MOTF - if you're asking about the R-R SPit, it was at the RAe do in June.
Now, back to the thread and apologies for the delay in replying.
I'd like to reiterate what I said at the beginning:
posted 7th October 2003 06:32
.......Say what you want and criticise as much as you like, but if you do, please be constructive and suggest a solution.......
So if you want to give me the name of alternate acts, then please do.....nuff said?
Duxford 3-5 Nov - since your post, I had a chat with Rod Dean. He said it was a City University event at Duxord, but I must admit, the post was the first I heard about it. Rod will be using some Shuttleworth info to illustrate his talk, but I find it rather sad that the organisers didn't contact us, either to take part, or to listen - or at least, I wasn't contacted.
Do we know who goes to Old Warden - we did a visitor sure in the mid 90's, so we had a rough idea then; maybe we need another one. Sufice to say that at that time, most of our visitors travelled over 90 mins to get there and a high percentage were first timers or only once per year attendees.
HP - thanks for the post on the freeloaders - we have to do something about it - there's a safety issue as well as a financial one.
Changing aircraft during a display - it's not as easy as you think. We plan the types for each show in advance, prepare them, pull 'em out, service 'em, fly 'em, then put 'em back. It all takes time. Aircraft cannot be generated on the day without signiicant engineering time being spent, time that is needed on the line to run the show. There would also be the inonvenience to the traders that block the hangar entrances on display days. Finally, it's not worth preparing aicraft as spares just in case - too much enginering time lost. We aim to fly all we prepare and we prepare all we need for a show.
We plan at least two Edwardian aircraft for each show, more if the weather forecast is good. If wind or rain is forecast, there's no point in planning all of them - again, too much time would be lost to aircraft that have a high probabliiy of not flying.
Canel the Spitfire - you have to be joking! Whatever your taste, it's a great crowd puller and the icing on the cake after the Edwardians have flown.
Acquisition policy - we will ontinue to acquire airaft suh as the CHipmunk, Prentice etc. In a hundred years, ours may be the only examples of the type in existance, as well as the only example flying. We can't be emotional about it now, we must look to preservation for the future. After all, if our predecessors had not done the same, we wouldn't have an Elf, Wren, Tomtit, Tutor etc, etc. The SAL Bulldog is also an important addition. Again, in a hundred years, it might be the only one around!
A final thanks to all for keeping this thread alive. I found it very useful, both as a collector of information and a way to educate on the philosophy of the Collection. I must admit, some of the posts do indicate that we haven't got our maketing right just yet.
Keep 'em coming!
A