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Monstrous noise in the distance, and lo! It's the Vulcan beating up Gaydon (ex V-bomber base, now Jaguar Land Rover). Is it back in action, or is this a last fling?

My friends 'in the know' state that XH558 will by flying her last trips this year - there simply aren't enough spare parts now (engines being one!).

Fabulous aircraft.

Did they fly from rufforth in about, ooo, 1972 ish? Maybe 1970.

My dad had a caravan on a site at Kirkby overblow, near wetherby, and they came from nowhere over the hedges, very low. Kin massive things.

Gromit wrote:My friends 'in the know' state that XH558 will by flying her last trips this year - there simply aren't enough spare parts now (engines being one!).

Fabulous aircraft.

Hello,

Provided the latest appeal is successful then 2015 will be the last year of flight after extensive wing mods a year or so ago.

It has been doing a flying tour of the old Cold War bases where the V forces were once stationed back in the day - Vulcan, Valiants & Victors

It is an awesome aircraft

Best regards,

David

Saw it (her?) today. I work at Gaydon - in fact in one of the old hangars that used to house the V Bombers when they were based there. It was bloody impressive - awesome, as I'm sure any yanks in the vicinity would have said.

She did around 4 or 5 passes overhead and seemed almost low enough to touch. Did one last sweep then climbed with (I assume) the afterburners on. The noise was amazing - you could feel it! Car alarms were going off and lots of blokes on the ground were mightily impressed.

Here's some links to a couple of pictures circulated at work. I'd post the pictures if I could work out how to do it!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... 1328700475
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... 1362905475

Absolutely beautifull aircraft....

although I`am more of a `Victor` type chap myself, no where near as `pretty` but looks so purposeful

http://www.airliners.net/photo/UK---Air ... 1492142/L/

anyone know if there`s one of these that flies?

Steve

Hayden wrote:although I`am more of a `Victor` type chap myself, no where near as `pretty` but looks so purposeful

Yes, my favourite Airfix V-bomber model was the Victor. It had a certain menacing look, I thought. Dunno if any are flying though.

Used to live in Lincolnshire near Waddington and a couple of times I was stopped at the traffic lights they turned on before a Vulcan took off - stopped you getting a blast from the engines as they wound up for take-off. Awesome is the only word for it, truly awesome.

Lightnings scrambling from RAF Leuchars on full afterburner on their way to intercept Russian Bears (bombers) probing our airspace in the middle of the night (1960's). That scares the crap out of you.

P.S.
Found this - I don't think it is from that long ago, but it is a Victor and it does fly, but it doesn't answer the question about airworthy flying Victors.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OI_K_SG4on8

Hayden wrote:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OI_K_SG4on8

Hello,

I recall this occurred during a fast taxi run which the aircraft does quite regularly and it er.... took off! There is another Vulcan that does this as well as XH588 which actually flies!

www.tvoc.co.uk will tell you all you need to know

There was an inquiry into this which could have shut down all "Fast Taxi" runs carried out by grounded aircraft but thankfully common sense prevailed and no action was taken.

I wonder if it crossed the pilots mind to give it some beans and go around on a circuit before landing it? However from the clip it seems he did well to land it without incident on what must have been an ever shortening runway!

Best regards,

David

David_S_Walker wrote:

Hayden wrote:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OI_K_SG4on8

Hello,

I recall this occurred during a fast taxi run which the aircraft does quite regularly and it er.... took off! There is another Vulcan that does this as well as XH588 which actually flies!

www.tvoc.co.uk will tell you all you need to know

There was an inquiry into this which could have shut down all "Fast Taxi" runs carried out by grounded aircraft but thankfully common sense prevailed and no action was taken.

I wonder if it crossed the pilots mind to give it some beans and go around on a circuit before landing it? However from the clip it seems he did well to land it without incident on what must have been an ever shortening runway!

Best regards,

David

There is another clip on which the pilot is interviewed and he said that he considered going round, but judged that he had enough room to get her down despite being off the centre line.
I suspect if he had that would have put an end to fast taxi runs!!

In UK my home is near what was Woodford Aerodrome ( where they made many Lancasters back in the day). During the Falklands Crisis I beleive they had a few used as in flight tankers for refuling they would come back to Woodford - servicing? and my lounge window faced directly into the flight path approach. My wife & I would sit watching them skim over the neighbours rooves and it would just get bigger and bigger till it virtually filled our window and then passed overhead. 2 minutes later you could hear the 'wind' from the wingtips and trailing edges awesome. Also got many a good picture from our garden when the annual Woodford Airshow used to run. Visited that more than once too. Great times.

Just wanted to say thanks for the link to the vulcan XH558 website. Can't believe 2015 might be the last year it will fly. Happy to make a pledge to make sure it has a final flying season. Thanks for the heads up because wouldn't have known about it otherwise.

Grip Fast wrote:

Hayden wrote:although I`am more of a `Victor` type chap myself, no where near as `pretty` but looks so purposeful

Lightnings scrambling from RAF Leuchars on full afterburner on their way to intercept Russian Bears (bombers) probing our airspace in the middle of the night (1960's). That scares the crap out of you.

Oh yes those were the days, I live near to RAF Wattisham ( now we've got gyroscopes called Apaches ) where we had Lightnings and I well remember them scrambling to intercept Bears and practising their party trick of just afterburning straight up through the clouds.
They were all awe inspiring aircraft back then but I don't think I've ever been as impressed with anything more than those Lightnings - they just said " Don't mess with me sunshine"