Maybe it's a combination of both?! I haven't mellowed though - I've just resigned myself to the fact that the whole saga evidently isn't going anywhere and the best one can hope for is that 558 will make a few appearances this year before the inevitable occurs. I think the horrible truth of this matter is that despite the various actions which could be taken, they're not going to be taken, and the project is just going to plod-along in the same way that it always has done, until all the money is gone. Simple as that.
I don't see any sign of TVOC having any appetite to do things differently, nor do I see any signs of anyone with any influence wanting to get involved to try and salvage something from the mess. You can spend forever reading the endless comments on one enthusiast site or another but ultimately they amount to nothing. Like I said previously, the HLF is the only possible means of saving the project and nobody - absolutely nobody - has shown even a glimmer of interest in making an organised and serious effort to enter into any sort of dialogue with them. As I've said here and elsewhere repeatedly, anyone who still think sponsors are going to miraculously keep the aircraft flying or that donations will suffice, are simply deluding themselves. But the real crime is that HLF have effectively spent a huge amount of our money on a project which is ultimately going to end in failure. They have the ability to easily save the project and ensure that the money they put into it will result in a funded, flying exhibit. The amount of money required is peanuts as far as HLF is concerned, but it seems they're happy to simply write-off all the money that has been spent, rather than having the good sense to spend some more and thereby make the original expediture worthwhile. It's not as if there's even any question as to whether any further expenditure would yield results - we now know that the aircraft can fly.
But it seems that TVOC have no interest in pursuing this argument with HLF. Why? Well who knows - they steadfastly refuse to tell us anything. Maybe it's because they're already embarrassed by the way in which they appear to have failed to fulfil the terms of the first agreement with HLF? Or maybe they don't want HLF to ask too many questions as to precisely where all the money went? But whatever the reason, it seems that everybody is content to sit-back and ignore this obvious absurdity. It's quite amazing that so much talk and so much fuss has been made on so many forums, and yet nobody has addressed this matter, even though its the only practical way of saving the project. Seems that people are content to whine and moan about every aspect of the saga without dicussing the one point which could - just possibly - keep 558 flying.
I tried myself more than a year ago to get some useful dialogue with HLF and I had the support of a well-known former RAF officer who was willing to give his time and public support. But HLF will say very little without being forced to (because of this laughable confidentiality cop-out which is quite ludicrous, considering that it's public money that they're spending), and forcing HLF to address the matter would require some serious, organised effort - maybe even involving MP's if necessary. Unfortunately, what actually happens is that people would rather waste their time emailing silly petitions to 10 Downing Street - presumably because this provides a feeling of achievement without doing anything more than clicking on a website. Sadly, nobody seems to have the appetite to do anything more constructive, but then I think the vast majority of enthusiasts don't even know how to. So you have to conclude that, tragic though it may be, the project's going to go nowhere. It's a shame, but realistically, who can imagine the outcome is going to be any different?
Last edited by Tim McLelland; 25th Jan 2009 at 03:25.