forget

Err. Apart from once, where else was this suggested. I see we're a dozen miles apart. You must be on a different water supply.

Flame Out

Wader 2, remember the hangar has a web cam, who needs to be camped near the airfield. Your right though, strange bird and the twitchers turn up within hours from all over.

Winco

Trapper,

Maybe I'm reading this wrong.
I was under the impression that the first flight was to be an air test? Now if you would like the official definition of an air test, whether it be post servicing, post rebuild, post whatever, then I will gladly supply you with one, but we both know that it will NOT be for 'purposes of providing an exhibition or entertainment at an advertised event open to the public' as you seem to suggest.

That is why, IMHO, it DOES NOT constitute a flying display. It will be part of a well documented, legal requirement to satisfy certain criteria prior to (hopefully) a permit to fly being granted by the CAA as you well know.

Of course, I am willing to be proved wrong, and await your further comments. Kind Regards

Archimedes

Winco, I wonder if it's simply a case of being ultra-careful?

If the team getting 558 airborne start advertising the fact that they're about to conduct the first flight, it is inevitable that people will turn up in some numbers to watch.

And it would seem - sadly - that it'd be just as inevitable in the current climate (where you can find someone mean of spirit close at hand wherever you turn) that somebody would file a complaint that the publicity was a means of circumventing the spirit of the ANO - i.e. although not billed as a display, that's exactly what the first flight was. Otherwise, the argument would be, why publicise it unless you wanted the public to turn up to watch?

It might also be contended that by publicising it, the event was being made open to the public, even if they were having to jam up the lanes around the airfield to get a vantage point. While I would personally view such a complaint as petty and - to borrow from Sir Humphrey - 'placing a greater epistemological burden upon the English language than it can reasonably be exepcted to bear', I can equally see why the team might not wish to run the risk.

Also, if - as has happened on several occasions in aviation history - some snag materialises on the day of the publicised first flight and the Vulcan can't get airborne, imagine how disastrous the PR would be.

G-KEST

Forget wrote - "You must be on a different water supply."
Yes indeed. Clean and totally unpolluted, thank the Lord. Others are not so lucky these days.
I fear the unbridled passion of those who want to attend in vast numbers will continue to promote the idea. I sincerely hope they fail to do so.
Cheers,
Trapper 69

Dak Mechanic

Could be that 1000's of bodies turning up at Bruntingthorpe would interfere with the non aviation activities - I would be worried as well. The last thing they need is loads of people lurking on the off chance that 558 will fly, and some of the locals have a bad case of the nimbys at the best of times.

Out of interest, where will she be based when flying?

It's been nice to pop in and see the old girl when we've been testing there.

spekesoftly

I'm reminded of John Cunningham's first test flight in the DH Comet in 1949. The press had been hanging around Hatfield for most of the day, when word filtered out that the flight was postponed. As soon as the press had dispersed, JC promptly took off !

G-KEST

A classic bit of British style and the right way to do it.
Cheers,
Trapper 69

forget

So your idea of British style is deliberate lying to deprive the tax payer (in the case of the Comet) and future generations, the opportunity to simply see photographs of where their cash has gone. Interesting. As I suspected, we are on a different water supply.

BEagle

For once, Barry, I agree with you.

The press who need to know have been informed, invited VIPs and a few lucky winners will also be there. Thousands of twitchers blocking the roads - hopefully not.

But it will be on TV, of that you can all rest assured.

Incidentally, by 'idiots' I meant step-ladder-man who will position himself in dangerous locations (such as the upwind boundary hedge) to get his thrilll.

But for such folk, I can reveal something they'd REALLY like to know:
















































The registration is XH558!

rafmatt

Just watching Hyperdrive on BBC2.
Just noticed the HMS Camden Lock had XH558 on the side

ha ha

G-KEST

BEagle -

Well it makes a pleasant change though, with your number of posts compared with my meager total, I really should take up your challenges more often.

However I am glad to hear the news from you, a most sensible arrangement.

Cheers,

Trapper 69


PS - Around 50 years ago your footnote would have been of huge personal interest only spoiled by the fact that serials had not got that far.

spekesoftly

Will it be shown "live" on TV, and if so, when is it being broadcast?

Double Zero

' forget' does seem indeed to be on a thankfully different water supply.

The existence and first flying of the Comet was not exactly a secret akin to the F-117...quite a few 'first flights' have been carried out in either 'unexpected' or quiet situations when the press hanging around would have been a pain and indeed an unwanted extra pressure - any last minute snag would be presented as a disaster to the programme.

I was a photographer for BAe at Dunsfold, & covered the first flights of the Hawk 200 & Harrier GR5 among others.

We had the photo's processed & going around the world ( 600+ prints by wet film & printing, pre-electronic days ) before the aircraft landed.

Having dealt with the newspaper press during other events there, I can say wholeheartedly the press really are the objectionable sharks they're made out to be, elbowing each other in a scrum for a picture everyone's going to get anyway.

Much better kept away from 1st flights, I don't doubt nowadays some idiot would get past the barriers & on or near the runway for a scoop...possibly not the one he had in mind, straight into an intake !

forget

Ooooh. First name terms now. What a bunch of posers.

Where did I hear this - - if the Wright brothers could have seen this they'd have stuck with bicycles.

G-KEST

forget -

You can go right off some folk, even relative neighbours in terms of our respective locations.

Perhaps I might comment - "Better a has been than a never wazzer....!!!"

Cheers,

Trapper 69


PS - Having looked at your company website I wish you every possible success in what would be a significant safety innovation for large aircraft. Are you close to getting the system adopted in the UK and abroad?
I have always been an advocate for visual distance to go markers at general aviation airfields as a means of reducing the large number of over-run accidents on takeoff or landing.

forget

Hmm. Thank you for that. Rather taken some of the wind out of my stroppy sails, but not all. Ever considered a latter career in the Foreign Office.

G-KEST

forget -

Thought it might.................... and no............!!!!!!!!! Retirement suits me just fine even if the level of finance leaves a bit to be desired.

Cheers,

Trapper 69

airsound

Couldn't disagree more, Double Zero. On a couple of grounds.

First of all, XH-558 is as near as you can get to public property, and the public deserves to know all about the important stages in her new life. And what could be more important than her ‘maiden’ flight. I agree that it will be very difficult to make this into a satisfactory public occasion - probably impossible, for all the reasons already discussed. But I believe the media in all its grubby glory should be there, particularly the broadcast media. Their presence can be satisfactorily controlled.

That leads me onto my second ground. I was extremely privileged to be present at the maiden flight of the Airbus A-380 at Toulouse - and it was an absolute (and well deserved) PR triumph for Airbus. There were about 1500 of us reptiles from all over the world there - but Airbus had laid on absolutely everything we could need, and the overall feeling, even amogst the most hard-bitten cynics (what, cynics amongst HM meeja, I hear you cry - shurely not) - the overall feeling was one of friendly disposition towards Airbus on what was perhaps their biggest day ever. The massive coverage reflected that. And I have to tell you that when those 22 wheels lifted off the Toulouse runway right in front of us, the applause (from journos, remember) drowned out the engine noise. It was a genuinely teary moment, and I was immensely glad to be there.

It will be similar when XH-558’s eighteen wheels lift off - though I doubt if any amount of applause will drown out the Olympuses. And the impact on us, the Vulcan-owning public, through tv coverage, will be immense.

Of course, there is a problem, because it’s almost impossible to give any reasonable notice of when it will actually happen. But the way Airbus got round that was to give about a month’s notice of a 4 or 5 day period when it was most likely, then, if I remember rightly, about 48 hrs’ notice of a much firmer date, which turned out to be right.

Fingers remain crossed....

airsound

Edited to correct airsound's lack of progress in wheel-counting

Ramshornvortex

It will be more successful all round if all 18 wheels lift off, surely?