1 hour VC10 flights for enthusiasts ?

[VICKERS VC10]

Does anyone recall these flights.
Prior to being withdrawn from service, BA operated ,in association with a travel company, a series of 1 hour flights on the VC10/Super VC10 (not sure) from Gatwick.

I am hoping someone may remember and let me know the registration of the aircraft.

Thanks

VICKERS VC10

[WHBM]

Actually out of Heathrow. They used to do the same with BEA Tridents as well, and there were some on independents out of Gatwick (eg on Dan-Air Comets). Ian Allan Travel from Shepperton were a continuing organiser of them along with others, they were advertised in aviation magazines their associated publisher produced.

[oldppl]

Perhaps the Royal Air Force could do that when the last one come out of service.By the way when is that? I read so many many different dates given.Perhaps nobody knows.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

The RAF used to take "PAX" on VC-10 refuelling jaunts. Several ATCO colleagues of mine had rides, but it was many years ago.

[Newforest2]

My enthusiast flight was on 3/12/81 and no, I didn't take a note of the registration.:ugh: The beat up of Farnborough was great and the pull up due to the low fuel state was fantastic. It is not often that you pull G in an airliner. After that it was a detour to the R.R. plant in Wales and then return to LGW.

[Midland 331]

One of the magazines of the period had an article on these flights. ("Aircraft Illustrated", the Ian Allan one?) Did they drop below the cliff line somewhere off Devon and do a bit of naughty low level over the sea?

[Avman]

Would love to fly on a VC-10. One of the few airliner types to escape me, together with the Britannia! :{

[paully]

Most exciting flight I ever had was on a VC 10 in the late 60`s out of Johannesburg (hot and high) to London via Nairobi and Rome ...can never forget the acceleration on the take off roll, and even inside there was no mistaking the `Conway Crescendo` outside:ok:..then came the `piece de resistance` the climb itself. It was just a very steep angle and very fast, so much so that the Captain warned us beforehand of its `very steep angle of climb` and he wasnt kidding it went up like a fighter...very comfortable and just a pleasure to fly in...BOAC had a slogan for it at the time......Triumphantly Swift,Silent and Serene.....It was:D:D


Not too sure how they got away with the Silent bit though:=

Will never forget it

[Cpt_Pugwash]

Brendan,
It is still possible ......taken from Tartan 42 , spring '07:)

http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr144/pugwash09/Aircraft/19April07009a.jpg


http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr144/pugwash09/Aircraft/19April07083a.jpg

[pwalhx]

As a very niaive 17 year old I started work for a Freight Forwarder at Manchester Airport. After about 6 months in the job there was an exhibition at Heathrow, would have been around late 1974. British Airways flew us down MAN/LHR USING the VC10 that had come inbound from JFK (BA538 I seem to recall). Unfortunately it was a coach back but still a great experience on a nice aircraft.

[Invicta DC4]

Hi

I flew on two of these one hour flights organised by Ian Allan. First was out of Heathrow in 1972, flying over the south coast and then the Channel Islands and actually lasted 1'50. This aircraft was the one blown up at Amsterdam by terrorists sometime later. The second was in 1981 out of Gatwick and was the last but one passenger carrying VC10 flights by BA. This flight carried out low passes over Bristol and Cardiff airports, I was visiting the flight deck when overshooting Cardiff. I have the registrations somewhere and will post them later.

As a previous poster said, flights were organised by Ian Allan on Tridents as well as British Caledonian A310s and Dan Air 146. They did run some flights on BOAC 747s but these were stopped as BOAC were threatened with having to pay import duty (I think) if they were used on domestic services. They also ran trips to various airshows, took a one day trip on a Court Line Tristar to Le Bourget in 1973 and Laker DC10 to Hannover in 1976.

[Seat62K]

I flew for the first time on a VC10 in 1966 and for the last time in 1972.

I would be very interested in the opportunity to do so again.

Has anyone considered organising such a thing before the aircraft is finally withdrawn from service?

Better still, is anyone thinking about keeping one in airworthy condition? After all, the VC10 is part of Britain's transport heritage. Apart from anything else, it was the largest (and last) intercontinental airliner which was wholly British. You'd have thought National Lottery Heritage Fund money would be available for a project like this.

[Groundloop]

You'd have thought National Lottery Heritage Fund money would be available for a project like this.

You're joking, of course. After the Vulcan fiasco?!!

Also, of course, the RAF's VC-10s have been hacked about so much it would be very very difficult to get a civilian CofA for one.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Captain Pugwash... Thanks for those brilliant pics. Not many can take pics like that so I'm pretty sure I know who you are!!!

[paully]

There is one preserved at Duxford, Cambridge by a dedicated band of volunteers:ok:...it is G -ASGC, a super VC 10 in BOAC colours. They also have a quite a few other British Built Civil aircraft there as well. But the best bit is that the VC 10 is open to the public:ok:. If you go to Duxford and collect Tesco vouchers you can use them to get in as well. Check the DAS website

www.das.org.uk (http://www.das.org.uk)

[j4ckos mate]

Which freight company did you work for?

[Newforest2]

So, back to post 1, what was the registration?:hmm:

[paulc]

Picasa Web Albums - Paul - VC10Trip9Sept... (http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/PaulChandler1461/VC10Trip9September2004?)


I hope the link works - pictures from XV108 VC10 on a refuelling exercise in September 2004

[stu.andrews]

The last fare paying passenger flights were on G-ASGL, (later ZA 240 I believe). The aircraft had returned from Africa & the enthusiast flight, arranged by Ian Allan Travel Services, took in Cardiff & Filton. It was originally planned to include the South Coast & St Mawan but the weather dictated otherwise. The flight along the North coast of Somerset & Devon was very low & the occupants of Butlins at Minehead were probably quite surprised. The pilot asked if we were all in agreement for him to put the aircraft through it's paces, as much as was allowed, & this was duly done, with a wife or two wishing they had stayed at Gatwick!
A very enjoyable & memorable flight. Yes, I was there & still have the tickets to prove it.

[ZOOKER]

In 1982 or thereabouts, I was a very junior ATCO at EGCC. BA sent a Super VC10 up for a farewell 'low approach and overshoot', (before go-arounds).
Although I don't have my notrbook handy, I'm sure it was G-ASGL. I remember being on GROUND, we were fairly quiet, and being a big VC10 fan, approach transferred it to GMC rather than TWR, because they thought I might like to talk to it.
A Trident 3 taxying out on a 'Shuttle' thought it all rather splendid and stopped to watch a very low fly-past.
Many years later several of us did fam-flights on them. Mine was MADRAS34, on XV105, (in white and blue).
June 29th 2012 will mark the 50th anniversary of the VC10's maiden flight. Let's hope it doesn't go un-noticed by the folks at Brize. :ok:

[LAS1997]

I missed out on the final British airways VC10 enthusiasts flights in the early 1980's and thought that I would never fly in this classic British airliner; I had flown as a passenger in the Trident, BAC 1-11 and Viscount, but never the VC10. That is until a good friend of mine who's partner was serving in the RAF managed to get me a flight ex-BZZ in VC10 XV105 in September 2008. It was an amazing exeperience which I will never forget as we flew out over the North Sea and held at FL110 to re-fuel Tornado's and Mirages (RAF, Luftwaffa, and French Air Force). We even had our own personal Hostess to look after us. I took a video of the flight from the flight deck for the take off and landings, etc. Truly a fantastic experience which I will never forget. Sadly XV105 took her last flight to the scrap yard in Bruntingthrope earlier this month; so that is the end of her since serving with the RAF from 1967. I would love to see an RAF VC10 preserved.

[lotus1]

I remember flying on a Air europe 757 enthusiast flight from gatwick cost 25 pound in1985 we flew Gatwick overshooting exeter could not see much due to aircraft going so fast and fininshed via lands end routing back to Gatwick flight in total was around a hour everyone visited the flight deck but the trip was organised by a Gentleman by the name of Mr Fideller based in Southampton he used to organise flights and advertised in air pictorial i belive he organised many other flights.