RNHF to go private in 2019

[Nige321]

It appears the MOD is withdrawing funding for the RNHF from April 2019.
All aircraft will be tranferred to the civil register under Navy Wings.

BBMF the following year?

[tarantonight]

History must be preserved. You can absolutely guarantee that if the BBMF had been the first to feel the cold steel of the Sword, Qs would have been raised in Parliament.

Shocking.

TN.

[Sloppy Link]

AAC felt the sword first. It hurt but the wound has healed.....still chafes on occasions.

[tarantonight]

AAC felt the sword first. It hurt but the wound has healed.....still chafes on occasions.

And I am sure those who made the decision then Sloppy, and now, don’t have much of a Military background.........

[Melchett01]

Are you surprised? This is a government that has repeatedly shown it knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

[tucumseh]

Things may have changed over the years, but if I recall the RNHF was not funded by MoD in the same way BBMF is. I know I was told it was ok to support them (with kit) but don't put in in writing... They were given what we could do without, but weren't included in LTC bids. In that sense they were treated much the same as apprentice training schools, whose trainees loved the opportunity to do some work in the various museums. If we still had apprentices, I'd say amalgamate.

[Lima Juliet]

Things may have changed over the years, but if I recall the RNHF was not funded by MoD in the same way BBMF is. I know I was told it was ok to support them (with kit) but don't put in in writing... They were given what we could do without, but weren't included in LTC bids. In that sense they were treated much the same as apprentice training schools, whose trainees loved the opportunity to do some work in the various museums. If we still had apprentices, I'd say amalgamate.

i think you are right Tuc. Also, for RAF PR the BBMF is only joined by the Red Arrows and now a very small handful of RAF display types (Chinook, Tutor and Typhoon). Add to that the Falcons, QCS and the RAF Bands then that is it. Whereas the RN has the Black Cats, RN Parachute Display Team, Royal Marines Commando Display Teams, HMS Victory, Royal Navy Field Gun teams, Royal Marines Bands, Mast Manning Display Teams and then the Historic Flight. Seeing as flying is not the RN’s core business it is not surprising that it chooses to fund the RNHF via seperate means.

Moving onto the BBMF, it is incredibly cheap for what it provides for the RAF, far more so than the Reds. That said, the Reds are also an important part of the RAF’s PR and also for international outreach. So trying to compare the RNHF’s importance to the RN to that of the BBMF to the RAF is not really a fair comparison in my humble opinion.

[TUPE]

BBMF the following year?

RAFAT the year after that? Perhaps hoi polloi will then recognise the parlous state of the Armed Forces.

On reflection, probably not.

Per Ardua Boys and Girls.

[NutLoose]

It appears the MOD is withdrawing funding for the RNHF from April 2019.
All aircraft will be tranferred to the civil register under Navy Wings.


while I can see why, what a stupid time to do it. Brexit and the farce that is coming out of EASA, and nothing as yet to replace it, coupled to a CAA who are overwhelmed with just the day to day dross who will have all of the UK foisted back on them without the staff or knowledge base to fall back on.

[Martin the Martian]

The Black Cats have not been around for a year or two now.

[VX275]

Another culprit could be the MAA. One reason for the HAAF loosing official funding was the MAA not willing to support the types they operated. As a result their Scout, Sioux, Beaver and Auster Mk 9 were put on the civvy register and the Allouette sold off as she needed work the HAAF couldn't afford. Oddly the HAAF's Chipmunk may remain as a military aircraft because the BBMF operate the type.

[NutLoose]

HAAF have just had a lottery grant and with funds they have raised are spending 2.5 mil on upgrading the place.

[Sloppy Link]

HAAF have just had a lottery grant and with funds they have raised are spending 2.5 mil on upgrading the place.

Errm....no! You are referring to the Museum of Army Flying (MAF). A museum exhibits items that are no longer in use, HAAF exhibit items in use, for that reason, HAAF and MAF are two separate entities although we do compliment each other (my, that is a nice tie you are wearing today!). When it comes to funding, the distinction is quite important, hence the FAA Museum and RNHF remain separate. This doesn't present an issue for BBMF as they are funded from the public purse.

[The B Word]

The aircraft, Engs, Squippers, Loggies, Ops Team and OC are funded on the BBMF - but the rest of the aircrew and tour guides are volunteers. I just wanted to make that clear...

[Sloppy Link]

Continuing with the make clear theme, the Command withdrew funding, not the MoD. All the HAF (now HAAF) were all volunteers aside from two engineers on reduced hours. The principal costs were not the hardware or the operating costs but the continuing airworthiness, five aircraft types is on a par with lots of aircraft of the same type. Command were faced with cuts, do I spend money on yesterday or spend it on life saving equipment for today? I don't blame them, business is business.....still doesn't stop it chafing every now and then. Meanwhile, don't think I am trying to compare BBMF with HAAF, they are both in a completely different league in the same way it wouldn't be right to compare QCS with the Household Division.
Smiley faced thingy.....
SL

[Bismark]

i think you are right Tuc. Also, for RAF PR the BBMF is only joined by the Red Arrows and now a very small handful of RAF display types (Chinook, Tutor and Typhoon). Add to that the Falcons, QCS and the RAF Bands then that is it. Whereas the RN has the Black Cats, RN Parachute Display Team, Royal Marines Commando Display Teams, HMS Victory, Royal Navy Field Gun teams, Royal Marines Bands, Mast Manning Display Teams and then the Historic Flight. Seeing as flying is not the RN’s core business it is not surprising that it chooses to fund the RNHF via seperate means.

Moving onto the BBMF, it is incredibly cheap for what it provides for the RAF, far more so than the Reds. That said, the Reds are also an important part of the RAF’s PR and also for international outreach. So trying to compare the RNHF’s importance to the RN to that of the BBMF to the RAF is not really a fair comparison in my humble opinion.

I think you are wide of the mark re VICTORY, RN Parachute team, Mast manning, Field Gun etc. I think all of these are either in the charity sector or self funded. RNHF was only part funded for a small maintenance crew. Running the aircraft relied on fundraising. The three MoD funded “memorials” used to be HMS VICTORY, BBMF and National Army Museum Chelsea. With VICTORY paid off to the charity sector what is the justification for MoD maintaining BBMF. Perhaps once RAF 100 is eventually complete (yawn) BBMF should go the same way as Victory.

[MPN11]

One starts to worry when a Jersey Estate Agent is using The Red Arrows to advertise houses.

I can only assume the property concerned has a decent view of the International Air display.

[Wander00]

The RA Charitable Trust used to have the various formations trademarked, and sold licences for commercial use - raised quite a lot of money for charity