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When the Vulcan appeared at Throckmorton Air Show, CVTR were there, organised by our late friend Rob King, and we won "best car club stand" at the show:-

 

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Hi Ian,

Thank you for posting. The Vulcan remains hugely impressive, watching that video brings back memories, including seeing the final flight from the end of the runway at Bruntingthorpe.

Nigel

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I remember them doing test flights over my school in Macclesfield 

from Woodford I think.

then their last long range mission flights to the falklands. 
 

great looking plane.

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The last show at Greenham Common in 1983 the Vulcan did a barrel roll then stood on its tail and went straight up to 10,000 feet. Not many bombers could do that then, very impressive.

Dave

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Watched its final flight over RAF Waddington from the airfield perimeter. What an amazing sight and sound, for his finale the pilot did a wing waggle then stood her on her tail and shot straight up like a fighter, brave man to pull that off in an ageing aircraft.

In my younger days I knew several members of the Vulcan crews who were based here, we all used the same pub. Most said while it was a great plane to fly it was very cramped an uncomfortable for the crew the best seat's being up front .

Brian

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Great to see and here the Vulcan.

My experience was when my Dad was at his last posting at RAF Newton in Nottinghamshire. We heard that a Vulcan was going to land and then used for some sort of training purposes on the ground.

It Circled for ages it was fantastic and then eventually landed and taxied up to one of the massive Hangers.

A feat in itself as it was a totally Grass Airfield used for Pilot training in Chipmunks  !!!

We had a Standard Vanguard at the time which easily drove underneath the wings. Very excited for a teenage boy  !

Conrad.

Edited by openroad
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Saw the Vulcan in the early eighties at Bournemouth airshow then staged at Hurn Airport and one of its last performances about four years ago.

But the best was at Bruntingthorpe Aerodrome circa 2005. We were there for work doing an open day for our products sold into B&Q. During lunch we had a peak at the back of the hall and through some enormous plastic curtains, and there it was being put back into service following the Lottery monies funding. Smashing bloke in charge of the restoration said ............."come on in and have a look around if you want". Showed us what they had done, and what was left to do. They even had three newly refurbished Rolls Royce Olympus engines. Fantastic !!

Makes our TR refurbishments and restorations look so small in comparison?

Colin.

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4 hours ago, brian -r said:

Most said while it was a great plane to fly it was very cramped an uncomfortable for the crew the best seat's being up front .

In the late 80's / early 90's there was (perhaps still is) a Vulcan at Norwich airport museum which at that time you could climb in to and sit in the cockpit. Yes, very cramped, and that was without flying gear!

Cheers, Richard

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Hi Richard,  Yes the Vulcan XM612  is still there  and there are other Vulcan's at Coventry and East Midlands  airports.  My own favourite Vulcan memory  was seeing three of them do a practice scramble.  You could actually feel the ground shaking  as they took off  trying to impersonate  EE Lightnings with their rate and angle of climb !   I always  felt a bit sorry for the weapons guys sitting in the back as if they weren't well strapped in during a vertical climb they could fall onto the bulkhead table.  A truly great aircraft. 

Hoges. 

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3 hours ago, Spit_2.5PI said:

In the late 80's / early 90's there was (perhaps still is) a Vulcan at Norwich airport museum which at that time you could climb in to and sit in the cockpit. Yes, very cramped, and that was without flying gear!

Cheers, Richard

Been a Vulcan, on the ground at Carlisle for a number of years.

John.

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Remember seeing a Vulcan crash here in  East Yorkshire back in the 50's. It was miles away. Think it was electrical problems. All the crew got out I believe. Weren't the systems electrical rather than hydraulic? Then saw the last flight from the Humber bridge that was just an overfly. Later after I had got home I saw it doing a display, in the far distance, over Breighton airfield for a photo shoot. Wish I had been there but it was not advertised because of possible crowd problems. 

Alan.

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704788112_VulcanCCFmemarked.thumb.jpg.0e029b255c1fcf3afadc906af4dfc5f0.jpg 

RAF Finningley  circa 1962  me with circle around !   Our School CCF at Flying camp. got a P2 slot in a Chipmunk.

Whilst we were on the airfield one of the Vulcans suffered  a collapsed nose leg, that must have been expensive !

Bob.

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If you want impressive watch the documentary on the raid on the Falklands airport at the start of the Falklands War. To hear he guys talk of the realisation that they would not have enough fuel to get home and potentially ditch with no hope of rescue is inspirational. The logistics of re-fueling alone is mind blowing and navigation skills to link up is fantastic.

I love the idea that this Cold war aircraft could be put back into service in a matter of days with antiquated systems that still worked despite the onset of the electronics typical of the time, think Harrier, an untried aircraft that no one had much confidence in before the war.

I have watched all available documentaries on the war and it has been an eye opening experience what we as a country can achieve against all odds.

What ever you opinion of the war, there is no doubt in my mind that we as a country can and does achieve, against all odds, some fantastic results. Hopefully we will come through this health issue better, stronger and more aligned. The New world order does some seem to have the same appeal in hindsight and being Nationalistic not so bad after all.  We are an Island nation and need to determine our own destiny without interference or governance from an un-elected shower in the location of the week. Who decided it was a good idea to rotate the location and move it once a month with all the related costs. I wonder if they move the 80,000 bottles of vintage wine they have!!!!!!

We have the time and it is worth remembering what our service people did and also the lessons from a depleted military and the admissions of bad decisions, the honesty is heart warming from senior officers.

Rod

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There is a Vulcan, XM655, at Wellesbourne, only a few miles from Stratford on Avon, venue for the 2020 IWE (if it happens) - https://xm655.com/
CVTR organised a mornings viewing, hosted by Mike Pollitt, who was gracious enough to come and have a chat with us at the following air show where he fast taxied the Vulcan a couple of times along the runway. We were even more privileged when Dave Thomas (ex RAF Vulcan display pilot, left of picture) joined us, here they are along with GL Andy Canning


AndyC.jpg

 

This aircraft was used extensively when the film of the Falklands Black Buck missions, based on the book by Roland White, Vulcan 607, was made, so if you fancy 45 mins of history :- 

 

 

Edited by cvtrian
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Hi Pete
They have one of those at Bruntingthorpe, kept in taxi condition, interesting nose art...........
 

Victor.jpg

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