>Hi All

Just to let you know that we have passed the final hurdle due to a generous offer from Alan Peace at JD Peace who made up the final shortfall and paid for the display licence required for the event.

Not forgetting the generous contributions from all of you which has made this event possible. Also needing mentioned is the generous offer of the accommodation from Olly Sinclair at the Royal Hotel in Stromness for the pilot and Derek Mowat who has been an immense help in putting this together.

We are aiming for the display to take place at 7pm on 3rd June. The display itself will take place over Kirkwall Bay in a line North to South so it will be viewable from Hatston all the way round to Carness. The authorities have all been informed so we are just waiting for the green light.

The final contibutors list is as follows.

Derek Mowat, Dunstane House Hotel……….£1000

Lawrie &Maggie Mitchell, Setter, Firth…..….£200

Anonymous………………………………………………..£100

Andrew Brown……………………………………………£200

Ian Thain……………………………………………………..£ 50

Jim and Jean Thompson…………………………….£200

Myself………………………………………………………..£200

Eddie Ratter, Scapa Garage………………………. £200

Norman Brass, Blue Star garage, Stromness £200

R Clouston, Kirkwall…………………………………… £100

DS Nicloson Rendall ……………………………………£100

Donald Mowat, St Margerets Hope …………..£100

Olly Sinclair, Royal Hotel, Stromness ………….£100

Jim Nicolson Rendall …………………………………..£50

MT Austin…………………………………………………….£100

Kirkwall Hotel……………………………………………….£200

Airfayre………………………………………………………..£50

G&A Barnie…………………………………………………..£100

RAFA matched by Colin Wylie………………………£100

Gwenda Shearer…………………………………………..£100

William Shearer, Victoria St…………………………..£150

Chris Wild, Craigie’s Taxis………………………………£100

Clouston Lodges, Orphir……………………………….£100

Alan Peace, JD Peace……………………………………£350

Total £4150

As I said last night we are going to organise a private viewing of the aircraft on the evening of the 2nd June for all contributors and details will follow shortly. As we have now reached the amount of pledges required I can confirm the method of payment. Can you please either make a cheque payable to A Hodgson for your pledge amount or the cash equivalent. Please place in a sealed envelope clearly marked with your name and amount written on the front.

Cheques can be posted to me at Kirkwall Airport Terminal or if you are passing the airport, you can drop the envelope in to the information desk. Once again, many thanks for all your support and contributions. Those who have offered physical assistance may be needed shortly as the weekend before the visit will necessitate a trip to Skea Brae for a bag the bruck.

Will be in touch again shortly

Many thanks

Neil

>Hello All

Just another quick update to keep you informed. Another couple of generous donations today bringing us to just £400 short of target. We have ordered the Spitfire in the knowledge we will reach the required funding. I will let you know shortly how to redeem your pledges.

Derek Mowat, Dunstane House Hotel……….£1000

Lawrie &Maggie Mitchell, Setter, Firth…..….£200

Anonymous………………………………………………..£100

Andrew Brown……………………………………………£200

Ian Thain……………………………………………………..£ 50

Jim and Jean Thompson…………………………….£200

Myself………………………………………………………..£200

Eddie Ratter, Scapa Garage………………………. £200

Norman Brass, Blue Star garage, Stromness £200

R Clouston, Kirkwall…………………………………… £100

DS Nicloson Rendall ……………………………………£100

Donald Mowat, St Margerets Hope …………..£100

Olly Sinclair, Royal Hotel, Stromness ………….£100

Jim Nicolson Rendall …………………………………..£50

MT Austin…………………………………………………….£100

Kirkwall Hotel……………………………………………….£200

Airfayre………………………………………………………..£50

G&A Barnie…………………………………………………..£100

RAFA matched by Colin Wylie………………………£100

Gwenda Shearer…………………………………………..£100

William Shearer, Victoria St…………………………..£150

Total to date…………………………………………………£3600

Many thanks to all

Neil

>Derek Mowat, Dunstane House Hotel……….£1000

Lawrie &Maggie Mitchell, Setter, Firth…..….£200

Anonymous………………………………………………..£100

Andrew Brown……………………………………………£200

Ian Thain……………………………………………………..£ 50

Jim and Jean Thompson…………………………….£200

Myself………………………………………………………..£200

Eddie Ratter, Scapa Garage………………………. £200

Norman Brass, Blue Star garage, Stromness £200

R Clouston, Kirkwall…………………………………… £100

DS Nicloson Rendall ……………………………………£100

Donald Mowat, St Margerets Hope …………..£100

Olly Sinclair, Royal Hotel, Stromness ………….£100

Jim Nicolson Rendall …………………………………..£50

MT Austin…………………………………………………….£100

Kirkwall Hotel……………………………………………….£200

Airfayre………………………………………………………..£50

G&A Barnie…………………………………………………..£100

RAFA matched by Colin Wylie………………………£100

Total to date…………………………………………………£3350

£650 to go, now at the final hurdle. I have also spoken to Loganair Engineering who have offered to look after the Spitfire overnight. As I understand it, the pilot has been speaking to the CAA today for permission to fly lower for display purposes. If this is granted, it means £150 more but we are so close I am confident of reaching the amount required.

As a final push, if anyone can think of anyone with an interest in aviation, business or personal, who may manage to assist financially. Please ask them to get in touch.

All the best and many thanks to all for your generous support.

Neil

>Hello all

Thought it was time to bring you up to date, Derek and I have been working hard raising funds and I have listed the current financial position below and although optimistic are running out of time. I have copied Dave Gray of Radio Orkney into this e-mail hoping he would be kind enough in one of his broadcasts to give an update to the public letting them know the situation and requesting further pledges to the cause (imposing on his good nature!).

I have also copied in Cheryl Campbell from the Orcadian who has given us the exposure so far and Craig Taylor from Orkney Today who keeps in touch regularly with me at Kirkwall Airport. I am also ever hopeful that the Orkney Media Group may be interested in making a contribution to this unique event.

Current picture:

Derek Mowat, Dunstane House Hotel……….£1000

Lawrie &Maggie Mitchell, Setter, Firth…..….£200

Anonymous………………………………………………..£100

Andrew Brown……………………………………………£200

Ian Thain……………………………………………………..£ 50

Jim and Jean Thompson…………………………….£200

Myself………………………………………………………..£200

Eddie Ratter, Scapa Garage………………………. £200

Norman Brass, Blue Star garage, Stromness £200

R Clouston, Kirkwall…………………………………… £100

DS Nicloson Rendall ……………………………………£100

Donald Mowat, St Margerets Hope …………..£100

Olly Sinclair, Royal Hotel, Stromness ………….£100

Jim Nicolson Rendall …………………………………..£50

Totalling ……………………………………………………..£2800

We have still to hear from OIC, RAFA, RBL and one or two others. To keep things above board, I will have details shortly of where the money should be paid if it all comes together.

Provisional dates are as follows:

1. Arriving Wednesday 2nd June for display 3rd June

2. Arriving Monday 7th June for display 8th June

Weather and ash cloud dependant! Many thanks go to all who have offered their support and all contributors. I will try and update quickly as and when things change.

Best wishes

Neil

>Hi all

Have now spoken to the CAA, they confirm we do not need a licence to bring the Spitfire here. I also received another pledge today from Lawrie and Maggie Mitchell from Setter in Firth for £200 so getting there. I wish there was more I could ask you to do but at the moment its all about raising the necessary funds.

I was visited yesterday by David Morgan, a pilot and member of the Fresson Trust. He also happens to be a journalist and he is preparing a press release for some of the nationals and the P&J so things are about to become higher profile.

Thanks for reading and keep in touch

Regards

Neil

>Dear All

I apologise for not being in touch sooner, however, I have been away for nearly ten days and have had limited web access. First of all thank you for your offer of support in this venture.

Tough UK economic trading conditions has meant difficulty in obtaining funds so far but that does not mean work does not go on. At the moment I am waiting for the CAA to come back to me to discuss the least painless and expensive way to classify this potential visit.

It may be the only way to achieve this is for the initial landing to be at Kirkwall Airport. The airport manager has intimated a public viewing may be possible outside opening hours which would solve a huge problem. From Kirkwall Airport a tribute flypast or landing could be achieved at Skea Brae. The biggest problem is the relatively short timescale involved.

A Civil Engineer from Airport Infrastructure Services has offered to advise on the necessary steps to achieve the landing at Skea Brae and this will ultimately decide the final methodology.

In the meantime, I intend to visit the Chairman of the Royal British Legion and RAFA to ask for their support. I have spoken to the Royal Engineers to see if they can assist, however, they confirmed today that the cost of taking plant to Orkney is prohibitive, again due to budget cuts, and cannot help on this occasion. I also hope to speak to the heritage department of the OIC after work tomorrow to see if they are willing to get involved.

If you have any suggestions of potential funders, they would be gratefully received. Once we get closer to the target, I would hope we could all meet to discuss things in detail.

Thank you for your interest and if you want to chat, my home number is (01856)878626 or personal mobile 07799533805.

Best wishes

Neil

>Shortly after the cessation of hostilities in Western Europe in May 1945, RAF Skeabrae was placed on a Care and Maintenance basis, and after the closure of Scapa Flow Royal Naval Base, was finally sold off in 1957.

After a chance meeting with Orcadian, Derek Mowat, now a successful hotelier in Edinburgh, I became aware that Anthony Hodgson, the owner and operator of one of the few remaining Spitfires, namely PT462, was keen to bring this historic aircraft to Orkney.

With the historic link to RAF Skeabrae and RAF Grimsetter, now Kirkwall Airport, I have looked into the possibility of this being achievable in June of this year. Feeling that this was an idea which could be expanded and become a reality, I sent a few e-mails and made a few phone calls. Peter Vacher is owner and operator of Hurricane R4118, the last surviving Hurricane from The Battle of Britain with flight capability, and he has informed me that he would also be interested in bringing this unique aircraft to Orkney. A further phone call to Derek Mowat indicated that many other pilots of historic aircraft would be willing to participate in an event in Orkney in June.

The current owner of Skeabrae, Stewart Wood of Garson Farm, is very enthusiastic and supportive of the idea to bring historical aircraft to Orkney and has offered to allow them to land at the airstrip for the first time in six decades. Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd are also very supportive of this event.

As time is short and the cost of bringing these aircraft to Orkney to participate in a historic event is considerable, I am asking for volunteers and sponsors who would be willing to support or help sponsor this proposed event, as without such participation, this event will not be possible.

Derek Mowat has very generously pledged 25% of the cost of bringing the Spitfire to Skeabrae. This is potentially a unique and historically significant event for Orkney and I would hope to organise public access to these wonderful aircraft.

If you would be interested in offering either your time or your sponsorship to this unique event, or should you wish any further information, please contact me on 01856 878626 evenings or weekends or e-mail me on thain@thenookorkney.com.

>Why “Through Struggle To The Stars”. This is the official RAF translation of Per Ardua Ad Astra, their motto inherited from the Royal Flying Corps.

Legend has it that the motto was suggested by a junior officer, JS Yule, after suggestions were requested by the Commanding Officer of the RFC, Colonel Sykes.