Aero-Linx!

Scouring the information super airways can sometimes be a tough, if educational, task for the Aero-News staff... but it also allows us to check out some truly neat and exciting sites, so it's not that bad a gig. On any given day, we may check dozens (and often hundreds) of different sources for story ideas, and facts confirmation. And, as is the nature of our business, much of this is done on the Internet.

The ANN gang decided we probably shouldn't keep some of the neat sites, info resources, and organizations we've discovered to ourselves... so we decided to bring you Aero-Linx. These are the sites that WE check out -- when we need added perspective, a new spin on a day's topic... or just want to escape into cyber-aero-space for awhile.

Look for some of our favorite sites, coming each day to ANN via Aero-Linx. Suggestions for future Aero-Linx segments are always welcome, as well.

Aero Linx: The People’s Mosquito

The People’s Mosquito is a registered charity (No. 1165903) with the sole aim of restoring and returning a UK-based DH.98 Mosquito to British and European skies. Once RL249 is flying we will maintain and operate the restored aircraft, funded by public donation, sponsorship and income from sale of branded merchandise and other sources, listed elsewhere on this website, with the intention of providing many hours of flying displays every year for the people of the United Kingdom and Europe.

The People’s Mosquito project began life on Twitter, in the closing days of 2011, when warbird enthusiast and part-time aircraft restorer John Lilley, who had previously worked on the restoration of the Imperial War Museum’s Mosquito TT.35 TA719 at Duxford, casually tweeted about his longstanding idea of getting a de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito flying in the UK again. The positive response was huge, with general messages of support coming from all over the world and from all types of people. The idea was quickly taken up by other tweeters and it wasn’t long before a core group had come together to eventually become The People’s Mosquito. That group has now grown to a virtual ‘army’ (or should that be ‘ground crew’?) of many thousands, with followers and supporters all over the world. The core group remains, as the management and lead team, as seen above.

Our aims for the funding of the project will reflect the ‘Presentation’ movement seen during the First and Second World Wars, whereby weapons – tanks, aircraft etc. – were funded by ‘the people’ through public and corporate donation. Although we hope to receive part of the funding from corporate sponsorship and the Heritage Lottery Fund, we plan to replicate the ‘Presentation’ model by asking the people of the United Kingdom to ‘do their bit’ in helping us restore this magnificent flying memorial to airworthy condition. We hope that it will be a memorial that captures the spirit, the brilliance of design and above all the tireless courage of our nation.

When we set out on this journey our first task was to gauge public reaction. Would ‘the people’ be interested in helping us make this happen, and would the public have the appetite for such a bold undertaking? We have been overwhelmed by the exceptional response we have had from people showing their support for the project through the social media network, the website and of course at airshows and events around the country. Moreover, support is not only coming from the UK – we now have many organisations and individuals around the world who are playing their part in spreading the word far afield.

Our approach to the challenge of restoring a rare WW2 aircraft to flight is distinctly different, with a heavy reliance on crowdfunding, public engagement and social networking. They have helped bring The People’s Mosquito team and its supporters together.

We were honoured in the summer of 2014 when the famous test pilot, the late Capt. Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown, RN, agreed to become our patron. Capt. Brown, who sadly passed away in February 2016, was the first man to land a heavy twin-engined aircraft on the deck of a carrier, when in March 1944 landed an adapted Mosquito FB.VI on the deck of HMS Indefatigable. He cited the de Havilland Mosquito as being one of the three most important British aircraft of the Second World War – the other two being the Spitfire and the Lancaster. We mourn his loss and will miss his stoic and enthusiastic support.

In a traditionally British way we will, together with our supporters, attempt to achieve something from nothing. We have the all-important Mosquito identity in RL249 and we have reserved the registration marks G-FBVI and our plan is firmly set to start turning that into a flying Mosquito. Our goal is To Fly; To Educate; To Remember. As we progress our five year build plan with Retrotec we will continue to communicate the incredible stories around this most iconic, but frequently overlooked, exemplar of British aeronautical design.

You can help us return the Mosquito to flight in the UK by donating to the project here, or by becoming a Member of our Club at www.peoplesmosquitoclub.org.uk.

FMI: www.peoplesmosquitoclub.org.uk