During our annual clean out we came across our old display propeller… It wasn’t a surprise find by any means as its sat in the store out of the way for years. Now that some of the “old school” staff have long since moved on we are looking to sell the prop as it does nothing for us apart from take up space (hasn’t been on display for years and there are no plans to put it back on display).
We got some interest online for it at what we thought was a respectable amount however someone on the passing suggested we have it valuated as it may be worth more than we are being offered… Has anyone had experience of this sort of thing? Any advice is welcomed.
Prop consists of 3 large metal blades into a centre piece where gears are with nose cone. Also has a large metal display frame. (not very descriptive I know lol).
Before getting rid of it.
Can you perhaps get it on display outside like a gate guardian?? It may make people look at your
Building and take an interest.
Unfortunately the layout of our building and grounds(small drive way) don’t allow for this. Thanks for the thought though.
Are you sure it’s yours to sell?
It could be on your inventory.
If you do not want it I will have first dibbs and I can put it on display outside my sqn.
Should more like, in which case it belongs to the Civcom/Trustees who are actually the legal entity responsible for owning and disposing of assets.
That is unless the propeller was given to an individual member of the Squadron, but it seems proof of title is needed before anyone does anything with it.
What happens if it was only on loan? The unidentified owner might get a bit upset.
I had assumed that reference to inventory was to the MOD inventory of public-funded items, and not to whatever the squadron uses to list its personal properties.
Public services are having problems selling stuff that they think is theirs, but after some digging, isn’t. The Metropolitan Police sold an old Police station for a significant amount and publicised how they we going to use the funds for other things.
A person turned up and demanded all the money as their relative has given the station on a philanthropic lease over 100 years previously, with the Police being allowed to use it for as long as they wanted. Obviously, said the person, you are not using it anymore, thank you for realising my asset and give me my money! The Police paid up!
Long and short of it, make sure you are certain of the provenance of the propeller before you sell it! It could cost you more than you make!
Very true
Like the NHS selling hospitals that don’t belong to them…
Very wise words check and confirm who actually owns the propellor before going forward
Since when was it acceptable policy to sell off a squadrons heritage?
Oh wait… because the cold school staff have gone".
If I were you I would feel ashamed ripping out history like that.
Just because it isn’t on display now, doesn’t mean it wasn’t 10 years ago for 30 years.
When people found a better use for space than hoarding junk?
Is a propeller junk?
If you have 10 maybe and 1 is damaged?
Instructional aid after all.
Have to agree, it’d be nicer to try and keep it in the Air Cadets, rather than let it go.
Perhaps a local Squadron might want it, or a WAC/RAC?
I’m against storing stuff just for the sake of it, but we shouldn’t just completely forget our history and the items we have from out history.
Indeed storing for the sake of and or hoarding is poor form.
The concern is the way it was phrased in the initial post.
Ahh good the dodders are gone, now bin everything which is 5 plus years old.
And then get the cadets to.polish it while on a camp
Photo? Dimensions? Description of shape of the blades / boss? Any serial numbers / reference marks?
Maybe originated from any nearby (since closed?) RAF base which might give any historical clue to type of aircraft?
Despite the lack of Aviation that the CoC and RAF have delivered in recent years, we should still hold onto that USP and be proud of our heritage.
Yes, just like anything it’d need to be kept clean and presentable, however that is done . . .
As I said earlier, 1st dibbs
Who would people expect a unit to give away for free an asset that they could instead sell to raise funds to benefit their cadets?
Present it to RAFA or RBL with a plaque saying “Presented to ***** Branch by **** Squadron on ****”, that way as future generations and who knows previous generations go into the club/branch and it acts a talking point.
I feel sure that this like everything will be in the property book as held by the CWC, so it just can’t be got rid of.
The notion of getting rid of something “just because ….” is a symptom of the throw away society in which we live. Our kids wonder why we have boxes of photographs and now filled up cameracards, yet they like to look at them, and the memories they bring of the holidays, days out, birthdays, Christmas’ etc. My son suggested scanning them, but there is something special about them, as you took time to take them, as unlike today’s mentality oftake loads and delete all but one or two.
I have camp photographs (donated by me) in the hut from my cadet days, which include cadets of my cadet era who were on the squadron I am CO of currently, which get looked at, normally to see if they can spot the CO and one other who was on the squadron as a cadet and is currently a CI on another squadron in the Wing.
History of / in the Air Cadets seems to be a dangerous thing. HQAC don’t give a monkey’s about the history of squadrons as that represents something tangible in the communities they are based in, rather than something that could just be got rid of on a whim.
To be honest there would be much more you could get rid of, than a single propeller