Cannot see why the BBMF cannot be independant like the Royal Navy Historical Flight.
Well apart from the fact that BBMF have more Spitfires than the RNHF have aircraft. I am not convinced that anyone would have the capacity to operate the entire BBMF as a going concern without starting to asset strip and selling off of aircraft to pay for the running of the rest. After all, if we carry on as we have in the last few years, in a few years time the entire RAF will consist only of the BBMF and some UAVs.
As a sign of the decline of the British military I would say losing the Reds to, say, BAe control would place us well down the league of global air forces. If it has to be something the public will really get behind, I would say its the scrapping of the Reds.
But then whatever government is in power, left, right or centre, will bow to public pressure and direct keeping the Reds but we will just lose something else (like maritime patrol aircraft, or SAR helos, or tankers, or the entire military flying training system).
