I don't think anyone wants it not to fly - although I accept that there are many people who simply don't care one way or the other. There are certainly lots of people who think the idea was a non-starter right from the beginning though. As for the CAA, I think it would be unfair to suggest that they don't want it to fly, as they've done a lot to expedite it's progress in fact, and ultimately it's not down to the CAA to express their view one way or the other. As a regulatory body, they are (or at least should be) concerned only with the aircraft's condition and safety standards. The problem is that the CAA have set themselves such ridiculously over-ambitious standards that it makes the operation of any complex aircraft almost impossible. This is my gripe with the CAA - they have taken the regulatory process to the extreme to the point at which it has gone beyond all reasonable issues of safety and into the realms of sheer stupidity - as witnessed by the B-17 insurance saga and so on. Unfortunately, they are in a position where everybody assumes that their word is law, and nobody is entitled to ask on what basis they reach such ludicrous decisions. Ultimately, it's down to the Government to dictate how the CAA operates, but I don't think anyone has the will to try and persuade anyone within the Government to start asking questions about how the CAA operates. Besides, nobody in the Government would have any interest in getting involved. As far as they're concerned, the CAA does a good job keeping us all safe from any risk of hair-brained warbird operators who run the risk of dropping their planes into our back gardens.
It's true that there would probably be more enthusiasm for the project if it was a Mosquito rather than a Vulcan, but then a Mosquito would be infinitely cheaper to restore and operate. Sadly, the majority of people in this country still have a mind-set which assumes that history ended in 1945 and they don't seem able to grasp that in its own way, the Vulcan was just as important as any WWII aircraft, indeed in one respect it is more important as without it we might well all be dead by now. But most people fall victim to the assumtion that if an aircraft didn't drop bombs over Germany, then it has never served any purpose of any significance. It's almost impossible to make some people understand that the whole point of the Vulcan was to ensure that it was never used for the job for which it was designed. If it had been used to deliver Yellow Suns to the USSR then it would have been a failure by definition. Sadly, Joe Public isn't bright enough to grasp that fact, so for most people, the Vulcan is simply a pretty aeroplane, and therefore of no great importance.
As I've said many times before, the 558 saga was a great idea full of potential but it's doomed, no matter how you look at it. Clearly, it is way too expensive to operate, given the regulatory processes that we're stuck with in this country. The only question is whether it can survive in flying condition for a while, and what happens to the aircraft once it is accepted that it cannot continue to fly - at least in this country. My disappointment is that far too many people have been involved with the project who have been ill-equipped to do the job, and who have evidently been more interested in making a few bob out of it, rather than ensuring the project's success. That's not to say that everyone involved has acted this way - the engineers deserve a medal for the job they did in restoring the aircraft.
There's still time for a miracle to happen but I don't think anyone is expecting a billionaire to suddenly open his cheque book. I imagine that the aircraft is more likely to re-appear at the beginning of this year's show season, and make a few appearances until whatever money is left, has gone. As I've said before, my real gripe with TVOC is that they've clearly not addressed the issue of what happens to the aircraft at that stage, and they seem to be only interested in pursuing their pleas for donations - rather like flogging the proverbial dead horse. The cynical part of my nature makes me inclined to think that this is because at least one person within TVOC is more concerned with milking the project's income for as long as he can, and when the project runs dry he won't be interested in it any longer. I'd like to think that my view is wrong but (as I've said before) I've not seen so much as a single word from him to convince me or anyone else, otherwise.
The thrilling new XH558 Press Office has appeared and, as expected, it hasn't produced so much as a line of useful information about the project so far. It doesn't fill me with confidence that TVOC have changed their approach. I've received so many communications from people who tell me of the ways in which they've offered help to TVOC and they've been met with either refusal or indifference (or no response at all). I've also been told of some of the ways in which money has simply been wasted, or transferred into people's pockets. It's not good, in fact it's a disgrace in my opinion. It's fine to congratulate TVOC on getting the aircraft back into the air but I think this fails to grasp the truth of the situation, that others could have done the job more successfully and much less expensively.
But referring back to my previous post, is there anything we can do, other than mourn the slow death of the project? I think there is some opportunity to do something, as I said before. Pprune represents a large body of people, many of whom are servicemen or former servicemen, who ought to have some "weight" when it comes to demanding answers. Clearly, the toothless aviation press is never going to look into the project and they'll continue to simply publish TVOC's press blurb and never stop to ask any difficult questions (they might not get their press passes to the next flight if they don't roll-over and say nice things). If there is any will amongst the people on Pprune to do anything other than moan, then why can't Pprune organise a project to approach HLF and seek some clear answers from them about where all their money went, and why, and whether they think it is acceptable to have allowed all this money to be spent on a project which now appears to have reached a dead end? TVOC can't simply sit-back and ignore HLF, even though they seem perfectly willing to ignore everybody else. Likewise, HLF seem to think that they can avoid discussing the project because their dealings with TVOC are confidential. Of course this is rubbish - HLF is spending our money, so we have a right to know where evey penny has gone, and why it seems like complete folly to allow it to be wasted, when shelling-out a little more would now produce some results. Make no mistake, HLF is the only hope of providing enough funds for 558 to fly, and yet nobody seems willing to address this fact, and everyone seems to think it's perfectly acceptable for HLF to pour money into the project and then refuse to give any more, just when the project has been completed and would produce a "return" on the hefty investmant. It's ridiculous.
Surely, somebody with a bit of "weight" should be demanding to know why HLF now seem happy to sit back and allow all the money they've spent (our money) to be wasted, just for the sake of spending a little bit (by HLF standards) more? If nobody has the enthusiasm or will to start asking serious questions, then what is the alternative? We simply sit and watch TVOC run the project into the ground?