Last Vulcan Leaves Raf Waddington

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-28276162

I saw one of these many years ago and it made the most tremendous noise.
What a wonderful plane...I hope it continues to fly somehow.

[neil42]

Unfortunately spares are a big problem,the engines are nearly time x and the airframe hours must be nearly used up too.

[mikey4444]

It would be such a pity if they stopped flying altogether neil.

Another mistake was made with Concord. I fully realise that it couldn't fly commercially any more but now there is only one ( I think ) in a museum somewhere. I used to see it flying out of Heathrow and Bristol years ago, and it was a magnificent sight. My biggest regret is that I never flew in one.

[Graham-W]

It's based at Doncaster's Robin Hood Airport and I've seen it leave there a few times. The sheer power of the thing is unbelievable.

[sunny-dave]

The Vulcans were (and this one is still - just) a magnificent/frightening noise and sight.

Which of "magnificent/frightening" applied depended entirely on whether you were a potential target or not.

I hope they can work out some way of keeping her in the air.

[jim360]

I hope the old planes live long and prosper.

[DJHawkes]

My husband worked on them at St Athan, 1978 - 1981, when they started one up it was rocking, scary noise that got inside you somehow,

[grasscarp]

The Concordes went to various museums. Still one at Heathrow airport. It was close to start of runway 27L last time I saw it. I was lucky enough to be ground staff connected with the Concorde operation for 3.5 years.

[mikey4444]

grass carp...lucky you...I am very jealous !

[mikey4444]

Found this guys...thought it may be of interest !

http://www.concordesst.com/faq.html

[paddywak]

When I was a kid it seemed we to the see Vulcans along The Valiant and The Victor every day now sadly they are gone from the skies.If I remember rightly when they decided to use the Vulcan for the raid on Port Stanley Airport during the Falklands War the had to go round aviation museums and private collectors to get the spares to make the plane combat capable.

[grasscarp]

I flew on it eleven times, including eclipse of the sun flight.

[paddywak]

Nice to see it's based at R.H.A as it was one of the bases for the V force under it's original name R.A.F Finningley,which is only about 10 miles from us and probably why we saw so many as kids.

[mikey4444]

The wealth and breadth of knowledge that I encounter here on AB never ceases to amaze me ! Thanks everybody !

[DrFilth]

mikey there is one at manchester airport it use to be outside but now they have a special building for it

http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/manweb.nsf/Content/concordeviewingpark

[mikey4444]

Thanks Dr F. Its rare that I get that far north these days but if I do, I shall certainly visit.

[excelsior-1]

my late father was RAF, and was on vulcan ground crew at RAF Finningley in the sixties

i have fond memories of seeing these magnificent machines taking off and landing almost every day - i was so very excited every time

[LCDMAN]

VH558 is the last airworthy Vulcan and does many Airshows throughout the season. It is based at RAF Waddington and you can follow it here; http://www.vulcantothesky.org/

[LCDMAN]

Ooopsy, small typo, it's XH558....

[zebo]

There a Concorde at the IWM Duxford. I wish our colonial cousins would stop rattling the tiles on my roof with the F15s o Thursdays.

[Stephen_G]

I've been through G-BSST (Prototype 002) at RNAS Yeovilton, where she still is. You could hear them going supersonic over the Atlantic from my Sister's garden.

It'd be a shame to ground XH558 indefinitely, as the Trust got enough money together to keep her flying this year. She's at Sunderland Airshow in a couple of weeks and I'd love to see her in the air (But circumstances mean I can't get up there).