A missed chance for Cockpitfest?

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21 years

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I see the Arts Council have given an 'artist' £500,000 to tow a DC9 fuselage round Wales. I'm sure the Plugmeister could have done a better deal with 20 cockpits! ;)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2119607/The-arts-festival-tied-Olympic-Games-thats-costing-5-4m.html
mmitch.

Original post

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19 years 1 month

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If these amounts are true...you really could not make it up :eek:

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18 years 1 month

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ACE don't know what they're missing!

I'm still not into their ways - woolly teddies here in the East Midlands!! ;)

Amendment - sorry crocheted lions!

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17 years 6 months

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Well, I’ll certainly remember that.....when I watch HMS Plymouth being towed off to be scrapped! :rolleyes:

I loath this country sometimes. :mad:

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13 years 3 months

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Sadly the unbelievable has become the norm when it comes to this country. The most lateral thinking intellectuals on the planet would still, in their most wildest dreams fail to make up some of the things the government spends our money on. AND gets away with it. It's just crazy.

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16 years 9 months

Posts: 196

Whilst I agree with the sentiments here, especially that the olympics is a monumental waste of money I feel there is more to this story.

Arts Council funding is notoriously hard to get, even for a minimal amounts it requires a hell of a lot of paperwork, proposals, planning and sponsorship so they won't just be flippantly throwing it towards the DC9.

I wish more could be preserved, HMS Plymouth in particular, but there has to be a balance between looking after the past and creating new things for the future, be it tangible items or concepts.

People regularly lament Britain's lack of innovation these days but times and markets change - Britain is a world leader in contempory art generating massive profits and attempting to widen the way people think. Sometimes its rubbish and doesnt make sense, other times its fantastic, but thats what innovation should be about, taking risks.

Had I as a 10 year old gone into the Tate Britain and seen Fiona Banner's Harrier hanging there like the spoils of a hunt id have probably been straight home to look up where I could see one actually fly! (before realising I couldnt anymore due to other ridiculous decisions, but thats another story)

MH

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18 years 2 months

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Is it Me ????.. Is It ???, or would you all agree Finally the Lunatics ARE running the asylum ?? :rolleyes:.....

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17 years 6 months

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I don’t want to give the impression that I’m stuck in the past or anti-art (or anti-anything-that-isn’t-about-preserving-history); for example I am pro-Olympics although I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in any of the sporting events that will be taking place.

I actually went to see the Sea Harrier and the Jaguar that were displayed in the Tate for a while. I seem to remember that these ‘art installations’ generated a lot of criticism here but I was quite impressed, particularly by the Jaguar; it was a very interesting way to view the aircraft and gave an insight into their construction that I hadn’t experienced before (the engineering however was a bit ‘ropey’ in places). I doubt that is what the artist intended but that isn’t really important is it.

I’m sure there is an enormous bureaucratic mountain to climb to get Arts Council funding but that wouldn’t really be my criticism; my problem is that so much money is allocated to these transient displays when the ‘art’ element is minimal and the money seems to be being spent on the engineering (and I’m very keen on engineering). I would have no objection to spending the same amount of money on some properly funded, and lasting, art engineering workshops; something sustainable that could generate a lasting legacy for young artists.

I’m sure seeing a DC9 trailer roll down your street will be vaguely memorable but so would filling the entire street with cow-dung; and I don’t see how either of these events has any connection whatsoever to do with the Olympics other than to satisfy some ill-conceived government ‘quota’ for ensuring that Olympics money isn’t all spent in London, England!

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24 years 2 months

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I'm not going to knock them spending the money, but it's the choice of what it's being spent on. They say the idea is to create a memory that lasts with people, but how many people will see the DC9, or attend the football game in the forest or any of the other projects? I'd have liked to have seen something permenant that would last for generations. Think Angel Of The North type project.

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19 years 2 months

Posts: 5,196

ACE don't know what they're missing!

I'm still not into their ways - woolly teddies here in the East Midlands!! ;)

Amendment - sorry crocheted lions!

I know the armed forces are drawing down but was pleased to see:

'RAF Collage Of Air Warfare, Macaws Display Team':D

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15 years 3 months

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..... pleased to see:

'RAF Collage Of Air Warfare, Macaws Display Team':D


TwinOtter can you expand on this ?

Are a few of the ex-display pilots attending ?

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18 years 1 month

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Not that I’m aware of.

I believe that Rocketeer was merely making a ‘play on words’ comment using the word “Collage” ;)

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16 years 2 months

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Ha ha, too much Linton Gin, methinks?:D - or not enough, perhaps!

Anon.

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18 years 1 month

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I’m sure there’ll be lots of ‘gin’ at the Saturday evening do for this reunion later this month!! ;)

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18 years 1 month

Posts: 7,742


TwinOtter can you expand on this ?

Are a few of the ex-display pilots attending ?


Steve,

I must apologise for missing that the NAM 2012 Cockpit-Fest listing has details of a display about “RAF College Of Air Warfare, Macaws Display Team” – information overload I’m afraid, sorry!! :o

I will endeavour to find out what is being planned for this particular display – I also anticipate that a further event update will be added to the NAM website later today!

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15 years 3 months

Posts: 93

Steve,

I must apologise for missing that the NAM 2012 Cockpit-Fest listing has details of a display about “RAF College Of Air Warfare, Macaws Display Team” – information overload I’m afraid, sorry!! :o

I will endeavour to find out what is being planned for this particular display – I also anticipate that a further event update will be added to the NAM website later today!


Thanks T.O. I'd appreciate it.

I will be visiting Cockpitfest for the first time this year & am primarily interested in Aerobatics ( especially Jet Provost teams ) & Javelins so it looks like the event will fit the bill perfectly !

I'm hoping to go home with loads of bits for my JP & Javelin instrument panels. ( from the Aeroboot, not the aircraft on display :eek: )

Tkanks
Steve

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18 years 1 month

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Steve a request for more details has been sent to the exhibitor and we are still waiting for a reply!

We'll be watching you on your parts search!! :D

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18 years 1 month

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Steve,

Below is the response from the exhibitor; you also have a PM! :)

“I will be showing original team photos along with flying helmets with oxygen masks, which have been painted to show the teams over the years. I will be also showing different types of flying suits worn by aircrew and the Macaws from Manby.

There will be a team members display board that shows all the team members from 1968 to 1973.

90 percent of the items in the collection are original but some patches and other items have been replicated to show people what the Macaws were about.

There will also be on show a selection of station items from both the flying college and the college of air warfare, and small parts from my Jet Provost XS177 that flew with the Macaws in 1972.

I hope this is of some help and people should not be disappointed with the display.”