Captain Tom

[roxfox]

To be super fed up of hearing about him?

It's not his fault but the media etc seem to be using him to distract us from more important things. He's featured on the news more times than I can count. He received over 125,000 birthday cards - he can't possibly read even a quarter of them, what a waste of money and paper. And poor Royal Mail having to get it all to him.

There's not one day we don't here about him and now he's getting a plane or something flown over his house. The 28million he's raised is stupid money too - yes great for these NHS 'charities' but goodness, they are all on full pay! What about the food banks and million other things we could've all supported.

We've gotten so used to hearing Rishi throw money around I think we've forgotten how much money that is.

Is it just me? I feel awful. I know he's a lovely old man who's served his country all his life and will probably die very happy and yes we all need some lighthearted news but ffs all he did was walk around the garden.

Yes, hes done an amazing job, well done, but seriously, there must be something else happening

There is in case you've missed it, wall to wall bloody coronavirus. Just for once it's nice to turn on the TV and not be confronted by misery and death.

Yes you are stuck at home but isn't there something else you could do?

I always worry about flypasts to honour people - I'm terrified an old spitfire will sputter out and crash, heaping tragic pathos upon heartwarming fluff.

Having said that I did think it was one of the things this morning that was worth seeing and that he really appreciated it.

I always worry about flypasts to honour people - I'm terrified an old spitfire will sputter out and crash, heaping tragic pathos upon heartwarming fluff.

It's ok. I think the RAF know what they are doing maintenance wise

Old planes have crashed at displays though!

Old planes have crashed at displays though!

Not because of their age FFS.

I found £10 ...I donated it to NHS charity that Tom was doing, but this was in the 'early days' of his walking, at the 3 million stage!
It is indeed a Daily Heil dream story...

It is a great shame people have capitalised on it, making a song, sending gifts and posting about it on social media {advertising?)

The cards are insane...they are filling a school hall..........

Hope the money goes to where it is really needed. Hospices could really benefit, but they don't get NHS funding[?] ... What was the original intention of Capt. Tom {now Colonel}....where did he want the ''£1,000'' to go?

I think the RAF know what they are doing maintenance wise hmm

DS's Engineering friend works for Rolls Royce at Filton.... he makes spares and repairs for the old Spitfires. ..They are very well maintained, and won't fly if weather conditions are unsuitable.

Lmao they aren't spitfires that have been untouched since the bloody war that they are sent to fly in.

I KNOW they haven't just wheeled a rusty old spitfire out of a 1940s hangar! Nonetheless older planes can be harder to handle and fly. They do crash at air shows sometimes for that reason. However I was aware that my fears were daft!

@Rosehip10 people did still use their army tiptoes after the war. Though I think 75 years after the war, is stretching it a bit.

Nonetheless older planes can be harder to handle and fly. They do crash at air shows sometimes for that reason.

Pleas link to an AAIB report (or similar) that reached the conclusion a plane crashed becaue it was old

What a load of absolute pish.

Planes don't crash because of age. They crash because of technical faults, shoddy maintenance, and human error.

There is no way the RAF would be sending up a couple of planes that were not fully airworthy and your statement earlier to suggest otherwise was ridiculous.

I thought the fly past was cancelled as it was deemed non essential.

I think it's wonderful to celebrate his achievements both now and in wartime.

However, he is fortunate to have had the help from his family, media etc to achieve what he has. Not only the huge amount of money raised but the attention, the fly past, colonel title etc. I feel for those who could also have achieved something just as great but don't have the support system to do it.

I do agree though that the cards are beyond ridiculous. Maybe they could be sent out to other war veterans to spread the love a bit.

Planes don't crash because of their age. They crash because of subpar maintenance, user error or a freak accident. It's like saying older cars crash because of their age. Clearly nonsense.

And NHS Charities is not direct funding of the NHS. I fundraiser for a specific ward within an NHS hospital. They have a fund (consultants etc all put fees paid to them when they speak at events etc into the fund), which is used for lots of things outside of NHS provision. They give grants to families to have breaks, they pay for things like prescription charges, they contribute to bereavement payments etc and because patients are often resident on the ward for prolonged periods, they pay for things like TVs with sky channels in every room, WiFi, exercise equipment and so on.

I thought the fly past was cancelled as it was deemed non essential.

It was cancelled by the privately owned spitfire. The RAF stepped in with the BBMF.

Bloody hell I have said I was being flippant, and I had no idea I would be required to be so petty, but here's one:
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5422eb5ee5274a1314000081/De_Havilland_DH53_Humming_Bird_G-EBHX_03-13.pdf

The conclusion puts the crash down to "the challenging operating/
handling characteristics of the aircraft" in particular weather conditions.
"The aircraft had, by modern standards, low stability
and power margins and poor flight instrumentation."

I think many accidents in general have combined causes. Difficulty handling an older aircraft could be called human error. Weather often plays a part. Etc.

However I think my fear mostly arises not from the statistical likelihood of crashing, but from how unbearably ironic and awful it would be if it happened - which is typical of me.

The conclusion puts the crash down to "the challenging operating/
handling characteristics of the aircraft" in particular weather conditions.
"The aircraft had, by modern standards, low stability
and power margins and poor flight instrumentation."

So weather, not age then.

...and yet here you are, talking about him. 🙄

What a shame that all the energy put into resentment and whinging is not devoted to something useful. Colonel Moore's achievement should be celebrated along with the achievements of all those who selflessly devote their time to worthwhile causes. What is more we should be grateful to him as one of the few still living who served through WWII - I doubt the Thousand Year Reich would permit the freedom of speech so often used on all social media to criticise or belittle others.

The only reason he got all this attention was - in addition to being old - was because he is a man. If a 99 yr old woman did the same there would not have been half the fanfare because a woman is seen as more charitable/giving and so it's less unusual. It's just the same as with single parents. A single mother works 10 times harder but the whole world will fawn over a single dad and help him out as much as possible because he's a man.

I completely agree - a nice old gentleman but astounding how quickly he's been taken up as the ultimate sentimental, jingoistic distraction mascot.

When exactly did the NHS become a charity?

See I knew you'd just argue with it anyway teqcar!

The report blames the combination of weather and difficult handling of a vintage plane. Not due to its age as in, it's old and rusty, but due to the less advanced technologies when it was made, compared to how modern planes handle. It is a factor, I showed an example and you can't climb down.

But FFS who cares - I'm embarrassed to be arguing with you about this when I have explained my fears are probably more emotional than technical anyway. Are you some kind of airshow pilot or the editor of Jane's or something. Anyway whaaaaaaaatever.

Does anyone else think "Colonel" doesn't sound quite as thrusting and swashbuckling as "Captain"?

Maybe it's because I'm thinking of Captain Barnacles...

Thing is, the next rank up from Captain is Major (I believe). Think of all the 'Ground Control to Major Tom' piss taking there would have been. They had to make him Colonel if they were going to promote him.