The taxpayers role in saving warbirds

[flyingheritage]

We the humble overworked and methodically stuffed taxpayers of the world fund governments to build war items, send war items in harms way, return and then decommision said items from service.

Note our OUR money is used for all of these purposes.

So why it is when things are retired, we the taxpayers never get a say in the final out comes and most are cut up and scrapped?.

This need to change to consulting with people.

Taxpayers with military interest or that want things preserved should have a bigger influence in the decommisioning of all things.

No point seeing YOUR and OUR and MINE money turned from cash into metal back into a saucepan is there? (Well some minoirty groups out there claim a gun transformed into a saucepan aint bad to start with but alas both can kill....)

[Jack Cook]

Huh

[jet1]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abeX-AVbi6M

fritz lang METROPOLIS I prefer the Moroder version

[BHawthorne]

We the humble overworked and methodically stuffed taxpayers of the world fund governments to build war items, send war items in harms way, return and then decommision said items from service.

Note our OUR money is used for all of these purposes.

So why it is when things are retired, we the taxpayers never get a say in the final out comes and most are cut up and scrapped?.

This need to change to consulting with people.

Taxpayers with military interest or that want things preserved should have a bigger influence in the decommisioning of all things.

No point seeing YOUR and OUR and MINE money turned from cash into metal back into a saucepan is there? (Well some minoirty groups out there claim a gun transformed into a saucepan aint bad to start with but alas both can kill....)

Drive down to the local AFB and state that you'd like to take a spin in one of your aircraft. You'll then learn how much you really own of the military equipment. I think you have some pretty big misconceptions in your post.

[Jollygreenslugg]

I worked in the Australian Taxation Officefor five years after leaving school in 1989. When I was in the debt collection area, I used to laugh when people went off at me saying "I pay my taxes and they pay your wage." If one was to work out precisely how much of their tax went to a particular person's wage, it'd work out at approximately .5 of a cent per year.

The govenrnment of the day have a duty to seek appropriate return on investments. That means that most obsolete aircraft are sold to the highest bidder, be it scrappers or foreign markets. There is little return on ensuring that there are dozens of examples of preserved aircraft lying around.

In Australia, examples of most types are preserved, but most go the way that obsolete assets have always gone.

Bear in mind that these comments have not touched on what happens because of arms reductions and limitation agreements.

Cheers,
Matt

[A2C]

Drive down to the local AFB and state that you'd like to take a spin in one of your aircraft. You'll then learn how much you really own of the military equipment. I think you have some pretty big misconceptions in your post.

I did the other day, and they let me fly a B-1. Keep in mind the other day was April Fools Day

[bdk]

I think the UK does a pretty good job, as does Canada, at selling their surplus military equipment to civilians. Kudos to them and any other countries I missed!

P.S. The US does a good job selling surplus antique rifles and ammunition through the Civilian Marksmanship Program. Not really surplus in the strictest sense, but Lend/Lease and Foreign Assistance Program returns.

[BHawthorne]

In many ways it might be more cost effective just to get the aircraft microfilm set from NASM and just make a replica minus engine. That way you could get many hard to find aircraft for display on your terms.