I'm just an old, ex RAF Airframe fitter, who had the honour to refurbish PA474 in the early 80s at Abingdon as gang boss on the team. There's no way that there should be any costs accrued in this venture? The historic tour by Vera has paid for itself in encouraging visitors wherever the two have appeared together. There must be media pay back for flights, stories etc. I offer one sense of indignity to all of this talk of cost. In the 80s/early 90s I was an Aircraft Ground Engineer on our C130K fleet. On many trips to the USA and Canada, any breakdown was given the best support we could dream of. On many occasions I was able to keep the aircraft going rather than wait for "flown in" spares. I'm sure a "Canada trainer" could be arranged for a suitably empty C130J, which might return with a reciprocal load. If not, then the treasury really has cocked up our military aviation.
Smudge
