st24 wrote:Remember the good old days when your Doug Arnolds, your Ted Whites, your Steve Greys, your Tony Bianchis, your Ray Hannas etc obtained, refurbished and flew warbirds to honour history ; the men machines and moments that forged what the world became... I shouldn't because its only a lump of metal and fabric (it's not-it's the finest British fighter
) but I find this £making story very sad.
These heroes of aircraft preservation were/are all of a generation that grew up when these aircraft were still around operationally, and the then very recent history was still fresh in the collective consciousness.
Sadly, given how much further in the past those times are now, there is no longer that direct resonance felt by the majority of people. So we end up with a far smaller pool of candidates who have both the means and desire to pour millions into owning, operating and flying such aircraft themselves; and because of that greater detachment, it's also less likely that a benefactor would come along and own and operate such aircraft without themselves being a pilot.
Two-seaters, as much as some on here see them as;
"a bloody shame"
"a crime"
"Crap news"
"a bastardised mongrel is borderline criminal"
"A real shame"
"hideous"
"an airframe......rendered pointless."
"butchery"
"faffed-about-with Sedan chair for rich passengers."
"wanton vandalism"
"Ruining a unique and much-loved warbird"
"wrecking one of the finest restorations"
"Hawker Demolitions Ltd"
"poor decision"
"running before they can walk"
.......might well be the sustainable future in the historic warbird scene.
Like it or not operating a warbird is an expensive business.
And you never know, actually having a flight in the back seat of a Spitfire or Hurricane might well be the spark that lights the passion of the next major warbird operator?