The flight, literally, of a lifetime: £25,000 one-way ticket from Canada to England auctioned on E-bay - but it IS aboard a Lancaster bomber flying the Atlantic
Winning bidder will make four-day trip in famous Second World War plane
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum is auctioning the experience to help towards costs of the £380,000 journey to the UK
'We won't have in-flight movies but we will have an outside one,' says CEO
Lancaster Mk X will be teaming up with the Royal Air Force's Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster while it's in the UK
It will be the first time two Lancaster bombers have been in the air together for 50 years
By Carol Driver
Published: 12:42 GMT, 6 May 2014
For aviation buffs, it's the trip of a lifetime. A warplane heritage museum is auctioning off the opportunity to fly in a famous Second World War bomber on eBay. The winner of the trip - in one of the only two remaining airworthy Lancasters left in the world - will have to fork out £25,000 for the unique journey, travelling from Canada to England over four days. The 18-hour trip - the last time the Lancaster Mk X will make the flight - will take place in August, according to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, which is selling the unique opportunity.
Inside the Bomber the winner will fly in...
STATUS: On display
AIRWORTHINESS: Airworthy (flown regularly)
TYPE: Bomber
BUILT: 1945
SERIAL NUMBER: RCAF FM213
CONSTRUCTION NUMBER: 3414
CIVIL REGISTRATION: C-GVRA
CURRENT MARKINGS: RCAF KB726
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The aircraft's statistics...
LENGTH: 69ft 6in
WINGSPAN: 102ft
POWER: 1,640 hp each
ENGINE: 4 x Packard Merlin 224
MAXIMUM SPEED: 275mph
CRUISING SPEED: 210mph
SERVICE CEILING: 25,700ft
RANGE: 2,530 miles
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CEO of the museum David Rohrer said it is the first time the plane has been in a suitable condition to make the flight since the Sixties, adding of the eBay auction: 'You’ll never be able to do anything like this ever again, so we thought why not put it out there? Somebody must have this on their bucket list.'
The cash to join the crew of seven others will be put towards the £380,000 cost of the trip in what is considered to be the most famous Allied bomber of the Second World War. The Avro Lancaster Mk X - dedicated to Andrew Mynarski, the last Canadian airman to be awarded the VC in World War II - will be involved in a month-long flying tour of the UK.
It will be teaming up with the Royal Air Force's Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster - the first time the world's last two airworthy Lancaster bombers have flown together - before returning home to Hamilton in September. The displays will celebrate the exceptionally close British and Canadian relationship and commemorate the sacrifice and dedication of Commonwealth Bomber crews and the professionalism of both nations’ air forces today.
On the online auction site, the museum wrote: 'Successful bidder with [sic] have the opportunity to be trained and operate as a crew member on the last flight of a Canadian built Lancaster aircraft from Canada to England in August 2014. 'This will be approximately an 18-hour flight over a four-day period.
'The museum reserves the right to assess the personal suitability of the successful bidder to undergo training to safely operate as a crew member.
'Maximum crew member weight is 250lbs and you must be able to climb a ladder and maneuver in tight places. 'Winner must be willing to sign a photo waiver for the documentary filming. 'Bidder is responsible for transportation to the museum at Hamilton airport and for transportation home from England. Bidder must be in Hamilton two days prior to departure for training. 'Museum will provide accommodation. 'Payment must be made by bank transfer within five business days of auction closing. This item is not eligible for PayPal payment and therefore does not offer eBay protection.'
No bids have yet been made for the flight, which will be in the famous bomber, travelling below 10,000ft as the cabin isn't pressurised. Mr Rohrer said: 'We won’t have meal services or in-flight movies, but we will have an outside one.' The bomber is set to leave Canada on August 4, with five-hour hops before refuelling along the way.
Departing from Hamilton, Ontario, the 3,700-mile flight will stop at Goose Bay, Newfoundland, Canada; Narsarsuaq, Greenland; and Keflavik, Iceland before reaching RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire. Ebayers have until May 10 to bid on the trip - which has so far had nearly 12,000 views - and they will also need to book their flight home, as the flight is one-way for the winner, although the crew will be make the trip back.
Mr Rohrer, a current Lancaster pilot, said: 'A rare window of opportunity was identified to bring the only two flying Lancasters in the world together as a special salute to all the veterans of Bomber Command, many of whom are in their late 80's or older now.'
The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum website added: 'It is also an opportunity for the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum to fly together and showcase a flying display and tribute to all those who served in the time of need, in Canada, England, and the entire Commonwealth that likely will never be seen again.'
The Avro Lancaster is one of the Second World War's most-recognisable British aircraft. It is most famous for its involvement in the Dambuster raids, which saw 19 Lancasters attack German dams with Sir Barnes Wallis's 'bouncing bombs' in 1943. The plane was acquired by Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum - which features the aircraft used by Canada from World War II until today - in 1978, when it underwent a 10-year restoration, and has remained airworthy since 1988.
Officer Commanding the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, Sqn Ldr Dunc Mason said: 'To see these two aircraft flying at events together will be a unique sight and also the opportunity to truly commemorate those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Lest We Forget.'
'Probably the most famous Allied bomber of the Second World War, the Avro Lancaster had impressive flying characteristics and operational performance,' the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum says on its website. The winner will be flying in the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum's Lancaster Mk X, which was built at Victory Aircraft, Malton, Canada, in July 1945.
The plane is dedicated to the memory of Pilot Officer Andrew Mynarski who was awarded the Victoria Cross - the highest award for bravery in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Canadian Mynarski won the award on June 13, 1944, when his Lancaster was shot down in flames by a German night fighter during the Second World War. As the bomber fell, Mynarski managed to free the tail gunner trapped in the rear turret of the blazing and out-of-control aircraft before he died. The crew member survived and lived to tell the tale, resulting in the Victoria Cross being awarded in 1946 - the last such award to a Canadian airman in the Second World War.
The Lancaster bomber, which is flying to the UK in August, was dedicated to Mynarski, and is referred to as the 'Mynarski Memorial Lancaster'. It is painted in the colours of his aircraft KB726 – VR-A, which flew with RCAF Squadron. In 1952, it suffered a serious accident and received a replacement wing centre section from a Lancaster that had flown in combat over Germany. It served as a maritime patrol aircraft in Newfoundland for many years and was retired from the RCAF in late 1963. With help from the Sulley Foundation in 1977, it was acquired from the Royal Canadian Legion in Goderich, Ontario, where it had been on outside display. Eleven years passed before it was completely restored and flew again on September 24, 1988.
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Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2621414/Final-transatlantic-Lancaster-bomber-flight-auctioned-eBay-25-000-one-way-ticket-Canada-England.html#ixzz30yZQFgPA
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