It's nothing to do with Star Trek terrorism. Due to a combination of factors that relate to its designed flying hours and the cost and availibility of spare parts, this year is the last chance to see the Vulcan in flight, and this coming weekend will see it over north and south Britain. More exact details will be posted on this linked site later today. You can have a look round it on the ground, as it's living at Doncaster. http://www.vulcantothesky.org/news/707/82/Farewell-Tour-10th-11th-October.html
they are impressive in flight. back in the 70s I watched a large number - around 20, in groups of 3 - fly overhead Brough CP at very low level. Boy was it loud.
Great aircraft, seen it loads of times on various Air Days when I was based at Yeovilton and Culdrose. Loud, your not kidding, got to see and hear it to fully appreciate it wholly.
Can agree with that! Traveling past RAF Finningley many times (before the advent of the motorways) in the late 1950s/early 1960s traveling from Hull to Derby, the sight and sound of those majestic planes taking off was a something to behold as they seemed to pass right over the top of the car.
I lived in Woodmansey up to the age of 10 when they used to fly out of Leconfield if memory serves me right. Bloody loud then. I was playing golf in Leicester t'other week when it flew directly over the 3rd fairway (still bloody loud).
Saturday's route goes via Gainsborough, Brough, Menwith Hill, Leeming, Durham Tees Airport*, Newcastle Airport*, Eshott Airfield, Alnwick, East Fortune, Carlisle Airport, Bowness on Windermere, Warton, Chadderton, Manchester Airport*, Woodford, RAF Cosford, East Midlands Airport* and Derby. Sunday's will be via RAF Waddington, Rutland Water, North Weald Airfield, Gravesend, Herne Bay, Manston, Dover, Ashford, Dunsfold, Farnborough, Middle Wallop, Old Sarum, Bristol Airport*, Filton, Cardiff Airport*, St. Athan, Staverton Glos Airport, RAF Brize Norton*, Wellesbourne, Bruntingthorpe and Newark. Asterisks mean the the fly-by will be subject to ATC approval at the airport concerned. Maps at: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zJoGZd3-Qg5U.k9_QAWQWnmes https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=zJoGZd3-Qg5U.k3u8IUZTll6M Timings TBC, but will likely be after midday.
The actual strategic and operational benefit of the Vulcan' s Falkand campaign was very limited and easily overcome by the ground-based Argies. What was achieved was a stunning logistical operation of mid-air refuelling, using many aircraft and only one air-strip. It was a great boost to an armed force being slowly eroded by politicians. Some years earlier I was based at an army camp, but lived near RAF Scampton (617 Squadron, methinks) with the various Vulcan crews; the plane was majestic (although a tad unreliable) and the crews great guys, so for it to stop flying is sad indeed. Their 3-day lock-downs, when they crashed-out for a 'staged' attack over the USA, usually ended up with an excellent piss- up in the communal bar - until they found out about the shenanigans of some of their wives with our lads; aye, we were very competitive! That's life.
Knowing some people who work on the VTTS project the main reason it will be grounded (never to fly again) is the lack of people qualified to work on & maintain it.......over the last few winters they have been needing to bring in retired staff to do the work.... The airframe is probably capable of another 5 years........the engines are another matter as the Olympus engines are reaching end of life & there are no more (even though they were the same as in Concorde & there are moves to try to get one of those flying again) It would be possible to modify another engine to fit (possibly the Typhoon engine) but the costs for a privately run project simply would not allow it (I believe the quote was over £2 million per engine)
Thanks for the info Fez, it was interesting to read your points. I was aware that they hadn't actually done as much as had been hoped for but they managed to disable the airfield for about a week I believe. On the question of 617 squadron, my father was one of the replacement pilots after the Dam Busters raid. He obviously was based at Scampton and I remember being there as a very young lad.
This, about Operation Black Buck, is worth a read if you haven't already done so; another one is this on YouTube (47 mins but worth a watch if you are interested):
There are loads of Wallops down here in fact there is even a local dialect that I am fluent in... Codswallop!
