WIX Archives

Re: PV202

Posted by Phil Earthey on Sat Dec 22, 2001 03:23:56 AM

In reply top PV202 posted by david J burke on Fri Dec 21, 2001 05:58:07 PM

Whilst I understand peoples feelings regarding this and their willingness to put conditions on the continued survival of PV202, one should bear in mind that this incident would appear to have been caused by an error of judgement on behalf of one of the pilots, and not a mechanical shortfall of the aeroplane. In other words PV202 did not let down her crew. Should PV202 be rebuilt to fly, in MHO yes indeed.

I do however agree that the motives for rebuilding this aeroplane should not be driven by profit alone.

To scrap the aeroplane or leave it as it is would be a great travesty as we are talking about an ex. combat veteran Spitfire. Similarly to simply brush the aeroplane's existance under the carpet and 'part it out' in support of other rebuilds would blight other good aeroplanes with the stigma of flying with parts from an aeroplane which killed it's crew, which remember it didn't.

Time is indeed a great healer, and I think that in say ten years time we'll be looking at that aeroplane at an airshow and still recognising her for the beautiful piece of engineering she is. No, we must not forget those who perrished in the accident, but PV202 represents an imporant part of history and must it be forever blighted by the fact that occasionally even the best people make mistakes?

Phil
(curently in hiding anticipating a barrage of abuse!)


: This is a very difficult subject. I think in reality the w
: ill be a straight split betweeen people who want her in t
: he air again and people who don't. Her demise was very pub
: lic and also tragic. Her value is as a trainer Spitfire to
: instill knowledge which hopefully avoid similar accident'
: s which befell her. Sadly she is a commercial commodity an
: d has a value - hence she was bought post crash investigat
: ion. This will mean in the fullness of time that she will
: fly again but I realistically feel she does need to wear a
: new scheme which is completely different to what she has
: worn previously - I would even favour moving away from a m
: ilitary scheme into the yellow scheme of Tr.8 G-AIDN
: and a full revision to instructor canopy arrangement.
: In wartime it was standard practice for aircraft tha
: t were involved in fatal incidents to be rebuilt and flown
: again maybe with the passage of time we have become more
:
: sensitive to the issue's and in the case of this machine I
: don't think the will be a clamour to be at her unveiling
: post rebuild. Her demise is still very fresh in my mind -
: I
: hope so much that when she does take to the air she is a l
: iving memorial to two fine men rather than a ?1.5 million
: pound investment with no soul. The people are more inmport
: ant than the machine - if she never flew again I wouldn't
: bat a tear but it's all down to your beliefs.

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