T6 HARVARD LTD

Sponsorship: The Directors of T6 Harvard Ltd are passionate about history, aviation, and the heroes’ legacy that went before us. The company strive to keep the Harvard “Wacky Wabbit” flying at the company and personal expense. This iconic trainer and combat aircraft is a flying memorial to the hundreds of thousands of pilots who trained on this legendary aircraft known as “The pilot maker.”

Ownership – For the last decade, through some very testing times, including the most recent devastating covid pandemic, saw the aircraft grounded for many months. The cost of running such an iconic aircraft currently stands at around £40,000 (inc vat) per year and approximately £1000 per hour to fly. The insurance is crippling as this has seen a sudden rise of over 75% in one year alone. Due to the current cost of operating such a machine, we are now reaching out for sponsorship to offset some of the financial burdens and give our sponsor a fantastic advertising platform, return of investment, and access to this iconic aircraft for corporate days. Further information on the sponsorship packages can be found at the end of this document.

Directors: The company has two directors with entirely different backgrounds, which complement the company well, blending two diverse skill sets.

Andrew is a former senior NCO in the Parachute Regiment with 22 years of service. A veteran of the most recent campaigns, including a fun five-year tour on the famous Red Devils Free Fall Team. In his military capacity in the Middle East, Andrew has advised for many years and adds organisation, management, and leadership to the company.

 

Brian is a current flying instructor and an Airline Pilot with a major European airline flying the Boeing 777. Brian’s encyclopaedic knowledge of the industry allows T6 Harvard Ltd to function legally as a stand-alone flying school with its own Declared Training Organisation (DTO)

Brian is seen here with the legendary ACE Hughie Lamb.

 Mission statement: T6 Harvard Ltd is an organisation created to promote Warbirds, Air shows, History, Aerial sport, and leisure aviation and allow customers of T6 Harvard Ltd to experience cost-effective warbird flying.

Aim: We aim to attract new Warbird pilots, trainees, and warbird enthusiasts. T6 Harvard Ltd wants to give pilots and enthusiasts exposure to warbirds through training and education. In addition, we would like to ensure the unique skills needed to fly and maintain warbirds safely are available for future generations.

The Wacky Wabbit brand: T6 Harvard Ltd goes from strength to strength with an Instagram following of over 50,000 followers and another 25,000 on other social media platforms. The brand “Wacky Wabbit” and “Team Wabbit” is growing!

Just type in T6 Harvard on any search engine, and you will be greeted by amazing photographs and video of ‘The Wacky Wabbit” It’s great to see that our followers worldwide are keeping a close eye on the Wacky Wabbit!

Who gets to see us: The Wacky Wabbit is hangered at the Imperial War Museum at Duxford and is seen by the tens of thousands of visitors that pass through the gates annually. In addition, the Wacky Wabbit can be seen almost daily when the weather is suitable, training pilots and practising air displays in front of the museum’s public.

The company trains between 80 and 150 customers per year at various locations throughout the UK who book with us through multiple companies or our website. We call these trial lessons and operate at multiple airfields and events throughout the year.

The name Wacky Wabbit is now synonymous with expert warbird training, which has a proven track record of training pilots to fly the famous fighters of World War 2, such as the Hawker Hurricane, Spitfire and P-51 Mustang. Andrew can quantify this statement, having tested the system and has flown all three of the above aircraft.

The website T6Harvard.com is a reliable information resource on this aircraft and has become an international go-to place to find data and information on the T6 Texan and Harvard. Additionally, the platform has our straightforward booking system should you want to book a flight with us at one of our many locations.

T6 Harvard Ltd Services:  

  • Training and experience flights: After over a decade of training pilots as the ‘go-to company’ for Harvard Warbird training, we have earned the reputation. We have records showing that we have sent over 50 pilots’ solo, with many more in the system. In addition, we have trained thousands literally through trial lessons and ‘exercise 3’ air experience flights and continue to introduce many new experiences annually.
  • Air shows: During 2021, we enhanced our shows by having a new 8-gallon smoke generator fitted to the Wacky Wabbit. So, we are now please all the senses at an Airshow with the distinct sound of the Harvard and the fantastic visuals of the immaculate paintwork, and now the magnificent sight of the thick smoke trail in the sky.
  • Film Work: The Wacky Wabbit made her debut in the film “Empire of the Sun” in the 1990s, and her film career hasn’t stopped since. Used in many documentaries, she was recently used in the Guy Martin documentary on channel four about the Battle of Britain.

Maintenance and reliability: The Wabbit is in great shape, being looked after by our Continued Airworthiness Management Organisation (CAMO) at the Imperial War Museum Duxford England. Our CAMO is expert in Warbird maintenance and restoration and has a long history of maintaining the Wacky Wabbit on the public transport register. Recently the Wacky Wabbit has had a new Engine; New overhauled prop, new paintwork, new tail feathers, and the list goes on. We believe she is one of the best flying examples of an Mk4 Harvard in Europe. It is both mechanically sound and stunning and most certainly the best-known Harvard internationally.

Our Volunteers: All our volunteer staff are dedicated to the above mission statement and the company’s aim. While the directors are kept busy running the company, the pilots and ground crew are left to have fun! (Yes, this is written by a director!) Our pilots are highly experienced and talented aviators who, in most cases, are airline pilots who give up their valuable time to help out.

Again, the ground crew are all volunteers who gather at Duxford and spend hours cleaning and polishing the Wabbit and then volunteering at weekends at event days to deal with customers and sell our merchandise. We have a great team dedicated to the mission. We are always on the lookout for that ‘special volunteer’ who would fit in with our company dynamic and help the team – It could be you!

Contact us: [email protected]

All the very best “TEAM WABBIT.”