GeeRam

It's because the project is such a financial black hole that there isn't a main sponsor......

dctyke

The current vulcan captain (who lives in Easingwold) was on radio york. He says if they don't get £300 thou within 14 days everything will be canned.

vernon99

in the chart above the £152k is admin and management costs not salary, presumably the salary of the 12 comes out of the £402k slice, that is a lot for 12 people. Especially when you consider that they are using expenses to the tune of £152k a year!

I also fail to see how it costs £204k for revenue generation?

Perhaps this is why corporate funding has been slow/non existant.

forget

What a mess. Smoke and mirrors accountancy.

£204k out for revenue generation.
..if they don't get £300K within 14 days everything will be canned.

So if they dont spend any money to get money then all they need is £96K.

I know, that's why I'm not an accountant.

kiwibrit

Are you sure? I am not a pilot, but was the last Vulcan SEngO for my squadron in the early 80s, and I was well aware of fatigue consumption. I had to put the odd aircraft up for air display, and I do not recall fatigue being a major issue. I don't know what the current display looks like, but I would think Martin Withers would have given sound advice as to what was sensible.

FWIW, I never thought the project could be viable, but I don't think unexpected fatigue consumption should be a problem.

Chugalug2

Rog747:
As someone with a career in aviation but now involved in Railway Preservation, like yourself, I can see merit in what you say. Unlike you (Peppercorn A1 Pacific) my efforts (in Carriages and Wagons) are restricted to 25mph. Nonetheless they are Public Transport Vehicles and everything from structure to fitting out, operation and maintenance has to meet the appropriate regulations. There I think the similarity with aviation ends. Restored and Preserved Military Aircraft on the civil register have an almost impossible mountain to climb in that respect with an ever increasing cost and complexity to do so. That VTTS achieved that is an enormous tribute to all who gave so freely in terms of money, time and skill. The one item in that list that is more demanding than the others is money. I see you mentioned "fare" and indeed your costs and ours are helped in part by just that. Vulcan isn't and gives much pleasure for no such return by simply being seen in the skies to which she returned. Of course revenue from venues helps but clearly nowhere near enough. There was talk on another thread that the BBMF might come under threat from an ever more restricted Defence Budget. Hopefully if that were so some means of PFI/Sponsorship etc would keep it airborne. I would see more hope for such an arrangement than for this I'm afraid. Military Aircraft were never designed for commercially safe operation and to make them capable of such will always be very demanding and costly. As a nation we have a need to be reminded of our aviation heritage and especially of its Finest Hour. For me that would be the sound of RR Merlins, preferably 4 in extremely close formation! Give me that and I am content to see the others, including Hastings, Hercules and BAC 1-11's, all of which I flew, in museums. Reality check perhaps?

Skittles

@ GeeRam - That's exactly my point! Admittedly I could have phrased it better.

@ Vernon99 - Whilst I am aware that a large portion of that £152k is admin cost, I'm not exactly sure what a 'management' cost is.

Regardless I think the finances are just about as transparent as mud.

@ Chugalug2 - I had a tour around the hastings at Newark yesterday as well. Lovely plane.

Winco

Oh come on!!

Surely someone from TVOC or whatever is going to give us a briefing on here, or have you all just given up and called it a day?

There has been nothing on their own website since the 4th of Feb, except some pathetic birthday signing that has raised 3000 odd signatures, instead of the 558000 they were hoping for (btw does having a stupid world record like this bring in cash I wonder??)
Come on guys, spill the beans, whats going on???

I know what it is..... Pleming is doing a deal to sell the aircraft back to the government to send her back down to the Falklands again isn't he?? Thats why the good doctor and the rest of them have been too busy to keep us informed isn't it??

Or is it that once again, the people that have kept them and this project going all these years are being treated like scum (again)

Night Night 558
Winco

JEM60

As this sorry saga looks like possibly ending shortly, for what it's worth, here is my opinion.

The whole Vulcan project seems to have been based on a misguided belief that the only thing that was missing from the general public's life was the opportunity to see a Vulcan fly again. As a regular attendee of Airshows,, I have to say that I was sceptical about this project from the start, and have posted to that effect on several occasions from it's beginning..

There are, perhaps, some 50,000 Airshow Enthusiasts in this country, who could, if they all contributed a small amount regularly, [I'm not going to go into figures, done that before] could quite easily have kept this project going. In 2008, many of my colleagues on the Airshow Enthusiasts scene got fed up with driving hither and thither to find the aircraft didn't arrive, or couldn't, for various reasons perform. Enthusiasm for the Vulcan waned considerably, but regained some momentum in 2009,though none saw fit to contribute any more cash.

The problem now is that most of us have now seen it, drooled, taken video, photo's etc., and are now, sadly, not particularly bothered any more, as to whether or not it flies again. Apathy has set in and we are mostly of the opinion, amongst ourselves, that our fears about the project are well-founded [One didn't need a chrystal ball to sus that out!]

As regards the publics interest, well, most of them wouldn't know what a Vulcan was, even if they saw it, and couldn't care much even if they did recognise it. Problem is, we have seen it, and, like seeing a good film, you do not instantly want a repeat performance, so sorry to say, not too bothered is the general feeling.

This is only my, and a few friends opinion, and I know that it must be very hard for dedicated people involved with it, in whatever capacity, to face up to reality, and accept that it is pretty much dead in the water as a viable, long lasting project. It was lovely to see it fly again, and I, frankly, am amazed it lasted two seasons. I hope it continues, but can only be pessimistic. Regards, John [A realist]

Groundloop

WEM, if your philosophy in life is "seen it once, don't want to see it again" then you'll soon run out of things to see - as nearly every airshow has virtually the same stuff!

JEM60

Exactly right,Groundloop. Have visited many odd parts of the world to see aircraft. Done the Lightnings in South Africa, etc., Oshkosh, Wisconsin 6 times, Venezuela, Israel, Russia and so on, and you are absolutely right. Nothing new to see. Wouldn't miss a single day at a Duxford Airshow tho'
After years of being selfish and Airshow Travelling, my wife has converted me to Cruising

bubblesuk

When you say "converted me to cruising" do you mean the boating variety or the "hampstead heath" variety?

JEM60

Boating. Too old for the other sort.

Airshow wise, things are not what they used to be. Those of us who have been around long enough seldom get excited about Fairford etc., these days,. We saw the best though, over the years.
Our ship got flown over by a piston engined Convair near St. Maarten in March. Lovely sight.

BEagle

Much as I've been an enthusiastic supporter of 558 over the years, I haven't been overly impressed by the management skills of VTST, TVOC, VTSC, 558 Club or whatever the hell else it's called this week.

After the Waddington fiasco (entirely avoidable as I later learned) last year and the full knowledge that the 'managers' had already realised thay going to the weary supporters with the begging bowl yet again in a recession wasn't feasible, I was astounded that the fatigue usage was allowed to increase to the extent that an expensive engineering programme would have to be brought forward to this winter. Had they secured sufficient funds or sponsorship for this, fair enough. But they haven't.....

The blizzard of appeal postcards being sent to long-time financial supporters is hardly encouraging - Pleming has been silent for too long, there's cock all about the plight of 558 in the media and the future looks decidedly ominous. Although we can but hope.

Wouldn't it be nice if that very charming Cirencester couple who won the £55million lottery jackpot last week were 558 supporters....

Presumably Pleming or his minions have bothered to find out that the chap is a sky-diving enthusiast, so at least has some aviation interest...

Exrigger

Quite agree BEagle, but has anyone wondered why:

a: a sponsor has not been forthcoming, and credit crunch, financial crisis etc as an excuse does not cut it because people are still spending millions on art, football players, aircraft etc etc.

b: all the big lottery winners over the past couple of years; why has none donated money, they cannot all be blind to the 'plight' of the Vulcan.

c: education; the HLF funding was on the back off apparently, why have large engineering/aeronautical corporations not got involved in what on the face of it could be good advertising for future engineers etc and be mutually beneficial to both sides, if a deal could be worked out.

So what is the common denominator, well IMHO it is due to those at the top who rely on those passionate club members/supporters to bail them out without any support, encouragement, direction etc and there appears to be an approach from those at the top of this is my aircraft, my project and if you want to join in and give me money it is on my terms i.e. my way or no way. Also those at the top stay out of the funding limelight and mearly leave the passionate club members/supporters leaderless and rudderless but they are automatically expected to just do all the work, as they have in the past, until they swamp/annoy all and sundry with e-mails, phone calls, etc with calls for more money, which eventually has a counter-productive effect of 'sod it, I have given enough'.

But the bottom line is despite all I have said above and what others have said, I would not write off the chances of a last minute reprieve, for about the 4th time, as they are not too far off with getting enough funds to keep those hard working engineers and start the work required, allthough I think that come the end of 2010 this approach will definately not work again. Unfortunately I think they think they have found a working funding solution, so I wont hold my breath of them changing after all the promises at the beginning of 2009.

robin

The lottery grant was never going to look after on-going finances. It's against their rules.

The Vulcan project was required to have a business plan to show how it was going to take it foward and become self-sustaining. It has signally failed to get close to setting up a major sponsor and it is only thanks to the generosity of the British public year after year that it has got has far as it has.

But the annual call for funds, or else, is not working as it once did. I'm convinced it will make the total again - or there will be another fiddle so it will seem as if it did. But I think this is the last time it can be done.

My own aircraft needs £15k for a recover. I can't afford it, and without it it will be grounded. But I can't go to the great British public for help.

What surprises me is that the management that has struggled over a number of years is still in place. Is there no mechanism to vote for a change.

At this stage we need proven performers to be in place.

I'm booked for Fairford and hope to see the Vulcan there

742-xx

Wasn't there a conspiracy about XH558 ending up in the USA, shortly after she first flew again ? Perhaps that's what will happen ?

From what you see in the news the 'Vulcan effect' certainly was evident wherever she was supposed to be showing last year. I was at Cosford and the traffic chaos was attributed to it.

I think they will get over the latest 'crisis' but something has to change. It can't go on like this. It would be a crying shame after all of the hard work put in by all concerned.

Lucy Lastic

Just 3 days to go and £400k to find. No update on the website since 2nd Feb. Not looking good.

Just hope someone is moving in to take the project over

BEagle

From the Vulcan website:

See: Vulcan 50th Birthday Appeal | Results of Appeal

Great news - and grateful thanks are due to the anonymous donor who, it has been confirmed, has donated no less than £458000 to save the project!

Matt Jones

I got this yesterday:

Dear Supporters,

There can now be no doubt that XH558 has a guardian angel looking after
her: I can now confirm some really good news that vastly changes the
status of our current Appeal.

Shortly, the Results Graph on our appeal site will show a massive
increase due to a fantastic confirmed donation of £458,000! The donor
has asked to remain anonymous, but I can reassure you that he is fully
aware of the significance of this contribution.

As the result, I have pleasure in confirming that the Board of Trustees
has decided that VTST now has sufficient funding in place to go forward
with the planned engineering programme, and onward to the 2010 Display
Season.

We have to temper this great news with the fact that our Public Appeal
has been waning compared with previous years, probably as a result of
the poor economic conditions and the weariness of boom and bust cycles.

Our main drive this year will be to finally put XH558 onto a firm
business footing, with many new income generation schemes: Educational
Lectures, New Merchandise, Regional Sponsorship, Competitions, and of
course, an ongoing Annual Appeal. We must acknowledge we will continue
to need public support, but gear the appeal over the whole year.

We will now focus our campaign on the 50th Birthday Appeal, which will
also be marketed through our World Record attempt for signatures on
XH558’s Birthday Card, until we launch our fresh campaign in May, aimed
at taking XH558 on into 2011.

Very soon, those who have pledged will be receiving their "redemption"
letters. Please await their arrival before making payment, so we can
accurately record details and apply Gift Aid if applicable.

Your continuing support is much appreciated by everyone who appreciates
what XH558 represents and by all those who have helped XH558 over the
years. She is adored and appreciated by people all over the world. She
is quite simply - the one and only!

Each and every one of us owes a deep debt of gratitude to every
individual who contributed, no matter how small their donation, for
keeping the dream alive.

My sincerest thanks and best wishes to you all,

Robert Pleming.
Vulcan to the Sky Trust.

But what stood out was this:

So nothing to do with inept management then????