A debt we owe. By Dave Eade

Since her arrival in the UK at the 1975 Biggin Hill Air Fair, the B17 Flying Fortress – 'Sally B' to us all, has, at airshows all over Europe, represented the crews of the United States Army Air Force lost to the Second World War European campaign. In doing so, she has increased public awareness to this sacrifice, and become a favourite with families and enthusiasts alike. We are reminded of those youngsters, who came to the fields of East Anglia, to fight a war that was not theirs to fight – many thousands not to return to their homes.

However, any aviation enthusiast would have to have been on another planet not to have heard the saga of misfortune to hit the old lady since September last.

Whether enthusiasts like it or not, it is the appearance of favourites such as 'Sally B' at shows that bring in Joe Public. Star billing to him is not two Turkish F4s or a Flanker from the Ukraine; it is 'Sally B', the Red Arrows, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and the like. Without that interest, our future as airshow-goers is threatened. The news then, that the future of 'Sally B' is jeopardised in this country should be viewed by all aircraft buffs with concern. 'Aircraft Illustrated' magazine reports in the July issue that unless sponsorship is found, her future may well lie in foreign skies. If this was to happen, it would be a tragedy.

So, what can we do about it?

The thought occurs that, with the cancellation of so many shows this year, there are going to be a lot of empty Saturdays between now and the end of the season. Is it not possible then, to dedicate one of those days to a "Sally B Airshow"? Costs could, on this occasion, be kept to an absolute minimum by airshow acts donating their fees and, for once, doing it for nothing! They need an airshow future as much as we do. I appreciate that many costs would have to stand - insurance, policing, toilet facilities etc., but there are surely enough people out there to make this work. Ice cream companies and fast-food outlets have all profited by the airshow. Every car that attends fills up at Esso, Shell or even Tesco! It’s a way to put something back – into something that represents so much.

An alternative is large sponsorship. Think how many shutters click at every aircraft pass at the airshow. If 20,000 people turn up to a show, and carry 5,000 cameras (one per family), that’s an average of £25,000 spent on film purchase (at £5 total cost per film). Multiply this up by the number of airshows in a year, and the corresponding crowd, then we are talking mega-money here. Why then, cannot Kodak or Fuji put up the money to hold this show?

Where would this airshow be held? I suppose Duxford is a natural for this – with so much airshow infrastructure in-house, so-to-speak. The Imperial War Museum also owes a debt to 'Sally B', as a crowd -puller to all the shows they have put on since her arrival.

So – 20,000 people paying £10 per head average – net receipts £200,000. Free advertising from the magazines, video receipts donated to the cause, a chance for us to save this star of our airshow scene. Who are we? – Everybody that has attended an airshow in the last 20 years.

These are not the thoughts of a war-bird freak. It is just the murmuring of somebody who has spent some of the best times of his life standing on airfields all over the UK, often the very airfields from which those youngsters flew, although hardly recognisable now. Maybe the USAFE could acknowledge its heritage and support this fine old aeroplane into the next millennium, in the country that is her spiritual home.

It’s the debt we all owe.