Bruntingthorpe
Thread Starter
Bruntingthorpe
I understand that the Buccaneer Aviation Group is moving from Bruntingthorpe and will relocate to Kemble by 30 Sep 20.
If this is a general 'eviction' of the site, the larger aircraft, such as the Victor and Nimrod will probably end up being scrapped.
Anybody have reliable news on the situation?
Old Duffer
If this is a general 'eviction' of the site, the larger aircraft, such as the Victor and Nimrod will probably end up being scrapped.
Anybody have reliable news on the situation?
Old Duffer
Certainly, some of the groups have had letters of notice to vacate the site.....but its not known whether all the groups have (such as LPG given the issue with the old Q shed etc!) had letters or just some of them.
There's no news on what will happen to the aircraft that can't be moved. If even some are allowed to stay, there will be no more fast taxi runs etc., or anti-det runs etc, as the runway is now (or soon will be) filled up with unsold new cars, earning 50p per car per day to the airfield owners, with possible site access restrictions etc.
ts likely that there will also no longer be any motorsport or tracks days etc there as well.
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Important New Information re the Aviation services at Bruntingthorpe
Please note that, following an acquisition of C.Walton Ltd by Cox Automotive, the Aviation business and Cold War Jets Museum at the Bruntingthorpe site are now closed and will not re-open.
It is recognised that this may be concerning news to some aviation enthusiasts. Cox Automotive is an automotive services business who do not work within the aerospace sector. One of the previous owners of C.Walton Ltd, Mr David Walton, is currently investigating the construction of new buildings adjacent to the LPG ‘Q Shed’ to house some of the collection and safeguard their future on land excluded from the Cox Automotive lease. News of any progress on this front will be released by Mr Walton as and when available.
Subject to the COVID-19 situation at the time, it remains the intention of Cox Automotive to hold the planned Cold War Jets Fast Taxi Day in August. Further information on this will be released much closer to the date.
https://www.bruntingthorpe.com/aviation
Please note that, following an acquisition of C.Walton Ltd by Cox Automotive, the Aviation business and Cold War Jets Museum at the Bruntingthorpe site are now closed and will not re-open.
It is recognised that this may be concerning news to some aviation enthusiasts. Cox Automotive is an automotive services business who do not work within the aerospace sector. One of the previous owners of C.Walton Ltd, Mr David Walton, is currently investigating the construction of new buildings adjacent to the LPG ‘Q Shed’ to house some of the collection and safeguard their future on land excluded from the Cox Automotive lease. News of any progress on this front will be released by Mr Walton as and when available.
Subject to the COVID-19 situation at the time, it remains the intention of Cox Automotive to hold the planned Cold War Jets Fast Taxi Day in August. Further information on this will be released much closer to the date.
https://www.bruntingthorpe.com/aviation
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Not looking good for the VC-10s...
The following message was posted on the 'ZA147 The Last VC10 To Fly.' facebook group-
"Sad news for all the VC10 fans around the world. ZA147 & ZD241 have been given notice to leave Bruntingthorpe by the end of October 2020.
As you can imagine all the guys and girls who have looked after these aircraft at Brunty over the past 6 years are very sad with this news and just don’t know what we can do.
If the jets aren’t moved before this date the only thing the owner can do is scrap the airframes and move the fuselages.
What can we do..... The only option we have for the survival of at least one of the aircraft is if we can find a new airfield and road move ZD241 in a sympathetic way so she can power up and possibly taxi once again. This is a huge undertaking and it can be done but it’s going to cost £300,000!!!
Does the VC10 have the public backing around the world to raise this amount of money??? I just don’t know! It’s a huge amount of money to find.
If the fans are interested in preserving one of the last fully working examples in the world I need to know your thoughts. Time is against us and we need to see what public support there is before we could consider a possible crowdfunding project.
Over to you now. Thanks."
-RP
The following message was posted on the 'ZA147 The Last VC10 To Fly.' facebook group-
"Sad news for all the VC10 fans around the world. ZA147 & ZD241 have been given notice to leave Bruntingthorpe by the end of October 2020.
As you can imagine all the guys and girls who have looked after these aircraft at Brunty over the past 6 years are very sad with this news and just don’t know what we can do.
If the jets aren’t moved before this date the only thing the owner can do is scrap the airframes and move the fuselages.
What can we do..... The only option we have for the survival of at least one of the aircraft is if we can find a new airfield and road move ZD241 in a sympathetic way so she can power up and possibly taxi once again. This is a huge undertaking and it can be done but it’s going to cost £300,000!!!
Does the VC10 have the public backing around the world to raise this amount of money??? I just don’t know! It’s a huge amount of money to find.
If the fans are interested in preserving one of the last fully working examples in the world I need to know your thoughts. Time is against us and we need to see what public support there is before we could consider a possible crowdfunding project.
Over to you now. Thanks."
-RP
Thread Starter
It is of interest that the 'footprint' of something like a VC10 or Nimrod is quite small and with care, therefore, the is sufficient space to park some cars beneath. Given the apparent haste of the move (understandable if you are a hard headed businessman who is only concerned about maximising the available space in the current 'build um and park um' situation), might it be possible to park the big aircraft all together, until all the options are explored?
O-D
O-D
Oh dear, another big "car park" being prepared. After seeing pictures of Thurleigh for example, there ought to be enough space for some of the aircraft presently at "Brunty".
Doesn't sound good for the VC-10's. Probably a question mark over the Victor and the Comet as well most likely, although it depends on who owns what. Anything owned by D.Walton is most likely the only stuff (and probably the Lightnings given the post above) that will be OK and moved to what ever area near the Q-shed that is on the property still owned by D.Walton.
Everything else owned by any 'group' like the Buccs and the VC-10's will likely have been given notice.
As mentioned the Tristars are an interesting issue, and presumably their owners have also been given notice to leave as well. I suppose they could be made airworthy and flown out to storage elsewhere....but that would involve a lot of cars being moved.....not to mention costs of getting them ferryable. I suspect, they will be scrapped on site?
The new owners have no business interest in aviation.
The local council and NIMBYS have been anti-aviation business/activity at Brunty for decades, which is why the aircraft reclaiming business moved away......and as well as limiting motorsport there as well.
The writing has been on the wall for aviation at Brunty for quite a few years now.
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Hopefully museums with active airframes will be alert to the possibility of extending their collections. On an entirely selfish note I'd love to see the potentially homeless of the Brunty collection move to Elvington.
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VC10 Preservation Group Statement on the current situation at Bruntingthorpe
Like the rest of the aviation community, the VC10 Preservation Group recently learned that Cox Automotive UK Limited was to take over the site at the Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground near Leicester.
Since then, the VC10 Preservation Group has been trying to establish the future scope of the site and - more importantly - whether there will be any future involvement with aviation. Sadly, at this time it is our considered opinion that there will be none.
Currently, the VC10 Preservation Group is the custodian of former RAF and British Airways VC10 K.4 ZD241 (G-ASGM) and sadly, we feel that the VC10’s fate is now distinctly uncertain. We hope a solution can be reached between the aircraft owners and the new owners of the site at Bruntingthorpe; or perhaps with a possible future move for the aircraft.
While we are aware of these confidential discussionstaking place, the VC10 Preservation Group is not party to them and as a consequence, are unable to make any comment on them.
Until such times as we may have further information, no further statement will be made by the VC10 Preservation Group or anyone purporting to be acting for us.
In the meantime, we wish to thank everyone who has supported us during the last five years – from our initial running of ZD241 right up to the formation of the charity - permitting us to allow our supporters to join us on the aircraft on the unique taxi runs that occurred at Bruntingthorpe.
Bruntingthorpe, 15 June 2020.
Like the rest of the aviation community, the VC10 Preservation Group recently learned that Cox Automotive UK Limited was to take over the site at the Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground near Leicester.
Since then, the VC10 Preservation Group has been trying to establish the future scope of the site and - more importantly - whether there will be any future involvement with aviation. Sadly, at this time it is our considered opinion that there will be none.
Currently, the VC10 Preservation Group is the custodian of former RAF and British Airways VC10 K.4 ZD241 (G-ASGM) and sadly, we feel that the VC10’s fate is now distinctly uncertain. We hope a solution can be reached between the aircraft owners and the new owners of the site at Bruntingthorpe; or perhaps with a possible future move for the aircraft.
While we are aware of these confidential discussionstaking place, the VC10 Preservation Group is not party to them and as a consequence, are unable to make any comment on them.
Until such times as we may have further information, no further statement will be made by the VC10 Preservation Group or anyone purporting to be acting for us.
In the meantime, we wish to thank everyone who has supported us during the last five years – from our initial running of ZD241 right up to the formation of the charity - permitting us to allow our supporters to join us on the aircraft on the unique taxi runs that occurred at Bruntingthorpe.
Bruntingthorpe, 15 June 2020.
I wasn't entirely serious; that airframe has a bit of form for going aviating when it shouldn't...
The 6 x Tristars are owned by Tristar Air LLC - a subsidiary of publicly traded company Tempus Applied Holdings Inc.
In April 2019, Tristar LLC won the competition for the 2020 USN AAR single award contract - ousting incumbent Omega Air Refueling who at the time only owned 2 x KC-707 and 1 x KDC-10.
Omega Air then protested twice - the grounds of their first protest was denied and the basis of their second protest was in regard to the way the competition was run.
The USN then cancelled the award to Tristar LLC in September 2019 and announced that it now intended to pursue a Multiple Award Contract in 2020 - which by definition is 2 or more companies.
Omega and Tristar Air LLC are currently the only US companies owning large "hose and drogue" tankers - as opposed to Red Air fighter contractors with buddy-buddy pods.
In August 2019, Tempus Applied Holdings created a UK-based entity - Tristar Air UK Ltd.
There is anecdotal evidence that there has been a trawl recently around Brize Norton for Tristar experienced personnel.
The USN request for proposals for the 2020 AAR MAC - after an earlier Industry Day held on 12 Sep 19 and a deadline for comment on the draft RFP by 8 Jan 20 - was issued on 2 Jun 20 with an updated final RFP.
I found it interesting that the RFP now states that all required pilot hours for qualification may be acquired in a simulator - Northrop Grumman has a L-1011 simulator for their Stargazer - and there are multiple references to documentation from the CAA and foreign military authorities being acceptable regarding the history of the aircraft, tanker conversion and airworthiness (as opposed to FAA only as in the original draft).
The deadline for submission of bids - which include specification of startup costs for which significant separate allowances are made - is 8 Jul 20.
In addition, US TRANSCOM / USAF Air Mobility Command is expected to solicit bids to contract out an element of its overall task in June 2020 - 30% of that will be for "hose and drogue".
The latest overhead on Google maps of Bruntingthorpe shows the taxiways to the runway from the Tristar dispersals clear and only one row of cars on the edge of the runway and another adjacent to the runway for part of the length.
Money can talk to get a few cars moved - in fact the contract is potentially so lucrative they could probable afford to buy any cars on the runway and scrap them !.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Br...2!4d-1.1311932
Details of the progress of the USN 2020 MAC and longer term US TRANSCOM contract opportunities can be viewed at this website https://beta.sam.gov/ by searching on CAS_AAR_RFI and TRANSCOM18R013 respectively. Click on title that comes up and multiple PDFs with the detail will be revealed.
So watch this space !
If anyone lives nearby Bruntingthorpe and sees any work being done on the Tristars - once the site is opened up again when COVID-19 restrictions relax - I would really appreciate a heads up here or by PM !
I remember doing a club track day there in aid of children with cancer. Each bought a ticket and stood in line for the ride of their life in their favourite machine. I had a big cushion on the front seat for those smaller nippers who could not see over the dashboard. Our lot raised the princely sum of £2,000, but it was the look of delight on their faces that made my day. I hammered the car through the infield esses and tried to give everyone a minimum of 160 mph down the small section of runway that was coned off for us. Car gained a few stone chips and needed new brake discs after that day, but it was all worth it.