XH558 50th Birthday Appeal (The Positive Thread)

[Pujgnie]

I wasn't going to post it in this thread as the title says 'Positive thread'

Is it just me that finds it incredible that all of a sudden we get at least 2 & looks like 4 emails coming our way with details of whats happening & why things are like they are ONLY when they want money?

I agree Pam.

Positive thread - is rapidly heading towards 'worrying' to 'very worrying' to 'gravely worrying' and maybe '... Oh Sh*t !!'

2 more updates to follow..... things don't look too good do they ?

Why wasn't all this announced during her display season... they must have known what was comming. It puts those of us trying to help her - under even more pressure now.

JMO

[Saracenman]

.....Why wasn't all this announced during her display season..................

[Pujgnie]

.....Why wasn't all this announced during her display season..................

Seemingly touched the funny bone there SM... care to enlighten me ?

[Saracenman]

oh come on Mr. Knees - when have VTST ever planned that far ahead?

sm

[Hungry Haggis]

Am I seing things or are we stilll in 2008 or even have I been asleep (don't answer that SM )

With the desperately slow progress we are currently making, we are finding it more and more difficult to cover our monthly base costs, let alone commit to the work that we need to have done to make it to the 2009 season.

[Dee]

Well ive tried my best, ive sent the DVD presentation to a local firm, ive sent e-mails to 2 local papers, ive put up posters, but i just cant think what else to do As i no longer work i cant even give a donation, i feel so incredibly sad tonight!

[Pujgnie]

Oh well.. I will continue to battle on despite the odds.. it may be in vain - but not's let give up on her just yet !! Time to up the anti - and hit anyone/everyone who is prepared to listen... be it media or friends.

In reply to SM ... Get your point

Eagerly awaiting pt's 3 and 4 of update - NOT !!!!!!

[Hungry Haggis]

Either Naddy has a nice bum or the tailoring is quite good..............

Comments please..........

Both the stiching must be good or she could do a Tom Jones RRRRIIIPPPPPP

[Stigish]

At a time like this a positive attitude is always the best thing....................BUT, and I really do mean BUT this is surely the worst time for this sort of announcement. I'm now seeing things from SM's point of view completely.

I've done my bit by putting up copies of the poster around the office for a few thousand to see, which is the best I can do. Will I feel guilty that I haven't put my hand in my pocket towards the latest appeal? Probably not, as I've paid in a fair bit already, I've purchased a bit of official merchandise & I will definately keep buying the VV Books.

Now the positive bit...................We've been through this before & survived, so I'm pretty confident a last hour rescue (at the worst) will happen!

I'm still looking forward to the 2010 season .

[Mackrick]

3 of 4

50th Birthday Appeal – Feedback Request - Update 3 of 4


So far, we have received less than £30,000 in donations from 800 donors, from a mailing that went out to 35,000 people.

At this stage in our financial year, our reliance on public donation support is far greater than in the spring, summer and autumn when we are flying, so it is vital to XH558’s future that we are successful with the 50th Birthday Appeal.

We need your feedback now to understand how the Appeal is going.

Please could you send an email to appealquestions@vulcantothesky.org

We need to know:

· Have you received the 50th Birthday Appeal leaflet and poster etc?

· Have you, or will you, make a donation or standing order commitment?

· If you have decided not to make a donation, please could you indicate why?

· Do you have any ideas on what we should be doing better?

This email is going to about 5,000 people; please would you respond, since we need to know how we can improve.

With best wishes
Robert Pleming
Chief Executive

[Hungry Haggis]

I've always agreed with SM's view (shhh don't tell hm though) The season is over the aircraft is in the hanger in bits at the beginning of her winter service period ,this ones a bit more in depth than before though.It's dark outside it's that time of year again ,Trust meeting goes something like this we need loads of money lets hammer the club members again They pull us out of the SHITE each time we complain that money is short ,non existent the hard working Engineers etc are being put on Redundancy AGAIN.The last are not a dig at the trust or the engineers Is just for illustration.What better time is there for the hard luck emails to be sent .You guys in the club will I'm sure keep on trying as long as there is that vision of 558 flying in the following season I know you will .Dee has said on here that she can't give any more i can live with that,she's probably voiced what a lot of you feel again an illustration not a dig I can't give any more money but I am still knocking away up here in the frozen habitat of JOCKLAND no longer a club member but I don't care .I still ain't seen that big bird fly yet ,health got in the way big time and am i giving up NO and I bet none of you lot do either. They telegraph these bad news emails like nothing on earth they have every year so far so why stop now .OK these look worse than any I've read yet .I personally am looking for wards to seeing 558 fly at an air show somewhere next year.I'm not going to put my foot in it and moan about the 10 or so hours life the airframe is said to have left .I find that hard to comprehend but tell me I'm wrong please to me that almost equates to only 1 flight .now that is scary to be that close to a non flying Vulcan .

[Old Rigger]

well theres a blow or 3 so far, as I have said before I will do what I can in time and any extra money I can spare, but I am afraid I am not going to hock myself or give up on christmas to give a few quid more than I currently do and that is not a criticism or dig at those who would appear to be even more passionate than me, but there is a line of common sense that needs to be drawn.

I do not believe the excuse of the credit crunch, other charities and businesess are doing ok and we succeeded at the start and climb to the peak of the financial crisis at the beginning of the year, record crowds went to all the shows that XH558 went to and some of those cost a lot to get in and I would of expected a drop in attendance due to the credit crunch, neither will I use the postal strike as an excuse, as none of my friends/family or work have had anything go missing or delayed unduly.

Have I got any advice or solutions, no, not anymore, I am just shell shocked that after all the hope and expectations we just seem to have gone back in timeabout 10 months, hey ho back to the drawing board.

[Saracenman]

number four's in...........

50th Birthday Appeal - Update 4 of 4 - Friday 13th November

If we need any reminder of what has been achieved with this globally unique restoration project, please watch this short trailer.

http://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=3622 ... 079406d03a

See the reaction of the youngsters in the closing sequence.

You can make the difference by visiting our Appeal pages here:

www.vulcantothesky.org

Thank you.

Robert Pleming (Chief Executive).

sm

[Dee]

I think maybe i was living in dream land, with the VV doing so well and 558 doing her stuff i thought things would be so so much better, but in fact its bloody worse! I wont give up trying but

[Xplumberlives]

Part 2 of 4 (just in) Whilst XH558 enjoyed an extremely successful summer season, we have consumed rather more fatigue life than planned, owing to the bumpy conditions experienced in transit at low level. (We are currently not permitted to transit through cloud to smooth air above.) We have now used up about 250 fatigue units, against a current clear limit of 252 units, giving us only 10-20 flying hours until the next modifications are due, including the strengthening of the bottom of the front spar.

Who did the planning?

If she only has 10 to 20 hours left, when was this first noticed?

Has it been made public before?

[Spitfire]

Same excrement - different day

[Nickolas]

If they got certified for IFR then this would be less pressing................... 'Kin 'Ell.......

[Saracenman]

the trouble with IFR certification is that it would, under current rules, open the floodgate for other PtoF a/c to operate under IFR rules too.

until the rules can be changed to allow 558 (or possibly any other Complex type) to be classified differently from every other PtoF a/c, the VFR rules have to apply

sm

[Nickolas]

the trouble with IFR certification is that it would, under current rules, open the floodgate for other PtoF a/c to operate under IFR rules too.

until the rules can be changed to allow 558 (or possibly any other Complex type) to be classified differently from every other PtoF a/c, the VFR rules have to apply

sm

Thanks for that my man.

Can they not do it 'complex' only as 558 IS the only complex type flying?

[Sad Sam3]

Part 2 of 4 (just in) Whilst XH558 enjoyed an extremely successful summer season, we have consumed rather more fatigue life than planned, owing to the bumpy conditions experienced in transit at low level. (We are currently not permitted to transit through cloud to smooth air above.) We have now used up about 250 fatigue units, against a current clear limit of 252 units, giving us only 10-20 flying hours until the next modifications are due, including the strengthening of the bottom of the front spar.

Who did the planning?

If she only has 10 to 20 hours left, when was this first noticed?

Has it been made public before?

We used more of the FI than planned by trying really hard to get to as many shows as possible.

I'll give you an example, the Dunsfold display used 2.62 FI (that's about a months worth of FI) Kev did the whole trip bouncing along at cloud base to make sure we made that show, the Chinook could not get out of Odiham.

We try real hard to make sure you have a Vulcan to watch, it's nice to know how much you appreciate our efforts.

[Saracenman]

well i would have thought so, but I'm not the CAA

sm

[Za150]

Things are starting to look a little bleak............ my fingers are crossed that something pulls though.

Sadly its got so much to do with the current economic situation, so many people/companies just cant part with the cash due to there own situations being bad.

We used my of the FI than planned by trying really hard to get to as many shows as possible.

I'll give you an example, the Dunsfold display used 2.62 FI (that's about a months worth of FI) Kev did the whole trip bouncing along at cloud base to make sure we made that show, the Chinook could not get out of Odiham.

We try real hard to make sure you have a Vulcan to watch, it's nice to know how much you appreciate our efforts.

Sam, having seen them first hand, i certenly appreciate all the teams efforts.

[Saracenman]

i think we ALL appreciate the efforts of both the air and groundcrews!

sm

[Xplumberlives]

Part 2 of 4 (just in) Whilst XH558 enjoyed an extremely successful summer season, we have consumed rather more fatigue life than planned, owing to the bumpy conditions experienced in transit at low level. (We are currently not permitted to transit through cloud to smooth air above.) We have now used up about 250 fatigue units, against a current clear limit of 252 units, giving us only 10-20 flying hours until the next modifications are due, including the strengthening of the bottom of the front spar.

Who did the planning?

If she only has 10 to 20 hours left, when was this first noticed?

Has it been made public before?

We used my of the FI than planned by trying really hard to get to as many shows as possible.

I'll give you an example, the Dunsfold display used 2.62 FI (that's about a months worth of FI) Kev did the whole trip bouncing along at cloud base to make sure we made that show, the Chinook could not get out of Odiham.

We try real hard to make sure you have a Vulcan to watch, it's nice to know how much you appreciate our efforts.

Sam, I/we do appreciate the effort put in!

Can we not ask questions in the hope of explanations to aid our understanding?

[Dan4th]

SS:

There's no doubt at all that we are each one of us
on here profoundly impressed and grateful for the
hard work, skill and professionalism of the air and
ground crews. Your work this season and in everything
that lead up to it has been a constant source of pride
and admiration for each member of this forum.

The rest of it I will leave for others to say.

Dan4th