EU regs fail to ground B-17

Britain's only airworthy B17 Flying Fortress, the Sally B, will join Spitfires, Hurricanes and Lancasters to celebrate the 60th anniversary of VJ Day with a flypast at the Blenheim Festival of Flight on Aug 14.

It was feared that the aircraft would be grounded after EU regulations put it in the weight category of an airliner, increasing its insurance five-fold.

The flight will take place thanks to donations, rather than any relaxation of the EU insurance rules. From the Telegraph (original grounding news here).

PS I should have mentioned that this is a classic example of rules being passed with no provision for historical exemptions. All too common, as with the laws governing certain animal products, where in some jurisdictions ivory or feather objects hundreds of years old are treated just the same as items made yesterday.

Posted by David on June 23, 2005 1:27 PM