Plane bureaucracy (1)

On January 12 The Times published a letter from George Said stating that the fuselage of the Gloster Gladiator Faith should be moved to the Malta Aviation Museum Ta' Qali for complete restoration and eventual display. Mr Said felt that bureaucrats with hidden agendas were blocking the move.

I find it hard to understand how this important piece of Malta's wartime aviation history should be allowed to fester in its present surroundings.

The Malta Aviation Foundation Museum, with its pristine Air Battle of Malta hangar housing the beautifully restored Spitfire and Hurricane is the perfect setting for Faith after restoration.

Judging by the results of the restoration work carried out so far by the museum's very capable restoration team, I am sure they would jump at the chance to give a restored Faith pride of place in the Ta' Qali hangar where it surely belongs.

The National War Museum does not have the space and is not the setting for a fully restored Gladiator so if the museum feels that losing Gladiator Faith's fuselage would be a problem, why not give some students or model makers a project to produce a replica?

If Mr Said is correct in his assumption that a move to Ta' Qali is being delayed by bureaucrats with hidden agendas, then I say shame on any bureaucrat that blocks such a move.

Faith is such an important part of this island's aviation history. A move to Ta' Qali should be instigated right now so that restoration work can start.

I, like many aviation enthusiasts in Malta and worldwide, would love to see Faith take pride of place where she belongs, in the Air Battle of Malta hangar, hopefully in the very near future.

So bureaucrats, come on and make a former Ta' Qali airman happy. Get off the fence and make it happen.