Vulcan-XH558 - epetition response form 10 Downing Street

[Mackrick]

Wednesday 1 July 2009
Vulcan-XH558 - epetition response

We received a petition asking:

“We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to ensure the Vulcan XH558 project receives sufficient funding to enable it to continue “Honouring the past and inspiring the future”.
Details of Petition:
“After many years of hard work and £7 million, Vulcan bomber XH558 finally flew again on 18 October 2007. It was a mammoth effort that overcame a number of major setbacks. A truly extraordinary and inspirational project. It has delighted onlookers at airshows throughout the year and serves to educate future generations about the Cold and Falklands Wars. However, the outlook is grim. The downturn in economic conditions now puts the future of the only flying Vulcan bomber in the world in doubt. With tightening budgets, companies that previously may have been willing to support XH558 now find they do not have the finances to do so. This unique plane must be saved in its current airworthy state for the nation. We petition the Prime Minister to step in to ensure XH558 reveives sufficient funding to continue flying - whether from public or private sources. She not only serves as a ‘living museum’ to educate a generation lucky enough not to be experience the Cold War, but also as a flying memorial to the servicemen who lost their lives during the Falklands conflict. XH558 requires a mere £1.75 million to continue its important work.”

Read the Government’s response

Thank you for your e-petition.

The Government welcomes the preservation of the decommissioned Avro Vulcan G-VLCN and applauds the commitment by the Trust that has brought about its return flight.

In June 2004, the Vulcan to the Sky Trust was awarded £2,734,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to assist in its aims of a return to flight and air display flying. However, as one of many warbird operations flying former military aircraft on the air display circuit in the UK, the operation of the Vulcan G-VLCN does not fall within the Ministry of Defence’s core business and further funding of this project would not be an appropriate use of defence resources.

The Ministry of Defence has provided support to the Vulcan Trust where possible, and has always been willing to consider abating charges for this support, whenever the circumstances are of mutual benefit to the Trust and the department. The RAF is committed to the long-term preservation of other non-flying Vulcan aircraft as examples of the type that are on display at both of the RAF Museum’s sites in Hendon and Cosford.

[Mayfly]

Must admit I would never approve of the defence budget being used for 558, & the reply is the only one that could be expected in all reality, but the petition helped to keep her in the lime light

[Saracenman]

agreed 100% Mayfly!

personally, i feel that it would be wholly inappropriate for a single penny of public money to be spent on 558, given:

a) the desperate shortages of equipment and resources for front-line servicemen

b) VTS has been appallingly mismanaged for the majority of its existence

558 has to stand on her own two (three! ) feet, or not at all!

sm

[Mackrick]

As MF said it brought 558 into the limelight.