ps the sound gave me the horn.
[Edited on [1265401957R0=082828p: by philw]
Was sent this recently, hope it's not been posted b4, but probably deserves another airing even if it has:-
Dear All,
I understand there is a very strong evidence to suggest that as a defence cut, the Govt is planning to axe the B of B Flight - the Lancaster,
Spitfires and Hurricane etc.
It cost only about £3 million (0.1% of the Defence budget) but gives joy to millions of all generations around this country. Moreover it remains a
fitting tribute to the sacrifices of those in the 2nd WW in both Bomber and Fighter Command. In short it is a part of our national heritage!
The petition against this can be signed on line at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/BBMFCuts/
If you feel strongly about this, you might like to pass the website address on to one or two others
Is nothing sacred, DONE.
Mike.
I am sorry but money is better spent properly equipping our guys in Afghanistan. There is no shortage of airworthy Spitfires in the UK although I know the situation is very different for Lancasters and Hurricanes.
Done
With the amount of money this government wastes this amount is chicken feed.
Done too.
It is a lovely sight, taken from the roof of our camper at the Goodwood revival,
ps the sound gave me the horn.
[Edited on [1265401957R0=082828p: by philw]
quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
I am sorry but money is better spent properly equipping our guys in Afghanistan. There is no shortage of airworthy Spitfires in the UK although I know the situation is very different for Lancasters and Hurricanes.
quote:
Originally posted by scootz
quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
I am sorry but money is better spent properly equipping our guys in Afghanistan. There is no shortage of airworthy Spitfires in the UK although I know the situation is very different for Lancasters and Hurricanes.
+1 I'm afraid!
That's 12,000 sets of body armour...
For all those who would sign the petition - are you happy to keep seeing stories about 20 year old kids being killed or coming home with no legs for
the comfort of knowing a couple of WW2 planes can keep flying every now and then?
I'm a former serving soldier, and as such am very proud of our heritage. It must come second to making sure our current serving soldiers are
given the best advantages possible on a difficult battle field.
quote:
That's 12,000 sets of body armour...
For all those who would sign the petition - are you happy to keep seeing stories about 20 year old kids being killed or coming home with no legs for the comfort of knowing a couple of WW2 planes can keep flying every now and then?
I'm a former serving soldier, and as such am very proud of our heritage. It must come second to making sure our current serving soldiers are given the best advantages possible on a difficult battle field.
or just not fight a war in a mess of a country and save billions?
quote:
Originally posted by Dangle_kt
or just not fight a war in a mess of a country and save billions?
They don't care about our heritage.
They give the UK away to Europe and are too busy apologising for the past.
They don't care about anything but themselves, that's why I left!!
quote:
Originally posted by Steve G
quote:
Originally posted by scootz
quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
I am sorry but money is better spent properly equipping our guys in Afghanistan. There is no shortage of airworthy Spitfires in the UK although I know the situation is very different for Lancasters and Hurricanes.
+1 I'm afraid!
+2
I've got 2 cousins serving in Afghanistan and would rather see that money spent properly equipping them and their colleagues.
If the cost is only £3m a year to keep the WW2 planes flying, then stick an extra quid or two on the price of a ticket to the numerous airshows throughout the year and pay for it that way.
+3
quote:
Originally posted by StevieB
That's 12,000 sets of body armour...
For all those who would sign the petition - are you happy to keep seeing stories about 20 year old kids being killed or coming home with no legs for the comfort of knowing a couple of WW2 planes can keep flying every now and then?
I'm a former serving soldier, and as such am very proud of our heritage. It must come second to making sure our current serving soldiers are given the best advantages possible on a difficult battle field.
Well having been around when those planes had work to do, and did it bloody well, (which is part of the reason you don't have to speak German now). I find your comments, (disenters), small and petty. This flight is about the only thing to remind us of the hundreds of young RAF men, and women, lost in action to protect this country. Would you complain if it was to remember the young people lost in these last and pointless wars? If our wonderful government cared anything for our guy's, there would be no shortage of money to supply the correct gear, they waste millions on R and D and then don't put the whatever into production, (bet not many remember TSR2), but there are many, many more cases just like it. Plus they all, (well most), seem only to quick to stick their fingers into the honey pot, and don't give a monkeys about the troops. Rant over. Oh! and yes I HAVE signed it. Ray
quote:
Originally posted by Chippy
Well having been around when those planes had work to do, and did it bloody well, (which is part of the reason you don't have to speak German now). I find your comments, (disenters), small and petty. This flight is about the only thing to remind us of the hundreds of young RAF men, and women, lost in action to protect this country. Would you complain if it was to remember the young people lost in these last and pointless wars? If our wonderful government cared anything for our guy's, there would be no shortage of money to supply the correct gear, they waste millions on R and D and then don't put the whatever into production, (bet not many remember TSR2), but there are many, many more cases just like it. Plus they all, (well most), seem only to quick to stick their fingers into the honey pot, and don't give a monkeys about the troops. Rant over. Oh! and yes I HAVE signed it. Ray
Bugger it, stick a tenner on the ticket and have the proceeds going to serving or injured soldiers. I agree with both sides we have to better equip our soldiers but we all have to have something for the enjoyment and to remind people of the past. If it weren't for things like this and Eden Camp (highly reccomended by me) the next generation would have no idea who was actually in WW2
quote:
Originally posted by designer
They don't care about our heritage.
They give the UK away to Europe and are too busy apologising for the past.
They don't care about anything but themselves, that's why I left!!
I am a Canadian as was my Father and Stepfather.
My father is buried at Radcliff on Trent RCAF Base Langar.
My stepfathr flew Spitfires with the RAF and RCAF in Britian, Malta, France and Holland before being shot down and captured over Germany in Nov
1944.
I believe these aircraft should be kept flying.
I attend the Oshkosh Airventure every year and the number of Mustangs the Americans keep flying is astonishing.
quote:
Originally posted by Chippy
Well having been around when those planes had work to do, and did it bloody well, (which is part of the reason you don't have to speak German now). I find your comments, (disenters), small and petty.
I go to the occasional air show, my favourite being the free one held over two days at Lowestoft.
To put things in perspective it costs less to put on than our MP's have "over claimed" on second homes.
Everyone used to be asked to chuck £1 in the bucket (this year it will be £2) and this pays for the show.
_________________________________
Quote:-
"The event has been organised by the Lowestoft Seafront Air Show charitable trust for the last five years with the help of corporate
sponsors and donations from visitors to the seafront. It will cost between £320,000 and £326,000 to put on this year's festival.
Last year's event raised £81,000, of which more than £28,000 went back to charities, and they were hoping to at least raise that amount again.
An estimated 420,000 people came on the two days last year and the event won the Tourism in Suffolk award for the Best Festival or Event in
2008."
_________________________________
Do the maths. I chucked a fiver in and I feel mean.
The BBMF and the Vulcan etc. need income from shows to keep in the air and it makes my blood boil to think that people can be so tight.
Afghanistan is another issue. While I fully support our troops you can't win a guerrilla war.
Look at Vietnam, Ireland, etc. The people that throw the bombs end up running the country.
All IMHO you understand.
Paul G
[Edited on 6/2/10 by 907]
I find this whole thing very intresting. I think it would be wrong to drop the Flight and not spend the money they would have on our forces (Which
seems to be the plan) as its about 50p a year per person.
I think the money would be better spent on equipment and think the flight should be able to survive as a charity because I do think its important.
I think there are much better ways to redistibute government spending, and the idea of defense budget cuts whilst we're at war in two countries
sickens me.
quote:
Originally posted by t.j.
quote:
Originally posted by designer
They don't care about our heritage.
They give the UK away to Europe and are too busy apologising for the past.
They don't care about anything but themselves, that's why I left!!
Hmmmm, that's not nice. The thinking of Europe is to help each other and to become a stronger "country" together.
In that case money will be saved as trade between the memberstates is free and easy.
And as the UK must import a lot off stuff from abroad it's a must you stick with Europe......
And imo those planes must be saved by people who love them, and not be payed by tax-payers
[Edited on 6/2/10 by t.j.]
Wow! Hadn't meant to stir up a hornets' nest!
I can actually see both sides of the argument, but personally i can't see that we're doing much good in Afghanistan, I'd much rather
see our boys pulled out & save a lot more money - it's no longer a war out there, more a sort of humanitarian mission & there are people
better placed to do that than soldiers.
They recently came out with the fact that they have spent £13 million (IIRC) on helicopters for our guys out there - wait for it - to be ready by 2012
or 2013 - in other words after we should no longer be there!!!
This government has so much sensless waste it is unbelievable - they've just announced you'll only have to work about half as long to
qualify for state pension! - that's going to help a lot - NOT!
Sorry - rant over!
Pick a bit out at randon, why don't you! I think the remainder of the post states the case. But as for getting people killed in my family, I don't think so mate, none of them are that stupid to join the forces. Me being the last one to do so, and I did my time in Ireland, and Cyprus, which were the wars of the day. The only people who died for others in my family were those that were in the 2ndWW, and there were too many of them. Ray
I'm afraid too many people are falling into the classic misdirection being carried out by the government.
We've already spend over £5.7bn* on the effort in Afghanistan.
Do you really think that they will take any £3million saving and use it to directly buy anything they wouldn't have been able to for the military
that they wouldn't have bought anyway? That's less than a 12hours spend at the current rate**, so cutting the ww2 planes is nothing but a
publicity fig leaf to show they are cutting stuff rather than any useful amount of cash. They could get that amount of money by not installing
useless traffic calming measures for a week or so.
* http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2009/oct/05/afghanistan-spending-per-head-uk-us-canada-defence
** http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=phNtm3LmDZEPnKo7yLtmkNg
Is it really money which counts by saving lives?
IMO it always the question are we giving the people freedom back Yes or No?
If it is yes, don't bother about the money.
It costs money but what if they cared about the money in 1944?
Nobody asked why we gave so much money to a corrupt government in Hiati....
So it's the only way:
Invest in freedom or else yours is next.
Some very good arguments for and against, can see both points of view.
However it is unlikely that the £3M saving would be directed into the Afghan conflict budget...nice thought as it is. Just as likely to be spent on
white paint for touching up before the Queen visits....
Bear in mind that these aircraft support a lot of fund raising events around the country throughout the year.
The MOD has already stated that it will not allow private funding or charity support for the BBMF.
Whilst the BBMF is a fitting memorial for those who served, it is also a fantastic reminder of Britain's past engineering ability.
Red Arrows next?
I reserve my disgruntlement for the £Billions put aside to bail out the banks at the drop of a hat. Now that's a lot of body armour....
Yep, I agree with Richard. Anyone who is naive enough to believe that the money rediredted from the BBMF would be spent on Afghanistan ( which I think
is out 3rd or 4th attempt out there in history and it has NEVER been or come to a satifactory conclusion out there ) or our soldiers out there is
being a little easily led. Yes our boys deserve every penny spent on them if not a lot more. However personnally I think the politicians should be the
first to make cuts in their support. If they are not prepared to go out there and lead our lads from the front then they should donate all their
expenses and even their salaries they recieve from the government. That little sum would certainly improove matters.
[Edited on 7/2/10 by jollygreengiant]