Farewell to 'Queenie' Gloster Meteor T7 - Coventry 20/3/18

[George Aldrich]

Today at lunchtime, many assembled at Coventry Airport to bid farewell to Gloster Meteor T7 G-BWMF as she lifted on her final flight in the UK, to Liverpool John Lennon this afternoon, where she will continue her journey to her new life in the US.
It is with a fond farewell from myself, sending best wishes to her new owner, with whom 'Queenie' will continue flying in American skies.

1.Gloster Meteor T7 G-BWMF - Air Atlantique Classic Flight / World Heritage Air Museum by George Aldrich, on Flickr

2.Gloster Meteor T7 G-BWMF - Air Atlantique Classic Flight / World Heritage Air Museum by George Aldrich, on Flickr

3.Gloster Meteor T7 G-BWMF - Air Atlantique Classic Flight / World Heritage Air Museum by George Aldrich, on Flickr

4.Gloster Meteor T7 G-BWMF - Air Atlantique Classic Flight / World Heritage Air Museum by George Aldrich, on Flickr

Goodbye, WA591!

Thanks for looking

George

[chockchain]

A couple of pages of shots & info from out friendly LJLA enthusiasts here...........
http://derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/2 ... 20-03-2018

enjoy

[NickC]

Well documented George. After losing F8 Winston to the other side of the World, I had hoped we wouldn't lose any more airworthy Meteors. I can understand the reasons though. Hopefully Queenie will be as well looked after in its new home as Winston is.

[paddyboy]

Hi George

Top work as always

Thanks for posting

Paddyboy

[PR9]

While sad she is leaving, given the classic jet scene here at the moment it is hardly surprising.
At least the weather should be kinder over there.

Do we still have the NF11 or are we down to the MB Meat boxes?

[George Aldrich]

Well documented George. After losing F8 Winston to the other side of the World, I had hoped we wouldn't lose any more airworthy Meteors. I can understand the reasons though. Hopefully Queenie will be as well looked after in its new home as Winston is.

Thank you, Nick. Agreed - on the one half, it's sad it's left our shores - but happy for the time she was here, and that she will continue to fly.

Hi George

Top work as always

Thanks for posting

Paddyboy

Cheers Paddyboy, glad you're pleased

While sad she is leaving, given the classic jet scene here at the moment it is hardly surprising.
At least the weather should be kinder over there.

Do we still have the NF11 or are we down to the MB Meat boxes?

Agreed! She'll be well looked after I'm sure. Yes, the NF11 is still here at CVT, can't wait to see it fly when it does again.

George

[Supra]

Whilst it's hard to argue that both the political & weather climate won't be better for this aircraft in the USA, I can argue that it should have remained in the UK! I appreciate that we as a Nation cannot save everything, but it does seem perverse in the extreme that the oldest actual flying RAF jet in the UK departs these shores in the Centennial Anniversary year of the RAF, without attending a single related event in 2018.
Sooner, rather than later we need to start a proper conservation programme that sees some of our most relevant aircraft preserved in flying condition for future generations, instead of private individuals / publicly-funded 'clubs' scrabbling about in boxes of rusty bits to make one good one..until the money runs-out!
The Swedish Air Force Historic Flight (SwAFHF) model could provide the basis for a successful UK copy? Now for the list....anybody got a flyable Swift, Harrier, Jaguar, Buccaneer Tornado F3? Naturally, we still have Vampire, Venom, Meteor NF11, Hunters, Canberra, Sea Hawk & Sea Vixen....but will we ever see them fly again? Especially given the Shoreham witch-hunt which prevents a inquest before mid 2019 soonest.

[paddyboy]

Supra: I couldn't agree more, but the 'Shoreham effect' has decimated 'proper' displays forever, methinks

[pitot_head]

Thanks for sharing George, catching the last take-off, must have had a twinge of loss to see it go. The last landing is nicely recorded by the Liverpool enthusiasts along with someone's personal involvement in its restoration

[chockchain]

Penultimate UK 'take off' here...
scroll down http://derbosoft.proboards.com/thread/2 ... 08-04-2018

[Ghastly Whisper]

Sooner, rather than later we need to start a proper conservation programme that sees some of our most relevant aircraft preserved in flying condition for future generations,

Yea, there has been in the past, Vintage Pair after those a single Meteor all lost to accidents, the Vulcan before it was sold off, actually I think there were two maybe three Vulcans earmarked for a Vulcan Heritage Flight? or some such? 558 the Southend one and one other? Of course we do have the BBMF hopefully they will be with us for a long time to come, but dont count on it, anything can and will happen. With the cash strapped RAF as it is now I'm surprised the Tornado's are still going and that more Typhoons have not been scrapped or stored. However Cosford and Hendon are crammed full of historic airframes that have been used by the RAF why waste money getting them flying again? The manpower is missing for starters, money is also missing, knowledge is also slipping away.

So lets take just one airframe out of Cosford, just for arguments sake the Javelin, first it has to be stripped down to see what state its in, then anything non airworthy has to be replaced, with parts that are either freshly out of stores or newly manufactured, then its just a case of putting it back together again and being flown? nope, where is the money coming from? the manpower? where has all the Javelin knowledge gone?

Sorry but I just can not see todays RAF doing anything to bring back its heritage in the shape of anything more advanced than a Spitfire for the BBMF.