". A treasured memory and duly recorded in the Log Book. As they closed the doors of the turret behind me, I felt a scintilla of the isolation that "tail-end charlies" must have experienced on those long dangerous missions. Much respect! :D

[dakkg651]

Wader

I agree the accident to the Hurricane at Wittering resulted in a few injuries to the pilot, but both he and the aircraft made a full recovery. I cannot recall any other major occurences to BBMF aircraft or crews but please correct me if I am wrong on this.

Fifty years of display flying vintage aircraft with only the rare engine problem is a real tribute, not only to the air and ground crews, but also to the original engineers who designed and built them.

If it's not an impeccable record it must come pretty close.

PS A real Merlin has three or four blades attached to it - not five.

[soddim]

There was also an expensive taxying accident but it is nevertheless a remarkable safety record for vintage aircraft that did not have today's safety factors built in. Nor is the flying undemanding and most of it is close to the hard stuff.

Let not the 50th become an occasion to review the relevance of this miniscule expense on the public purse. The motto of the Flight is 'Lest we forget' - please let us not forget not just our finest hour but all those who perished to save this country.

[Clear Right,Px Good!]

All,

Just please let me re-iterate my reply to an earlier post on another thread:

We owe it to the men who sacrificed their lives, so all of you may enjoy the limited freedom that you have today. As far as I am concerned any talk of the BBMF becoming a financial burden to anybody at all needs expelled from our minds at once.

The Lancaster and all the other aircraft are glorious in all respects, and the continued good work carried out by all the staff involved in displaying them should not stop for as long as the airframes themselves will allow.

Please for the sake, of at least the remaining survivors from those dark times, put all the support that you possibly can behind the flight, and try to remember what they represent.

CRpxGood

[Green Flash]

Don't know about you, but the sound of a well thrashed Merlin reduces me to a gibbering idiot in short order. Dammned good advertisment for British design and workmanship too.:ok:

[Pontius Navigator]

The Dakotoa had an interesting landing at a Secret Lincolnshire airbase a few years ago. Several things were dented including the pilots pride, a building in the landing area and of course the Dak.

[BleepBleep]

CRPxGood,

I couldn't have put it better myself. That said I can't see the bunch of penny-pinching bean-counters that we have as our political masters hesitate at gutting our historical heart, like a trout at Rutland. Hell, if they did it to the Royal Tournament within nanoseconds of getting to power, they'll cut anything. I'm just surprised that the Reds and the BBMF have lasted this long.

I don't accept that ths is the way that it should happen, maybe it is about time that Sir Glenn follows Richard Dannett's example and actually stands up for the Service for which he heads, rather than just accepting the reductions and cuts that have been handed down like his predecessors have done.

Both entities should be protected - the BBMF to honour the memory of all those who gave their lives so that we can enjoy our freedom and the Reds for the Defence diplomacy/marketing benefits that they bring to the country. Unfortunately like most things that we depend on those who hold power but little respect we will just have to wait and see.

[threepointonefour]

Accident free ... are we not forgetting about the Dak (some years ago) taxying back into a sign post comically erected by Works Services whilst the graceful old lady was airborne?

Compared to the civvy war birds flying record, that of BBMF is beyond reproach. This is down to a combination of maintenence, professionalism, practice and sheer skill.


BBMF - best unit, best aircraft. Best maintained aircraft I've ever seen. Bar none.