Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Discuss all things 'aviation' that do not fit into a more appropriate forum
Post Reply
User avatar
CameronSys
Posts: 552
Joined: Fri 19 Jul 2013, 12:33 pm

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by CameronSys »

A fair point, but in fairness they did say that if members wanted to know exactly what was going on they were welcome to call. Having said that, an email would have been nice though.

Cameron

Auster_9
Posts: 106
Joined: Mon 01 Sep 2008, 9:43 am

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by Auster_9 »

I went down there today to see the Anson depart (still there) and met up in the afternoon with three sets of members that dropped by to have a look around. Was quite difficult to tell them that it was alas no more. Seems none of them have Facebook and are none the wiser like I presume the majority of members. Speaks for itself really, as otherwise they wouldn't have made the journey in the first place.

A lot is going on though as lorries seem to be in and out all the time, taking items back to Coventry. I created a sit in flight simulator for visitors to use with a full cockpit etc and hope that this will be used at Coventry. Of course, the scenery will have to be changed from the North Cornwall coast to Warwick Castle! :) Had all the scenery created, the aircraft painted in their proper schemes (Venom J-1649 is the fuselage pod that people sat in), took months to put everything together, but I enjoyed doing it.

Image

Image

Image

Image

FGR2
Posts: 2952
Joined: Mon 15 Sep 2008, 11:12 am

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by FGR2 »

I did wonder whether any members would turn up oblivious, to find a semi-empty or empty hangar :(

Busy or not an email should have been sent to the members, that should have been a priority, as they were sending monthly emails previously.

An email shot out to everyone is only common decency. The fact that people are journeying and finding an empty hangar just adds to the complete mess that this has been, and cannot be good for PR.

When the small broadcast project I was involved with was closed down, the MD (who I knew very well), called all the main people and told them, sent an email out to the other volunteers, before going public.

He also called a meeting to discuss the closure with they key working community groups. This was small scale, but he made sure everyone who was directly involved knew.

Quite different to CAF's approach of being too busy to let their supporters know :(

User avatar
AMB
Posts: 1421
Joined: Sat 04 Oct 2008, 2:14 pm
Location: Midway between Bristol & London

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by AMB »

DanO1978 wrote:
FGR2 wrote:The diner was another commercially bonkers idea, do you want to have a meal in a cramped 1960s airliner, overlooking a desolate runway or have a meal and drinks overlooking Newquay Harbour or perhaps, Watergate Bay, or Fistral Beach?

Who really would have gone out of their way to eat in a VC-10?


Indeed. Same is true of the conversion of G-SIXC at Coventry, which I believe having been converted into a winged burger joint was sold, struggled, and was then bought back by the original owners.

If you're going out for dinner, an old shell of an aeroplane, sat on a pretty grey and desolate airfield is hardly going to persuade many to divert from the local gastropub.

Some of the reviews on TripAdvisor of the DC-6 Diner should make chastening reading. Over 10% of the 220+ reviews rate is as "terrible".


10% is very low! If someone told you that you were going to be taken out to lunch aboard a 1950s airliner on a sunny Sunday, would you really be bothered where it is located? I have eaten on the DC-6 Diner and it's a unique experience and even better at night when the cockpit it fully illuminated. Food is good and reasonably priced too. I take it you haven't done that?
Adrian

sopwithflyer
Posts: 416
Joined: Mon 03 Feb 2014, 11:59 am

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by sopwithflyer »

CameronSys wrote:A fair point, but in fairness they did say that if members wanted to know exactly what was going on they were welcome to call. Having said that, an email would have been nice though.

Cameron


No Cameron an e-mail wouldn't have been nice! It would have been an important piece of customer management. In all business the hardest customers to gain are the ones you have lost. This operation is a business, its complete lack of evaluation and management has led to the current situation and that complete lack of communication with its customers (members) re-iterates this..
I am not a member, just read occasionally. Have visited and sad its gone and wish the volunteers all the best.

EGDR
Posts: 409
Joined: Thu 16 Jan 2014, 2:47 am
Location: Helston, Cornwall

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by EGDR »

CameronSys wrote:but in fairness they did say that if members wanted to know exactly what was going on they were welcome to call.



Yes they did, on Facebook. As evidenced by Auster_9's post, not all members have Facebook!

User avatar
PeteM
Posts: 952
Joined: Thu 05 Feb 2009, 7:08 pm
Location: North Cornwall

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by PeteM »

The Hunter T8 was towed from the HAS site to 404 Hangar today where it will be repainted.

Image

Auster_9
Posts: 106
Joined: Mon 01 Sep 2008, 9:43 am

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by Auster_9 »

The Anson it seems left Newquay yesterday destined for Coventry. This was the last airworthy aeroplane to leave Cornwall. Now only the statics remain and a few of these are also to follow in the same direction.

FGR2
Posts: 2952
Joined: Mon 15 Sep 2008, 11:12 am

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by FGR2 »

Such a shame, barely lasted two years down there :(

It was one of the highlights of the opening weekend at Newquay.

Still nothing sent out to members. Now the operation has virtually wound down, I wonder when they will think of sending us all an email to let us know what has happened?

The only positive thing I can say about CAF is that at least there are a couple of more bookings in the airshow calendar for their Aircraft than last year.

106500
Posts: 504
Joined: Sun 27 May 2012, 9:14 am

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by 106500 »

On the up side as a member I've just received free tickets for the air show on 2nd May - not all bad.

Auster_9
Posts: 106
Joined: Mon 01 Sep 2008, 9:43 am

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by Auster_9 »

Members newsletter has just been released this evening....10% Newquay, 90% Coventry as expected.

I've finished with them now, not going back, not even to the new venture. Wednesday was my last day to see the Anson off (but we didn't wait for the fog to lift and so went supping local ales. Felt better for that!:))

User avatar
CameronSys
Posts: 552
Joined: Fri 19 Jul 2013, 12:33 pm

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by CameronSys »

On the upside, 2 more shows to be announced at CVT a this year. Nice.

FGR2
Posts: 2952
Joined: Mon 15 Sep 2008, 11:12 am

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by FGR2 »

About time we got the newsletter. Brief bit about Newquay, and I am still surprised that they only realised it was unviable in the last couple of months, after starting work on the new hangar. Particularly after Mike Collett setting the record straight and assuring members and the press that a presence would remain in Newquay.

On a slightly separate note, I love the headline on the CAF web page though "Put yourself in the picture by becoming a member of a classic club."

I heard everything about the closure of Newquay through here, Facebook and the Cornish Guardian about a month before being "put in the picture" by CAF. :wall:

Hasboman
Posts: 741
Joined: Wed 15 Jun 2011, 7:06 pm

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by Hasboman »

Could anyone copy the newsletter onto here?

busby pete
Posts: 84
Joined: Mon 01 Apr 2013, 5:49 pm
Location: helston cornwall

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by busby pete »

I also would love to see a copy of the news letter. :-X
think from what I've been told today, the airframe situation at Newquay might not dwindle down as much as enthusiast at Coventry would like it to! :question:
Seem you might not be getting all the airframes back!! :whistle:

Auster_9
Posts: 106
Joined: Mon 01 Sep 2008, 9:43 am

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by Auster_9 »

busby pete wrote:I also would love to see a copy of the news letter. :-X
think from what I've been told today, the airframe situation at Newquay might not dwindle down as much as enthusiast at Coventry would like it to! :question:
Seem you might not be getting all the airframes back!! :whistle:


Am afraid to say have deleted my newsletter and yes you are correct. From what I hear from those still there, none of the airframes are going back to Coventry now and all will be part of the new venture - Cornwall Aviation Park. Believe three other airframes may join the collection from elsewhere. Big plans for the future!

User avatar
CameronSys
Posts: 552
Joined: Fri 19 Jul 2013, 12:33 pm

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by CameronSys »

There's hardly any space for them at Coventry anyway!

User avatar
Southendnick
Posts: 2068
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 8:30 am
Location: Southend-on-Sea

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by Southendnick »

So what is staying.
Spelling mistakes and grammatical error specialist

http://www.southendtimeline.com

User avatar
PeteM
Posts: 952
Joined: Thu 05 Feb 2009, 7:08 pm
Location: North Cornwall

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by PeteM »

Southendnick wrote:So what is staying.


From the top of my head:
VC10, BAC111, Hunter T8, Hunter GA11, Lightning F53, Sea Devon, Varsity, Harrier GR3, Canberra T4, Sea Hawk.

busby pete
Posts: 84
Joined: Mon 01 Apr 2013, 5:49 pm
Location: helston cornwall

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by busby pete »

CameronSys wrote:There's hardly any space for them at Coventry anyway!

You won't mind if they stay then.. will you! :whistle:
I spoke with geoff today. And to add to pete list above is the Venom nose, the " city of Truro" civi thing and the powered glider (can't remember the name now!) All in all not a bad little selection to be going on with. And the main thing is. The aircraft that the volunteers spent so much time on, they get to hang on to. :cool:
Cameron.. good luck with coventry.. let's hope it all works out for you all.. not like it did 3years ago when it all moved to newquay in the first place! !! :question:

Cyril Dorricott
Posts: 83
Joined: Sun 15 Jun 2014, 9:31 am

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by Cyril Dorricott »

PeteM wrote:
Southendnick wrote:So what is staying.


From the top of my head:
VC10, BAC111, Hunter T8, Hunter GA11, Lightning F53, Sea Devon, Varsity, Harrier GR3, Canberra T4, Sea Hawk.


That's an impressive list.
Quite depressing that Classic Air Force care not for them, and have abandoned them to a probable scrapping.
Certainly doesn't bode well for the Classic Air Force at Coventry.

FGR2
Posts: 2952
Joined: Mon 15 Sep 2008, 11:12 am

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by FGR2 »

Really there wasn't much in the newsletter that we didn't already know.

The general gist was:

Visitor numbers were up in 2014.

They were looking to move from Hangar 404 to Hangar 661 with another (541) to be used for a café/shop etc. Costs of refurbishment spiralled to £200,000 with an annual overhead of more than that on top which meant they had to pull the plug.

It noted their "primary concern, was the welfare of the aircraft," and that they would be handing over some of the static airframes to the new venture at Newquay if it was successful.

That was about it really.

TomEGLF
Posts: 39
Joined: Thu 10 Jul 2014, 6:51 pm

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by TomEGLF »

Cyril Dorricott wrote:
PeteM wrote:
Southendnick wrote:So what is staying.


From the top of my head:
VC10, BAC111, Hunter T8, Hunter GA11, Lightning F53, Sea Devon, Varsity, Harrier GR3, Canberra T4, Sea Hawk.


That's an impressive list.
Quite depressing that Classic Air Force care not for them, and have abandoned them to a probable scrapping.
Certainly doesn't bode well for the Classic Air Force at Coventry.


Well, that's not quite true now is it, and is hardly fair on the group of people trying to salvage something down in NQY out of this whole sorry affair, and those at Coventry who are trying to put things back together up there.

The airframes listed are far from being scrapped or broken up. If the NQY guys can pull things together, and there is no reason at this point to suspect they won't, then CAF will give them to the new venture to look after, along with other things to get them started. Name me another air museum which has opened in recent times with the array of aircraft on display that they will have? The NQY staff and volunteers have done some brilliant work on aircraft like the Harrier and Varsity and long may it continue.

Historic Flight's, Classic Flight's, CAF's first priority has always been to maintain classic aircraft in Airworthy condition, and that is what will continue to happen at Coventry. This is one of the largest collections of flying classic aircraft in the world and unless you are running your own classic aircraft you cannot begin to imagine the colossal amount of money that requires. The figures were scary when I worked there 8 years ago, I dread to think what they look like today.

Also consider that probably 90% of the money put in to the collection for the last few years has come from one individuals own pocket, so just give some thought to whether you would have continued to pour your own money into a venture which was falling short of your expectations, for whatever reasons. I'm pretty sure the answer is no, you wouldn't.

CAF will continue, NQY looks like it will emerge as a more realistic proposition run by people 100% committed to it. This is certainly not CAF's finest hour, far from it, but two stronger organisations could emerge from the ashes if given the chance.

Lets have a little less negativity and a little more support, for both locations, please?

Tom.

Oh, and if you want to read the members newsletter, join the club, support the aircraft. That plus all the other benefits must be worth the £1 a week for the basic membership?

Cyril Dorricott
Posts: 83
Joined: Sun 15 Jun 2014, 9:31 am

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by Cyril Dorricott »

What i have stated may be not fair, i apologise, but probably the harsh reality.

It certainly is not my intention to be dismissive of the efforts of the volunteers at NQY,all of whom have worked formidably well and have produced outstanding results,or indeed anyone else involved in this affair whatsoever.

But consider this;
The vast, vast majority of the population of Cornwall couldn't give two hoots for aviation.
Of the small small minority that do, some will be enthusiastic enough to help out, giving time and labour for no wage.
Of the remaining aviation fans in Cornwall,
a few may return a few times each year for a look around, but most will probably visit once.

Therefore the venture will be reliant on passing tourists, will that trade generate enough income to pay the rent?

FGR2
Posts: 2952
Joined: Mon 15 Sep 2008, 11:12 am

Re: Classic Air Force, Newquay - how's it doing?

Post by FGR2 »

I really hope with a very focussed, local based museum, this could work at Newquay. I do wonder what would have happened if the volunteers had just walked away and left CAF to sort out what to do with the airframes.

I do think that a lot of work needs to be done to keep members happy now. To be told one thing in the magazine, (dismissing the persistent rumours that Newquay was closing, that were doing the rounds on the web) then three months later winding up the whole operation makes the magazine seem like a bit of a waste of time.

Either it was a load of twaddle, or they had not looked at their cost projections for the next three months. :dizzy:

As I have said before, to then not let members know (they pay into the operation as well), for a month is bizarre at the least. Surely if you are a member you should be informed before or at the same time as others are, not 4 weeks after the museum has closed, after press releases have gone out, and after volunteers have been posting updates for weeks on Facebook and exhibits are already on low loaders!
Mind you I think they did the same when they moved from Coventry as well, so perhaps it is par for the course.

Trying to put a positive spin on it, it is good to see that the Newquay operation is moving along, and that CAF aircraft are getting a few more bookings this year.

It is a shame, the operation lurches from one thing to the next, as at the beginning of this thread I was one of the most positive people about CAF and their plans.

Post Reply