I HAVE just read about the financial situation at the Yorkshire Air Museum (Evening Press, January 12) and was horrified to read that the operations manager (now redundant) had been paid a salary 'in the region' of £25,000 per year.

During my time as a volunteer at the museum, I had assumed (naively it would seem) that we were all giving our time and expertise freely. It appears I was wrong.

If only four members of the staff are receiving a similar amount of salary as the ops manager, then something 'in the region' of £100,000 is being paid out in salaries.

The entrance fee to the museum is £5 per adult, so simple mathematics shows that, to cover the salaries bill alone, 20,000 visitors are needed. Quite an eye-opener!

David Westwood,

East Lane,

Shipton by Beningbrough.

Updated: 11:35 Wednesday, January 26, 2005