Vulcan XH 558 Threads (merged)

[scribbler614]

Gentlemen, apologies. An explanation is required. Nothing fishy here.

The article was indeed written by me. To my frustration it didn't get used in my newspaper last Saturday so I posted it here, feeling that it was an important development and some here might be interested.

That's why a google search will only show this thread.

Vulcan To The Skies sent me a press release last Thursday (I've pasted it below), flagging up the next day's flight back to Bruntie, and warning of the financial problems and the risk that this might be the last flight. You'll see that the email subject is 'Vulcan's last hurrah?' Their words, not mine.

I rang Paul Muckle - who many of you will presumably know, and discussed it further with him, and quoted him in the article in question. As I say, to my frustration, my bosses weren't sufficiently interested to run the article.
Far from my wanting to spread fear and despondency, Paul M actually thanked me for taking an interest and welcomed some publicity to highlight the financial problems going forward.

Yes, I'm a journalist. No secret. I've never pretended otherwise. For those who are faintly interested my name is Matthew Hickley and I've been defence correspondent at the Daily Mail for the past 10 years. There, I've blown it.

I've just spoken to Paul Muckle again this morning. He tells me the latest state of play is:
- One more test flight needed for radios, expected soon.
- CAA permit hoped for within the next month.
- No more money left for airshows 'for the time being'. Efforts continue.

Daddly flm, you went to last Sunday's AGM, which I didn't, and by your account Andrew Edmundson gave a more up-beat view of the accounts.
I supopse either he or Paul or exaggerating. I've no way of knowing who, but quite often we hacks have no choice but to take an organisation's official spokesman at their word.

I hope very much to see the old girl wowing the crowds at airshows soon. For one thing I'd love to take my sons along and explain what all the fuss is about. And I've never heard those engines up close.

To those who doubted my veracity - Mig15, forget, Eagle402 - I'm outraged but I can see why.
My article was properly sourced. It seems the Telegraph has covered the same story and, unlike my own organ, actually found room to print it.

I assure you I'm no troll, walt or wannabe. I trust any ppruners who know me 'en clair' will vouch for me.

Original press release below:
__________________________________

"Paul Muckle" <pmuckle@rkh.co.uk>
08/05/2008 16:00
To: "'Tamara Thompson'" <tthompson@rkh.co.uk>
cc:
Subject: Vulcan's Last Hurrah?
Words:


Hi,

It has just been confirmed that Vulcan XH558 has completed her flight
testing programme and will return to Bruntingthorpe from RAF Coningsby
tomorrow lunchtime with all work necessary for a CAA Permit to Fly complete.
The paperwork will be submitted after landing and then everyone faces an
anxious wait for approval. I have attached the original press release
covering completion of testing for your review.

The joy of completing the Vulcan to the Sky project's primary objective may
be overshadowed however, as once she is returned to her hangar there's no
guarantee she'll come out again. A commercial sponsor has still not been
found and financial uncertainty shrouds the Vulcan's future.

It would be great if you could join us tomorrow for this momentous occasion,
and give us the media support and coverage we need to attract a sponsor.

It may also be your last chance to see a Vulcan fly.

Please let me know if you can make it, so I can warn the team at
Bruntigthorpe of expected numbers. Bring your own high-vis if possible, and
hopefully I'll see you around 11.00 tomorrow.

Best wishes,

Paul

---
PAUL MUCKLE Public Relations Manager

Rock Kitchen Harris Ltd, 31 Lower Brown Street, Leicester LE1 5TH
0116 233 7500 | www.rkh.co.uk | Reg. No. 1589727

[daddy flm]

I was not at the agm and i certainly would not speak to edmondson in fact i would be welcome at brunty as much as 'well you decide i was the senior airframe guy on the project and due to my out spoken views on the whole operation i am no longer involved and dont miss it at all.

An upbeat side to it i doubt it it is a mask to hide the truth and no doubt worry after all mr edmondson professed the a/c was servicable when we now know it was not.

All i want now is someone with commercial management and a history of success to come in and take over and put the girl in the air for many years to come.

In defence to tvoc the engineers even the ones who dont like me anymore are doing all they can with what they have and for this i give them credit
thre only thing mr edmondson ,plemming and mrs Drewitt have been consitant in telling us is WE HAVE NO FUNDS WE NEED MORE MONEY WE ARE TRYING VERY HARD this never changes maybee they could re-open EBAYtrading that seemed to raise alot of money?

[scribbler614]

daddly flm - apols. I meant to direct those comments to Flying Signman, who did go to the AGM.

[forget]

[Al R]

Scribbler's real crime is working for the Daily Mail.

[LookingNorth]

It seems obvious the party line is "We have no more money, please give generously" simply because that's more likely to get donations than "We're doing alright for a bit, ta, but please donate anyway".

Radio, well, hearing them talking to Cott on the last flight, the radio sounded okay to me, bit of a humming noise but no worse than any other oxygen-mask-wearing mil jockey on the airwaves.

[blue monday]

Scribbler's real crime is working for the Daily Mail.

Dail mails not my favorite paper but Im sure it would be more of a crime working for other papers/publications.

[Vulcan 903]

With my Rose Tinted Vulcan glasses on!

I see Farnborough has down for the Vulcan flying every day at this years show in it's line up.

Daily Mail has supported publicity for the project for years, so don't knock them to hard.

[Biker Boy]

In reply to LookingNorth,

I am afraid the radios, specifically the RT2 UHF and VHF sets controlled by the 1st Pilot, were most assurredly not alright. The howling noise on UHF almost blanked out all speech. In addition, there was a whistling noise with weak sidetone on the VHF radio.

The RT1 system, controlled by the AEO, which only uses UHF, was O.K. However, the Garmin VHF at the AEO position, although clear seemed to have weak sidetone.

On Tuesday last, I took all the components of the UHF and VHF RT2 system, including Interface unit , junction box and cables, to the nice chaps at Serco's Fairy Glen, who checked them out on their test equipment. The UHF radio had a defective card causing distortion when the test tone was injected. The sidetone line is apparently shared by the VHF radio too, both are mounted on a common crate, and this is thought to have affected the VHF too. After repair and testing, the entire system was connected together on a systems rig and tested satisfactorily. RT2 components will be refitted on Monday next as soon as I can get to do the job.

The Garmin VHF is the responsibility of Marshall Aerospace and it is believed that their design boffins have come up with a fix which hopefully will be fitted very soon.

Hope that clears things a bit

[Old Ned]

Grateful for clarification, but I was under the impression that Lottery funding was granted to a "Vulcan Educational Trust". Ie, so that the ac could be used to educate youth about the Cold War. Operating at air shows may only be a by-product as far as the lottery gnomes are concerned.

My question is if she doesn't fly again, will the Lottery want their money back?

Pip pip ON

[Mig15]

Perhaps the article would have been better received if it had started with something like:

"I had written this for the Daily Mail but it wasn't selected for publishing"

But it wasn't.

And it upset people.

[Shadwell the old]

Could TVOC not ask Willy Walsh to claim his bonus and donate it to the project.

Worth a try

[Synthetic]

My worry is that an article like this may become a self fulfilling prophecy.

[polyglory]

What can one say, at last we are getting feedback from the engine room so to speak and many thanks to all of you for that, very much appreciated indeed.

The input from the top end fiance wise leaves a lot to be desired and has been for a while.

We all want her to fly and perform, it really baffles me why BP , Shell do not go the whole hog and donate the fuel for the whole season.

A personal view as always

[LookingNorth]

Thanks for that Biker Boy. My observations based only on listening to them talk, didn't sound bad at all. Brunters' ground radio is absolutely shi'ite though - can't hear them from the other end of the airfield sometimes.

[gareth herts]

What can one say, at last we are getting feedback from the engine room so to speak and many thanks to all of you for that, very much appreciated indeed.

The input from the top end fiance wise leaves a lot to be desired and has been for a while.

We all want her to fly and perform, it really baffles me why BP , Shell do not go the whole hog and donate the fuel for the whole season.

A personal view as always

These top end fiances can be a problem...............

Seriously though, while TVOC may well be struggling to find a sponsor in the current financial climate I for one believe they could have had a sponsor tied-up some time ago. Many, including myself, have questioned the way in which this seemed to be approached having seen some of the press releases etc. Also, many offers for help in this area have fallen on deaf ears.

I think many are now sitting here with everything crossed that this isn't the end of it due to lack of dosh.

[Eagle402]

Scribbler 614,

The reasons for your article not being chosen for by the newspaper in question are fairly obvious. At no point (and I've checked) do you apportion blame for the alleged shortage of funds on : asylum seekers, single mothers, the NHS or, critically, house prices.

Schoolboy error my boy....

Eagle402

[Synthetic]

---and therefore incorrect

[Flying Signman]

TVOC webpage has been hacked by mdx? - and is offline

[devilsih]

what pleasure would anyone get in hacking into TVOC?? it certainly is closed down tho