Vulcan XH 558 Threads (merged)
Join Date: Nov 2007
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Great news!!! Let's just hope that they have another successful season and can source a steady revenue stream throughout the year. Many thanks have to go to the very generous anonymous donor without whom the project would very likely have folded. They may have made the end of Feb target but £300,000 in March was looking a little hopeful, especially in the current financial climate. Maybe it was one of those Barclays or RBS bonus recipients or maybe a lucky lottery winner but whoever it was, us Vulcan fans are indepted and very thankful. 
Join Date: Jun 2008
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Great news indeed. But for whom?
Dr Pleming certainly, he will now be able to draw his too high salary and now GO leave it to a new man. Somone who knows what he is doing and with new ideas, which will in all probability encourage many people who have thought of 'investing in the future' but would not do so while he is the head. Even big companies might be more willing if he were gone.
It is time for a change. The whole trustee team need to be reviewed and it is a must for someone to propose it. Now! And as for "inept management" - yes it is!
Jack Walker was the last BIG donor but they are not 10 a penny and this generous benefactor is God sent. Its the future in years that is the worry and if 558 is to survive it will need foresight and guile to protect it. Right now it is an impossibility.
Dr Pleming certainly, he will now be able to draw his too high salary and now GO leave it to a new man. Somone who knows what he is doing and with new ideas, which will in all probability encourage many people who have thought of 'investing in the future' but would not do so while he is the head. Even big companies might be more willing if he were gone.
It is time for a change. The whole trustee team need to be reviewed and it is a must for someone to propose it. Now! And as for "inept management" - yes it is!
Jack Walker was the last BIG donor but they are not 10 a penny and this generous benefactor is God sent. Its the future in years that is the worry and if 558 is to survive it will need foresight and guile to protect it. Right now it is an impossibility.
Join Date: Apr 2006
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So, for yet another year, Pleming survives by the skin of his teeth, thanks to a hugely generous single donation.
You have to ask however, why someone who has just saved the project from failure would want to remain anonymous? Makes me wonder a little to be honest as to wonder if it was yet another ploy to get more money from the great British public? hmm just a thought.
I had to laugh at the statement:
Our main drive this year will be to finally put XH558 onto a firm
business footing, with many new income generation schemes
What the hell have you been doing??? Isn't that your job Robert? And what new fund-raisning ideas are we going to have this year? Not another birthday card signing is it? I mean, come on guys.
Pleming, it is time to go. Call it a day and quit. You have displayed and proved to us all that as a chief exec, you can't hack it.
Please, for the good and the future of this project QUIT NOW!
You have to ask however, why someone who has just saved the project from failure would want to remain anonymous? Makes me wonder a little to be honest as to wonder if it was yet another ploy to get more money from the great British public? hmm just a thought.
I had to laugh at the statement:
Our main drive this year will be to finally put XH558 onto a firm
business footing, with many new income generation schemes
What the hell have you been doing??? Isn't that your job Robert? And what new fund-raisning ideas are we going to have this year? Not another birthday card signing is it? I mean, come on guys.
Pleming, it is time to go. Call it a day and quit. You have displayed and proved to us all that as a chief exec, you can't hack it.
Please, for the good and the future of this project QUIT NOW!
Join Date: Oct 2005
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What a complete cluster f&^%
Same story in calender +365. Stick the date in the diary for next year and standy by for more waffly bollocks about said sound business footing (again), more openess (again) and better communications (again).
The only real positive is the hardworking staff (journeymen managers excepted) get to keep their jobs which they well deserve.
Same story in calender +365. Stick the date in the diary for next year and standy by for more waffly bollocks about said sound business footing (again), more openess (again) and better communications (again).
The only real positive is the hardworking staff (journeymen managers excepted) get to keep their jobs which they well deserve.
Join Date: May 2005
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Winco,
For once perhaps, we are in complete agreement. I don't know how many of you remember back to the days immediately prior to Roll Out, when Felicity Irwin was in charge of all things fundraising related. Felicity, to her mind, had done her best and exhausted all avenues of funding for 558, so it was asked that she stepped down. She did indeed fall on her sword and allowed others to pick up that baton.
Pick up that baton they did indeed, and during that next period(2007-2009), a fresh wave of publicity and fundraising was organised for 558, but with a continued series of PR gaffes from the "management" and nobody willing to hold theirselves accountable. Am I alone in thinking that perhaps it's time that other members of TVOC realised and appreciated that they are perhaps not the best people for the job, and stood down to allow others to have a go?
Standing by for incoming
Flipflopman
For once perhaps, we are in complete agreement. I don't know how many of you remember back to the days immediately prior to Roll Out, when Felicity Irwin was in charge of all things fundraising related. Felicity, to her mind, had done her best and exhausted all avenues of funding for 558, so it was asked that she stepped down. She did indeed fall on her sword and allowed others to pick up that baton.
Pick up that baton they did indeed, and during that next period(2007-2009), a fresh wave of publicity and fundraising was organised for 558, but with a continued series of PR gaffes from the "management" and nobody willing to hold theirselves accountable. Am I alone in thinking that perhaps it's time that other members of TVOC realised and appreciated that they are perhaps not the best people for the job, and stood down to allow others to have a go?
Standing by for incoming
Flipflopman
Join Date: Apr 2008
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No INCOMING from me Ron, time for change indeed it is!
Surely some of the many innefective members of the upper management should do the decent thing and offer their resignations
Surely some of the many innefective members of the upper management should do the decent thing and offer their resignations
Cool Mod
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FWIW, it seems to me that this donor has effectively closed the door that some would have left by! Now they can rejoice and live in a false sense of security state, and start feeling comfortable with their lot and accountable to no-one. That is the problem.
They do NEED a new ideas man who will take only a small fee and they need new members on the board to re-invigorate the project so that by the end of the season they are cash safe. Going from one year to another is no longer an option. It must be tackled now. It, seemingly, is not the case.
The management has to change or it will all go stale. Most charities find that an all change policy is necessary at some point. TVOC are brazenly going along without direction and not knowing from where the next large tranche of cash is coming from.
Dr Pleming has to address this problem immediately - then go.
They do NEED a new ideas man who will take only a small fee and they need new members on the board to re-invigorate the project so that by the end of the season they are cash safe. Going from one year to another is no longer an option. It must be tackled now. It, seemingly, is not the case.
The management has to change or it will all go stale. Most charities find that an all change policy is necessary at some point. TVOC are brazenly going along without direction and not knowing from where the next large tranche of cash is coming from.
Dr Pleming has to address this problem immediately - then go.
Join Date: Feb 2009
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Bets open for XH558's 2010 first appearance: Port Stanley Airshow?
Just kidding chaps
Great news and a huge cheer to the mystery donor - let us hope for better times ahead and a successful future for this british icon, I can still remember the ground shaking at Greenham Common airshow in 1976 as the Vulcan pointed skywards off the runway and also watching circuits being flown at Waddington around 1979 - stood by the main road near the holding point at the end of the runway in the warm exhaust from four olympus engines awaiting their turn to fly, still remember it so well.......... (Yes I'm getting old!)
Just kidding chaps
Great news and a huge cheer to the mystery donor - let us hope for better times ahead and a successful future for this british icon, I can still remember the ground shaking at Greenham Common airshow in 1976 as the Vulcan pointed skywards off the runway and also watching circuits being flown at Waddington around 1979 - stood by the main road near the holding point at the end of the runway in the warm exhaust from four olympus engines awaiting their turn to fly, still remember it so well.......... (Yes I'm getting old!)
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Good news indeed
I must admit my financial input has been waning due to a complete lack of confidence in the project management.
Time for some of those salaries to go towards investigative business input,look at and remedy past mistakes and have a proper business plan for the future with not too much of the money raised going for high salaries and unneccesary staff.
Thank God for the volunteers.
And the mystery angel
Time for some of those salaries to go towards investigative business input,look at and remedy past mistakes and have a proper business plan for the future with not too much of the money raised going for high salaries and unneccesary staff.
Thank God for the volunteers.
And the mystery angel
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Perhaps future large benefactors might make it a condition of donation that the current team hand over the baton. Just a thought - in case the latest angel is reading this.
Perhaps future large benefactors might make it a condition of donation that the current team hand over the baton. Just a thought - in case the latest angel is reading this.
Join Date: Oct 2005
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Has there been any hints of movement on the part of Dr P in line with his public statement about leaving?
I see the postcrad world record attempt is going to fall just short of getting 558,00 signatures, only about 550,000 short I see.
I see the postcrad world record attempt is going to fall just short of getting 558,00 signatures, only about 550,000 short I see.
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I see the latest news on the website is that a July return to flight is looking doubtful.
Not going to be much of a display season is it?
Never mind. At least Pleming is still keeping us up to date with what is happening to all our money.
Has anybody worked out the cost per hour of flying time achieved since the project started? It must almost be on a par with the Space Shuttle!
Not going to be much of a display season is it?
Never mind. At least Pleming is still keeping us up to date with what is happening to all our money.
Has anybody worked out the cost per hour of flying time achieved since the project started? It must almost be on a par with the Space Shuttle!
I see the latest news on the website is that a July return to flight is looking doubtful.
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Actually what the update says is that 558's appearence at Waddington is doubtfull. The reason for this is the winter maintence and mods were started late because of the funding problems last year. The engineers are doing their upmost to get 558 ready for Waddington.
Join Date: Apr 2006
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Will we see the Vulcan this year at all??
Well, as are well into the airshow season and Waddington Airshow is only a matter of days away, there is still no sign of XH558. Apart from the serious question of 'will we ever see her at an airshow this year?' I wonder if anyone would care to offer some excuses that might be offered by TVOC and their wonderous leader Dr Pleming??
I'll start the ball rolling with...... 'It's nothing to dop with us - it's all the fault of the CAA'
or maybe, you never know, the good Dr P might just come onto PPrune and tell us the truth for once!!
The Winco
I'll start the ball rolling with...... 'It's nothing to dop with us - it's all the fault of the CAA'
or maybe, you never know, the good Dr P might just come onto PPrune and tell us the truth for once!!
The Winco
Your post prompted me to look at the VTTS website. In years past, the News, Flight Operations link gave details of forthcoming displays, but today it is ominously blank with only a reference to 2009.
I can only suspect that outstanding work on the Vulcan started so late this year, due to funding issues, and that there is therefore no confirmed date for when XH558 will be airworthy. However, we shouldn't be left to guess the situation, and the lack of information is disappointing.
I can only suspect that outstanding work on the Vulcan started so late this year, due to funding issues, and that there is therefore no confirmed date for when XH558 will be airworthy. However, we shouldn't be left to guess the situation, and the lack of information is disappointing.
Last edited by spekesoftly; 24th Jun 2010 at 10:17.