So, I'm trying to acquire Avro Lancaster KB882
Tue Feb 10, 2015 1:57 pm
Hi Gang,
I am sharing the below because at this point, I've tried my best and there is nothing more I can do about the situation.
As some of your may have seen through the grapevine of modern media, the owners of Avro Lancaster KB882, located in Edmundston, New Brunswick, Canada have been forced to make a heart-breaking decision about their beloved Lancaster's future. Unable to secure funding to build a hangar for it, they have been actively looking for a new home to send their Lanc. They created a competitive application process for any Canadian organization to offer their group to be the new custodians for the airplane. The City of Edmundston, the true owners of Lancaster KB882, will be making their decision over the coming days.
(photo credit unknown)
From what I deduced, this Lancaster is deemed "Canadian Cultural Property" which means it cannot be exported, and can only be offered to an organization within Canada that can properly look after and prevent any further deterioration to the artifact. This past September, when I learned about this opportunity, and the possibility that I could potentially acquire this amazing piece of Canadian aviation history, and bring it to British Columbia for permanent display and restoration to flying condition, I jumped at the opportunity.
I created and incorporated an organization called the Lancaster Preservation Society, and started building a plan of how I would transport it, where I would keep it, how it would be housed, who would help restore it, and where the money would come from... Because let's be serious, this is probably one of the largest WWII warbird restoration projects anyone could possibly undertake, save for maybe a B-29, or B-24. I suspect when all is said and done, that $10 million dollars wouldn't be unrealistic.
I'd like to admit to you a funny fact. Because of the enormity of this undertaking, I have actually found it very easy to build support for the project. This isn't just a little airplane that played a little part in the history of humanity; it was a major player and dimensionally speaking, it's bloody huge! This ain't no Anson or Bolingbroke, of which I suspect it would be much harder to fundraise for. Needless to say, it has gotten people very excited. Also, so many Canadians have family connections to the Lancaster; whether it was a family member who helped build them, repair them, or flew aboard them during WWII.
To make a long story short, I'll say that I have gotten some amazing support and received some surprising commitments.
I have spoken with Abbotsford Airport management and they are incredibly supportive of our project, and they are committed to providing the lowest possible cost/leased land on which we can build our restoration facility.
I have also communicated with RCAF headquarters in Ottawa requesting the use of their heavy-lift resources to transport the Lancaster from New Brunswick to British Columbia (that's practically all the way across the continent). The RCAF representative I spoke to was very interested in the project and my request is just awaiting the Defense Minister's approval.
In just the last few days, I was also provided with a commitment from a person that for now I will keep nameless, who offered a currently dismantled hangar for us to use as our restoration facility! For this, I am incredibly grateful, as it was the last piece of the puzzle I needed before I could put forward a truly excellent application to acquire KB882.
So, I've got a place to keep it, a building to put it in, and a way of getting it here. I keep saying over and over in my head, "If you build it, they will come!"
Perhaps it's wishful thinking, but I expect that there will be a lot of enthusiasm and support for this project and hopefully lots of people interested in volunteering to bring this Lancaster back to life. Abbotsford Airport is home to Cascade Aerospace which does heavy maintenance on Boeing and Bombardier products, and they also have a contract with the RCAF to do retrofitting work on their C-130 Hercules. Conair Aerial Firefighting also has their home base at Abbotsford Airport, and they too do significant maintenance work on their fleet of waterbombers. Lastly, there is the University of the Fraser Valley's Aerospace Campus, where they have British Columbia's only aircraft structures training program. Sharing the airfield with these three organizations, I expect that we'll have a very large and skilled local population to draw volunteers from.
Abbotsford Airport is also home to the Abbotsford International Airshow, which attracts approximately 125,000 spectators every year. The exposure our project would get from just being at the airshow each year would be significant. It will serves as an excellent way for us to show off our project's progress on an annual basis. It would also be our main tool to attract new members and volunteers, as well as project funding.
The last thought I'd like to leave you with is a selfish one, but I think it's a good argument. Of the surviving 16/17 Lancaster in the world, 8 are located in Canada. Of these 8, 4 are in the province of Ontario, and none are in British Columbia. The closest Lancasters we have to Vancouver are two examples in Alberta. I want to change that by bringing KB882 to Abbotsford, British Columbia. I can't say for sure, but through the research I've done, it appears that all the organizations I am competing against to acquire this Lancaster are based in Ontario. This would mean Ontario's population of Lancasters would rise to 5 and BC would still be left Lancaster-less. I feel that Canada's aviation artifacts should be more evenly spread across the country, and it makes sense to grant one Lancaster to British Columbia. Hopefully this argument will help Edmundston City Council decide in our favour.
There you go. That's my story. This has been a project that I've poured my heart and soul into over the past 4 months. In such a short amount of time, I've come from one man dreaming, to an organization that is fully prepared to receive and begin an absolutely massive warbird restoration project.
Cheers,
David McIntosh
**Disclaimer: We'll take the Lancaster restoration as far as the airframe condition and funding will allow. It may only be static, or possibly ground running, but our goal is to fly her someday. That vision is what guides our efforts.
I am sharing the below because at this point, I've tried my best and there is nothing more I can do about the situation.
As some of your may have seen through the grapevine of modern media, the owners of Avro Lancaster KB882, located in Edmundston, New Brunswick, Canada have been forced to make a heart-breaking decision about their beloved Lancaster's future. Unable to secure funding to build a hangar for it, they have been actively looking for a new home to send their Lanc. They created a competitive application process for any Canadian organization to offer their group to be the new custodians for the airplane. The City of Edmundston, the true owners of Lancaster KB882, will be making their decision over the coming days.
(photo credit unknown)From what I deduced, this Lancaster is deemed "Canadian Cultural Property" which means it cannot be exported, and can only be offered to an organization within Canada that can properly look after and prevent any further deterioration to the artifact. This past September, when I learned about this opportunity, and the possibility that I could potentially acquire this amazing piece of Canadian aviation history, and bring it to British Columbia for permanent display and restoration to flying condition, I jumped at the opportunity.
I created and incorporated an organization called the Lancaster Preservation Society, and started building a plan of how I would transport it, where I would keep it, how it would be housed, who would help restore it, and where the money would come from... Because let's be serious, this is probably one of the largest WWII warbird restoration projects anyone could possibly undertake, save for maybe a B-29, or B-24. I suspect when all is said and done, that $10 million dollars wouldn't be unrealistic.
I'd like to admit to you a funny fact. Because of the enormity of this undertaking, I have actually found it very easy to build support for the project. This isn't just a little airplane that played a little part in the history of humanity; it was a major player and dimensionally speaking, it's bloody huge! This ain't no Anson or Bolingbroke, of which I suspect it would be much harder to fundraise for. Needless to say, it has gotten people very excited. Also, so many Canadians have family connections to the Lancaster; whether it was a family member who helped build them, repair them, or flew aboard them during WWII.
To make a long story short, I'll say that I have gotten some amazing support and received some surprising commitments.
I have spoken with Abbotsford Airport management and they are incredibly supportive of our project, and they are committed to providing the lowest possible cost/leased land on which we can build our restoration facility.
I have also communicated with RCAF headquarters in Ottawa requesting the use of their heavy-lift resources to transport the Lancaster from New Brunswick to British Columbia (that's practically all the way across the continent). The RCAF representative I spoke to was very interested in the project and my request is just awaiting the Defense Minister's approval.
In just the last few days, I was also provided with a commitment from a person that for now I will keep nameless, who offered a currently dismantled hangar for us to use as our restoration facility! For this, I am incredibly grateful, as it was the last piece of the puzzle I needed before I could put forward a truly excellent application to acquire KB882.
So, I've got a place to keep it, a building to put it in, and a way of getting it here. I keep saying over and over in my head, "If you build it, they will come!"
Perhaps it's wishful thinking, but I expect that there will be a lot of enthusiasm and support for this project and hopefully lots of people interested in volunteering to bring this Lancaster back to life. Abbotsford Airport is home to Cascade Aerospace which does heavy maintenance on Boeing and Bombardier products, and they also have a contract with the RCAF to do retrofitting work on their C-130 Hercules. Conair Aerial Firefighting also has their home base at Abbotsford Airport, and they too do significant maintenance work on their fleet of waterbombers. Lastly, there is the University of the Fraser Valley's Aerospace Campus, where they have British Columbia's only aircraft structures training program. Sharing the airfield with these three organizations, I expect that we'll have a very large and skilled local population to draw volunteers from.
Abbotsford Airport is also home to the Abbotsford International Airshow, which attracts approximately 125,000 spectators every year. The exposure our project would get from just being at the airshow each year would be significant. It will serves as an excellent way for us to show off our project's progress on an annual basis. It would also be our main tool to attract new members and volunteers, as well as project funding.
The last thought I'd like to leave you with is a selfish one, but I think it's a good argument. Of the surviving 16/17 Lancaster in the world, 8 are located in Canada. Of these 8, 4 are in the province of Ontario, and none are in British Columbia. The closest Lancasters we have to Vancouver are two examples in Alberta. I want to change that by bringing KB882 to Abbotsford, British Columbia. I can't say for sure, but through the research I've done, it appears that all the organizations I am competing against to acquire this Lancaster are based in Ontario. This would mean Ontario's population of Lancasters would rise to 5 and BC would still be left Lancaster-less. I feel that Canada's aviation artifacts should be more evenly spread across the country, and it makes sense to grant one Lancaster to British Columbia. Hopefully this argument will help Edmundston City Council decide in our favour.
There you go. That's my story. This has been a project that I've poured my heart and soul into over the past 4 months. In such a short amount of time, I've come from one man dreaming, to an organization that is fully prepared to receive and begin an absolutely massive warbird restoration project.
Cheers,
David McIntosh
**Disclaimer: We'll take the Lancaster restoration as far as the airframe condition and funding will allow. It may only be static, or possibly ground running, but our goal is to fly her someday. That vision is what guides our efforts.
Re: So, I'm trying to acquire Avro Lancaster KB882
Tue Feb 10, 2015 2:15 pm
daveymac82c wrote: This has been a project that I've poured my heart and soul into over the past 4 months. In such a short amount of time, I've come from one man dreaming, to an organization that is fully prepared...
Sometimes that's all it takes. Look at Charles Lindbergh's story. Good luck!
Re: So, I'm trying to acquire Avro Lancaster KB882
Tue Feb 10, 2015 2:18 pm
Dave
As far as I know the decision as to who will get the Lanc is solely the responsibility of the City of Edmundston themselves as they own the Lanc.
You may want to start there
However , I have heard thru my contacts that a decision has been already made as to who it will go to but has not been made public yet
Best of Luck , I too feel it would be nice to have Lancs spraed across Canada
As far as I know the decision as to who will get the Lanc is solely the responsibility of the City of Edmundston themselves as they own the Lanc.
You may want to start there
However , I have heard thru my contacts that a decision has been already made as to who it will go to but has not been made public yet
Best of Luck , I too feel it would be nice to have Lancs spraed across Canada
Re: So, I'm trying to acquire Avro Lancaster KB882
Tue Feb 10, 2015 2:28 pm
Hey fleet16b,
I do know that the City of Edmundston owns KB882. That being said, an organization called the Society for the Preservation of the Edmundston Lancaster, which directly looks after the airplane was tasked with sorting through the applications. As I've read recently, they will be making a presentation to the Edmundston City Council today (February 10th) with their recommendations, and that it will be up to the council to decide the Lancaster's fate.
I know that Trenton is interested in it, and is the front-runner, and that the CWH and CHAA are both wanting the airframe too.
The way I see it, if I don't put an effort in to acquire KB882 and bring it to BC, then who will?
We'll see what happens. Obviously Edmundston City Council will be putting a lot of consideration into their decision, and they will come up with the best possible outcome for the airplane. Whether mine is the winning application or not, I'll be sad to see the airplane leave Edmundston, but happy that it will be going to the best possible new home.
Cheers,
David
I do know that the City of Edmundston owns KB882. That being said, an organization called the Society for the Preservation of the Edmundston Lancaster, which directly looks after the airplane was tasked with sorting through the applications. As I've read recently, they will be making a presentation to the Edmundston City Council today (February 10th) with their recommendations, and that it will be up to the council to decide the Lancaster's fate.
I know that Trenton is interested in it, and is the front-runner, and that the CWH and CHAA are both wanting the airframe too.
The way I see it, if I don't put an effort in to acquire KB882 and bring it to BC, then who will?
We'll see what happens. Obviously Edmundston City Council will be putting a lot of consideration into their decision, and they will come up with the best possible outcome for the airplane. Whether mine is the winning application or not, I'll be sad to see the airplane leave Edmundston, but happy that it will be going to the best possible new home.
Cheers,
David
Re: So, I'm trying to acquire Avro Lancaster KB882
Tue Feb 10, 2015 3:50 pm
Wow!
Pretty impressive dream David.
$10 Million would probably be a pretty good start.
It's important to secure the future of this combat veteran.
I'm O.K. with B.C getting a Lanc especially if we get to share your Mosquito!
Best of luck David.
Andy Scott
Pretty impressive dream David.
$10 Million would probably be a pretty good start.
It's important to secure the future of this combat veteran.
I'm O.K. with B.C getting a Lanc especially if we get to share your Mosquito!
Best of luck David.
Andy Scott
Re: So, I'm trying to acquire Avro Lancaster KB882
Tue Feb 10, 2015 4:16 pm
Hi David,
Wow... talk about jumping in head-on! Can't get much bigger than a Lancaster restoration! My hat is off to you. You seem to have that gumption and drive to get it done! I sure hope you succeed. I am always rooting for anyone who is willing to restore a Lancaster to flying condition. Now if we could only find some more B-24s.
Heres a slightly skewed angle to this proposition. Maybe a conjoined effort with the CWH would be most beneficial? A deal where this Lancaster goes to Abbotsford to be based but is under the CWH's jurisdiction. Thus creating CWH-West. Maybe their is a greater advantage to this angle since you would then have the resources that the CWH has to offer, in addition to the great resources you mentioned that are already located in Abbotsford. Maybe some extra aircraft could be transferred too to the West from the East? Just a thought...
BEST OF LUCK!!!!
Wow... talk about jumping in head-on! Can't get much bigger than a Lancaster restoration! My hat is off to you. You seem to have that gumption and drive to get it done! I sure hope you succeed. I am always rooting for anyone who is willing to restore a Lancaster to flying condition. Now if we could only find some more B-24s.
Heres a slightly skewed angle to this proposition. Maybe a conjoined effort with the CWH would be most beneficial? A deal where this Lancaster goes to Abbotsford to be based but is under the CWH's jurisdiction. Thus creating CWH-West. Maybe their is a greater advantage to this angle since you would then have the resources that the CWH has to offer, in addition to the great resources you mentioned that are already located in Abbotsford. Maybe some extra aircraft could be transferred too to the West from the East? Just a thought...
BEST OF LUCK!!!!
Re: So, I'm trying to acquire Avro Lancaster KB882
Tue Feb 10, 2015 7:29 pm
I was just made aware that the CWH does not hold an interest in acquiring KB882. Rumours are rumours and I apologize for making assumptions and for misrepresenting the CWH's intentions.
Cheers,
David
Cheers,
David
Re: So, I'm trying to acquire Avro Lancaster KB882
Tue Feb 10, 2015 7:40 pm
Lots of rumors running about this airframe online.. Like Fleet said, once a decision is made then they will make an announcement..
Re: So, I'm trying to acquire Avro Lancaster KB882
Tue Feb 10, 2015 8:00 pm
Best wishes and fingers crossed, David! Without naming names, of course, are any of the other contenders intending to make it flyable as well?
Re: So, I'm trying to acquire Avro Lancaster KB882
Tue Feb 10, 2015 11:48 pm
Best of luck Dave, but be careful what you wish for...
Re: So, I'm trying to acquire Avro Lancaster KB882
Wed Feb 11, 2015 12:49 am
daveymac82c wrote:I know that Trenton is interested in it, and is the front-runner, and that the CWH and CHAA are both wanting the airframe too.
My heart skipped a beat there...lol
I think you meant CH2A in Windsor.
CHAA in Tillsonburg does not hold an interest in acquiring KB882 either.
Re: So, I'm trying to acquire Avro Lancaster KB882
Wed Feb 11, 2015 1:22 am
I hope you guys are able to get the bird indoors and she gets rebuilt and flying. You are looking down the barrel of a lot of work and a lot of years so you better start training the next generation to carry on the work.Hats off to you all and good luck.
Re: So, I'm trying to acquire Avro Lancaster KB882
Wed Feb 11, 2015 3:36 am
Hey rcaf_100,
Sorry if I gave you a heart attack! I didn't realize that the Canadian Historical Aircraft Association was shorted down to CH2A. So are you saying that the CHAA only have an interest in round engines, then?
And yes, I know it's going to be a long and expensive project, but I figure that $10 Million and about 10 years of hard work could get the Lancaster at least near flying condition. Like all restorations, the more zeros before the decimal that you throw at it, the less years it'll take.
Speaking of that, does anyone have close ties to Paul Allen? He might not even notice $10 million leaving his bank account. lol.
Once an announcement is made about KB882's future, I'm sure you'll all hear about it pretty quick.
Thank you for all the well wishes.
Cheers,
David
Sorry if I gave you a heart attack! I didn't realize that the Canadian Historical Aircraft Association was shorted down to CH2A. So are you saying that the CHAA only have an interest in round engines, then?
And yes, I know it's going to be a long and expensive project, but I figure that $10 Million and about 10 years of hard work could get the Lancaster at least near flying condition. Like all restorations, the more zeros before the decimal that you throw at it, the less years it'll take.
Speaking of that, does anyone have close ties to Paul Allen? He might not even notice $10 million leaving his bank account. lol.
Once an announcement is made about KB882's future, I'm sure you'll all hear about it pretty quick.
Thank you for all the well wishes.
Cheers,
David
Re: So, I'm trying to acquire Avro Lancaster KB882
Wed Feb 11, 2015 4:49 am
Best of luck David, I hope things work out and KB882 comes in from the cold. I know how the waiting for this kind of process can really grind you down (I'm negotiating on an Avro Shackleton...) but keep your spirits up. It can be done.
If you are successful - can I plead with you here and now to keep her postwar colours? She is significant in being a genuine WW2 veteran, but also in that she's the last of her kind representing Canada's extensive postwar use of the type.
All the best,
Rich Woods
If you are successful - can I plead with you here and now to keep her postwar colours? She is significant in being a genuine WW2 veteran, but also in that she's the last of her kind representing Canada's extensive postwar use of the type.
All the best,
Rich Woods
Re: So, I'm trying to acquire Avro Lancaster KB882
Wed Feb 11, 2015 5:27 am
daveymac82c wrote:Hey rcaf_100,
Sorry if I gave you a heart attack! I didn't realize that the Canadian Historical Aircraft Association was shorted down to CH2A. So are you saying that the CHAA only have an interest in round engines, then?
The CHAA vs CH2A goes back a while...long before I became a member. For some reason we have the copyright on the CHAA acronym in Canada, so when the Canadian Historical Aircraft Association was formed they had to use the CH2A acronym.
And CHAA has an interest in RCAF trainers, not necessarily just round engines. We have a Tiger Moth in our fleet and would love to get a Chippie someday.
Richard Woods wrote:If you are successful - can I plead with you here and now to keep her postwar colours? She is significant in being a genuine WW2 veteran, but also in that she's the last of her kind representing Canada's extensive postwar use of the type.
So KB839 at Greenwood doesn't count then?
