558 Funding Update

[Za150]

Heres a thought.....

How about everybody gets behind the project instead of filling this place with negative comments?

I for one DO NOT want to see this project fail and i will do as much as i can to help in both donating my time and money.

Regardless of what people think of the management the simple fact is they need this money to service the aircraft otherwise its not going to fly. Even if the queen owned the aircraft she would still need the money to service it.

Flying 558 is expensive to fly and airshow fees alone is not enough to keep her running.

558 needs our support

You don't get it do you - lots of us have GIVEN our support over a number of years - too much money in my case - and I'm not about to give any more time or money to what is amounting to be the biggest camouflaged white elephant ever. All my friends and relatives and work colleagues are sick to the back teeth with me asking - and a typical comment is 'Blimey isn't that sorted YET!'

We all know that airshow fees are not enough - but we were promised new funding initiatives last year so this didn't happen again - and here we are - back at square one - all you people who've supported in the past give us more and more and more

Time comes when you see the light and realise it's not a cause worth supporting in this day and age - can you honestly say if you had £50 - and only £50 - you'd pledge it to a legless aging bomber - or would it be better spent supporting a legless soldier or a Haitian survivor

It should have been self financing a long time ago - it's not and it never will be - this constant firefighting the problem will go an and on and I cant justify it. Personally my back fence has just blown down - a better cause in my book

Yes i do get it.

I understand that you feel you have given to much money in the past and you dont want to give any more, but i also didnt ask you to give any more Money.

I will continue to support 558 regardless of what people think, thats MY choice. Im just asking people to stop all the negitivity. You can still support 558 without giving her money.

And if i had 50 left to give, id rather give it to Help for Heros

[Xplumberlives]

Heres a thought.....

How about everybody gets behind the project instead of filling this place with negitive comments?

I for one DO NOT want to see this project fail and i will do as much as i can to help in both donating my time and money.

Regardless of what people think of the managment the simple fact is they need this money to service the aircraft otherwise its not going to fly. Even if the queen owned the aircraft she would still need the money to service it.

Flying 558 is expensive to fly and airshow fees alone is not enough to keep her running.

558 needs our support

150, how long have you been aware of this endeavour, your patience is far greater than many of us for which I salute you. But without debate and questioning we become another one of the rose tinted spectacle wearing brigade who think it will all work out in the end. I admire your positivity and wish you well in your quest for a flying Vulcan!

[Za150]

Heres a thought.....

How about everybody gets behind the project instead of filling this place with negitive comments?

I for one DO NOT want to see this project fail and i will do as much as i can to help in both donating my time and money.

Regardless of what people think of the managment the simple fact is they need this money to service the aircraft otherwise its not going to fly. Even if the queen owned the aircraft she would still need the money to service it.

Flying 558 is expensive to fly and airshow fees alone is not enough to keep her running.

558 needs our support

150, how long have you been aware of this endeavour, your patience is far greater than many of us for which I salute you. But without debate and questioning we become another one of the rose tinted spectacle wearing brigade who think it will all work out in the end. I admire your positivity and wish you well in your quest for a flying Vulcan!

I have supported the project for a long while, back to the days of the restoration.

I have faith, i understand why some people will have lost faith in the project.

I still remain hopeful, and will quite happily stick two fingers up to the doubters when she flys again!

[Sploosher]

Anyone else seen the query on the well known 'professional rumour' site? They are asking for clarification as they have 'heard' that David Walton is interested in 'buying' the vulcan again.

Now then, it does raise the question though of whether this is as a precursor to adding to the ground based airframes at Bruntingthorpe if the flying days are ended or if he has designs on keeping the old girl going under a company of his. Could make for some 'interesting' times if it is the latter.

G

Maybe we could ask Mr D Walton to help us out with the cash he would be willing to spend on buying 558 back for his collection at Brunty.

Why has this not be thought of before...................

[Air]

As I've said before, IF the project goes into administration due to lack of funding and IF someone else or a group were to take over, then they would need to have an ample supply of their own cash to plough into the business. (Presuming they were going to keep it as a flying exhibit.)

That's the only way the Vulcan could survive in the short term (at least the first year), and I really can't see that happening in the current climate.

[Nickolas]

If DW buys 558 then she won't be flying from Brunty...........
The Waltons (no pun intended..) have had enough trouble moving lots of vehicles while 558 was there.

That's principally why she left.
Runway is knackered for flight worthy A/c use and there is an ever increasing FOD risk.
I can't personally see DW buying her other than to get back to the situation he was in in 1993.

The numbers are slowly creaping up but can enough momentum be gathered before the end of the month??

I bloody hope so.

[Vulcan Bomber]

Anyone else seen the query on the well known 'professional rumour' site? They are asking for clarification as they have 'heard' that David Walton is interested in 'buying' the vulcan again.

Now then, it does raise the question though of whether this is as a precursor to adding to the ground based airframes at Bruntingthorpe if the flying days are ended or if he has designs on keeping the old girl going under a company of his. Could make for some 'interesting' times if it is the latter.

G

Maybe we could ask Mr D Walton to help us out with the cash he would be willing to spend on buying 558 back for his collection at Brunty.

Why has this not be thought of before...................

You have to be careful there, David Walton has already bought 558 back in 1993, he bought all the 600 odd tons of spares available at the time, then the 8 flight worthy engines at a later date and I also believe he payed for the airframe to be stripped and the initial inspections, plus half his big hanger making him no money, Mr Walton has poured rather alot of his funds into the project already.

[P.eames]

New tenants are due to move into the hangar shortly and if I'm not mistaken 558 cannot be sold so Mr Walton would not need to buy 558, then there is the money thats owed to him.

[Sooty655]

The funding problems got a brief mention and video clip on the local news on BBC East (W) this evening, described as having been "restored by engineers from Cambridge". Sadly no details of how to donate, and no specific mention of the birthday appeal.

[Spitfire]

The funding problems got a brief mention and video clip on the local news on BBC East (W) this evening, described as having been "restored by engineers from Cambridge". Sadly no details of how to donate, and no specific mention of the birthday appeal.

# Targeted ADVERTISING in regional newspapers where affordable.
# Contact with national media and PR agencies to get XH558’s story in front of as many people as possible.

So that worked then

[Gully]

The funding problems got a brief mention and video clip on the local news on BBC East (W) this evening, described as having been "restored by engineers from Cambridge". Sadly no details of how to donate, and no specific mention of the birthday appeal.

# Targeted ADVERTISING in regional newspapers where affordable.
# Contact with national media and PR agencies to get XH558’s story in front of as many people as possible.

So that worked then

To be fair, the Trust has no editorial control over how the media use their press releases. ITV confirmed '558 was based at IWM Duxford! At least the story was aired in a number of BBC and ITV regions and those who have an interest can investigate as they so wish.

No problem with knocking when due, but for the sake of it?

Gully

[Spitfire]

No problem with knocking when due, but for the sake of it?
Gully

Oh come on - we all know the recent announcements by pleming in his recent 'update' were far too little too late - that's what I was pointing out - this should all have been set in motion last JULY/AUGUST - so that press and media were briefed about what was coming in the winter well in advance - and if a media source misquotes or misrepresents then the press office should contact them and tell them. Media will normally quote verbatim from a well presented press release - so if they make it up it may be because they were badly briefed.

Launching a 9 point plan of 'new' initiatives in early February is appalling - that's the real point

[Gully]

Problem with the press is that they're only interested in bad news or the latest crisis. Gaining mainstream coverage to say 'we will be facing closure in 6 months' was always going to be a non-starter. Everything helps at this stage.

Not to say I'm not in complete agreement that the fundraising should have been well advanced during the flying season so as to avoid the current situation, or at least reduce the financial shortfall. However, irrespective of how many times that point's made, nothing can now change the fact that evidently little was achieved despite whatever efforts were going on behind the scenes.

Gully

[Xplumberlives]

Déjà vu!
C'est la vie!

[Nickolas]

43.4% of lifeline needed with 13 and a bit days to go.....................

I think I can hear the fat lady arriving.

[Xplumberlives]

Careful what you say now!

[Cluny]

43.4% of lifeline needed with 13 and a bit days to go.....................

I think I can hear the fat lady arriving.

Is she using one of these ?

[Dougs]

[Nickolas]

43.4% of lifeline needed with 13 and a bit days to go.....................

I think I can hear the fat lady arriving.

Is she using one of these ?

Love it Paul.

[Old Rigger]

Just as a matter of interest I know it has been suggested that maybe Mr Walton could buy her back, but if you look at the accounts Pie chart £144,000 is listed as paydown to Mr Walton for what I can only assume what is still owed him for when 558 was at Bruntingthorpe so if he is still owed so much money, assuming that he will get similar amounts in the future until debt is paid, why would he want to then 'buy' 558 back.

[Gaz]

Just as a matter of interest I know it has been suggested that maybe Mr Walton could buy her back, but if you look at the accounts Pie chart £144,000 is listed as paydown to Mr Walton for what I can only assume what is still owed him for when 558 was at Bruntingthorpe so if he is still owed so much money, assuming that he will get similar amounts in the future until debt is paid, why would he want to then 'buy' 558 back.

Because nobody (And I mean NOBODY) loves that aircraft more than him!

The only person that talks about the AIRCRAFT (Not the administration) with equal enthusiasm, is Taff

[Nickolas]

Just as a matter of interest I know it has been suggested that maybe Mr Walton could buy her back, but if you look at the accounts Pie chart £144,000 is listed as paydown to Mr Walton for what I can only assume what is still owed him for when 558 was at Bruntingthorpe so if he is still owed so much money, assuming that he will get similar amounts in the future until debt is paid, why would he want to then 'buy' 558 back.

Because nobody (And I mean NOBODY) loves that aircraft more than him!

The only person that talks about the AIRCRAFT (Not the administration) with equal enthusiasm, is Taff

I think that there are a couple of Groups that love 558 also.

I could ramble on about her ad infinitum too.

[Xplumberlives]

How much can you spare?

[Old Rigger]

Hi Gaz, I don't doubt that for one minute and was not trying to imply anything otherwise. I was mearly pondering that if the trust owes him all that money (£144,000 is a big chunk of what is needed for the engineering work), of which part of the money being donated is possibly going to pay that amount and anymore remaining debt, so it was more a case of does he still technically financially own more of 558 than the trust, if so, why would he need to pay for it again i.e if it all goes wrong (not that I want/hope it does obviously, before I get accused of anything ), would he get it back virtually free and hence discharge any remaing debt.

[Mayfly]

The latest figures show they have passed through the £300K mark - however the totals haven't been updated since Friday tea-time so I assume there will be a bit more to add on from phone/snail mail pledges.