The VC 10
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Surrey
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The current '10' series of UK car numberplates offers the opportunity of obtaining some 'VC10' ones. However, from the DVLA site I see that VC10 JET, VC10 BAC, VC10 RAF are all unobtainable, presumably all sold. Who has them? Come on you lucky people, own up!
If they haven't been sold, but have been held back for auction, the VC10 community has a forthcoming unique opportunity to solve the Government's deficit problem at a stroke.
If they haven't been sold, but have been held back for auction, the VC10 community has a forthcoming unique opportunity to solve the Government's deficit problem at a stroke.
Number Plates
You could try:
VC10 BZN
VC10 SQN
VC10 PAX
and if you didn't like the old girl:
VC10 YUK
VC10 UGH
VC10 RIP
or if you were crew
VC10 ALM
VC10 ENG
VC10 NAV
VC10 COP
VC10 CPT
VC10 STD
Of course some letters eg Z and Q are used for Eire and exports/imports or some such but there will be ingenious ways round it.
O-D
VC10 BZN
VC10 SQN
VC10 PAX
and if you didn't like the old girl:
VC10 YUK
VC10 UGH
VC10 RIP
or if you were crew
VC10 ALM
VC10 ENG
VC10 NAV
VC10 COP
VC10 CPT
VC10 STD
Of course some letters eg Z and Q are used for Eire and exports/imports or some such but there will be ingenious ways round it.
O-D
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Manchester, UK
Age: 66
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I remember VC10s so well from the first half of the 1970s, when they were operating transAtlantic flights through Manchester. I think those aircraft were all Supers, but I also got to see all the standard aircraft through visits to Heathrow.
Photos of some surviving VC10s:
JetPhotos.Net Photo » XR807 (CN: 827) United Kingdom - Royal Air Force (RAF) Vickers VC-10 C.1K by Michael Blank
JetPhotos.Net Photo » A40-AB Oman - Royal Flight Vickers VC-10 by Michael Blank
JetPhotos.Net Photo » A40-AB Oman - Royal Flight Vickers VC-10 by Michael Blank
JetPhotos.Net Photo » G-ARVM (CN: 815) British Airways Vickers VC-10 by Michael Blank
JetPhotos.Net Photo » G-ASGC (CN: 853) British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) - Cunard Vickers Super VC-10 by Michael Blank
Personally, I prefer propliners, but I can see that the VC10 was a supremely elegant airliner. Never flew on one, but I believe they were very comfortable.
Photos of some surviving VC10s:
JetPhotos.Net Photo » XR807 (CN: 827) United Kingdom - Royal Air Force (RAF) Vickers VC-10 C.1K by Michael Blank
JetPhotos.Net Photo » A40-AB Oman - Royal Flight Vickers VC-10 by Michael Blank
JetPhotos.Net Photo » A40-AB Oman - Royal Flight Vickers VC-10 by Michael Blank
JetPhotos.Net Photo » G-ARVM (CN: 815) British Airways Vickers VC-10 by Michael Blank
JetPhotos.Net Photo » G-ASGC (CN: 853) British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) - Cunard Vickers Super VC-10 by Michael Blank
Personally, I prefer propliners, but I can see that the VC10 was a supremely elegant airliner. Never flew on one, but I believe they were very comfortable.
Last edited by Proplinerman; 11th Aug 2011 at 07:26.
Proplinerman, the first photo shows XR807, which was scrapped last month. There are still 13 other VC10s flying with 101 Sqn though.
D120A, I might know who has one of those plates but will have to check. No chance of him selling it though
D120A, I might know who has one of those plates but will have to check. No chance of him selling it though
Buttonpusher
I remember being a young punk of 12 or so and took a trip from London to Montreal in a BOAC VC-10 with a stop in Shannon, about all I recall was how green the fields were coming into Shannon.
Later I asked if I could visit the flight deck, the stewardess (back then) asked me if I was ATC well of course I was !! I was in the Air Training Corps ... well after the confusion was sorted out, I got to go up front for a visit, ths captain told me he had over 14,000 hours and really enjoyed making a living this way.
Funny now, it's come full circle, I too now have over 14,000 hours and I'll be flying a trip to Shannon tomorrow, albeit from the "wrong" side of the Atlantic, and I'll get to see those green fields once again.
Ahhh memories of a mis-spent youth......
Later I asked if I could visit the flight deck, the stewardess (back then) asked me if I was ATC well of course I was !! I was in the Air Training Corps ... well after the confusion was sorted out, I got to go up front for a visit, ths captain told me he had over 14,000 hours and really enjoyed making a living this way.
Funny now, it's come full circle, I too now have over 14,000 hours and I'll be flying a trip to Shannon tomorrow, albeit from the "wrong" side of the Atlantic, and I'll get to see those green fields once again.
Ahhh memories of a mis-spent youth......
Join Date: Nov 2007
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Watched a VC10 come into lossie about a week or 2 weeks ago, beautiful sight and beautiful noise! Couldnt believe how quick they can climb on the way out!
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Forty years ago this week
BOAC Flight 775 (Bombay-LHR) was hijacked between Bahrain and Beirut on the 9th September 1970. After landing at Beirut to refuel, the aircraft was flown to Dawson's Field a desert strip near Amman in Jordan.
The three hijackers were supporters of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and wanted to pressure the British government to free Leila Khaled, a member of the PFLP. Khaled had been overpowered during a failed hijacking of an El Al flight on the 6th September and was in custody in London.
The 105 passengers and 9 crew joined hostages from two other hijacked aircraft, already at Dawson’s Field. Over the next days some hostages were moved to a hotel in Amman and some were released.
On the 12th September, anticipating a military strike, the hijackers decided to leave Dawson’s Field. They blew up the VC10, followed by the hijacked TWA 707 and SwissAir DC-8, and released those hostages still at Dawson’s Field.
The last hostages were released at the end of September in exchange for Leila Khaled and three prisoners from Switzerland.
Leila Khaled in Damascus after her release from Britain
The relatively undamaged tail of the VC10 was retrieved and the horizontal stabiliser was apparently used as a spare.
The captain of the VC10 was Cyril Goulborn.
I don’t know the names of the F/O or F/E.
Was anyone here a member of the BOAC crew?
Or involved in any way?
.
The three hijackers were supporters of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and wanted to pressure the British government to free Leila Khaled, a member of the PFLP. Khaled had been overpowered during a failed hijacking of an El Al flight on the 6th September and was in custody in London.
The 105 passengers and 9 crew joined hostages from two other hijacked aircraft, already at Dawson’s Field. Over the next days some hostages were moved to a hotel in Amman and some were released.
On the 12th September, anticipating a military strike, the hijackers decided to leave Dawson’s Field. They blew up the VC10, followed by the hijacked TWA 707 and SwissAir DC-8, and released those hostages still at Dawson’s Field.
The last hostages were released at the end of September in exchange for Leila Khaled and three prisoners from Switzerland.
Leila Khaled in Damascus after her release from Britain
The relatively undamaged tail of the VC10 was retrieved and the horizontal stabiliser was apparently used as a spare.
The captain of the VC10 was Cyril Goulborn.
I don’t know the names of the F/O or F/E.
Was anyone here a member of the BOAC crew?
Or involved in any way?
.
Join Date: Apr 2000
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I did a trip with Cyril Goulborn immediately after his return to flying.
We were a young, enthusiastic crew and we met in a local restaurant, keen to hear Cyril's tale of his heroic flying and how he outwitted his captors on the ground.
What we got from him, over dinner, was a long, quietly-spoken lecture about the suffering of the Palestinian people.
That night I learned that having the misfortune to be "involved", as you put it, in this sort of aviation event can be a Seriously Disturbing Experience. Cyril retired a short time afterwards.
Years later and now in the left-hand seat, whenever someone suggested to me that security checks were unnecessary, or could be shortened or circumvented, I would have a kind of flash-back to that sober evening......
....and insist on the full monty.
We were a young, enthusiastic crew and we met in a local restaurant, keen to hear Cyril's tale of his heroic flying and how he outwitted his captors on the ground.
What we got from him, over dinner, was a long, quietly-spoken lecture about the suffering of the Palestinian people.
That night I learned that having the misfortune to be "involved", as you put it, in this sort of aviation event can be a Seriously Disturbing Experience. Cyril retired a short time afterwards.
Years later and now in the left-hand seat, whenever someone suggested to me that security checks were unnecessary, or could be shortened or circumvented, I would have a kind of flash-back to that sober evening......
....and insist on the full monty.
Join Date: Aug 1999
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Was amazed at this - did the Brits get the idea from the Air France Deux Ponts, or did Les Toulousains get the idea for their A380 from Vickers...
Double-deck VC10 - foldout page 1
Double-deck VC10 - foldout page 1
Last edited by Hussar 54; 21st Sep 2010 at 19:45.
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I love the VC10. It has paid for everything I own, I started working on it in 1990 and I still work on it today (or rather tonight as I'm a nightshift worker) The contract runs till 2012 at the moment
In 2005 I flew in an air refueling sortie over scotland we witnessed 3 refuels of a eurofighter typhoon on test. I will never forget that day as long as I live. I have some great photo's I can upload
In 2005 I flew in an air refueling sortie over scotland we witnessed 3 refuels of a eurofighter typhoon on test. I will never forget that day as long as I live. I have some great photo's I can upload
Join Date: Jul 2009
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Double deck VC10
I too am amazed at this, but I'm pretty sure the Deux Ponts' two decks long preceded this project, as the DP was developed in the second half of the 1940s, whereas the VC10 was developed in the second half of the 1950s.
So the A380 might not have been the world's first full two-decker jetliner and it certainly isn't the world's first two deck airliner-that honour belongs to the Deux Ponts, it would appear.
So the A380 might not have been the world's first full two-decker jetliner and it certainly isn't the world's first two deck airliner-that honour belongs to the Deux Ponts, it would appear.
I'm sure that lower deck, which doesn't appear to have a single emergency exit apart from the normal entrance right up at the front, would breach evacuation regulations. These latter were the key determinant in how the A380 turned out the way it did.
It also appears to have inadequate cargo/baggage capacity, maybe OK for holiday charters but not for a normal trunk route mix of revenue.
It also appears to have inadequate cargo/baggage capacity, maybe OK for holiday charters but not for a normal trunk route mix of revenue.
Originally Posted by WHBM
I'm sure that lower deck, which doesn't appear to have a single emergency exit apart from the normal entrance right up at the front, would breach evacuation regulations. These latter were the key determinant in how the A380 turned out the way it did.
The plans included an option to convert part or whole of the forward lower cabin to accommodate freight, depending on the route.
Join Date: May 2006
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Cramic Engineering - Southall.
The VC-10 has always been one of my favourite aircraft and am not looking forward to its flying demise as the Voyager takes over. I have never been a commercial pilot but have held a UK PPL in the past for my sins. My interest in aviation began when my parents moved to West Drayton and all the kids at school went to EGLL spotting. I recall the Queens building and the viewing area on top of T2 and the smell of Jet fuel always brings back memories of Alitalia DC-9's and Air France Caravelles at T2, but one of the best places to view was on the top floor of the T2 car park that overlooked part of the T3 parking area and I recall many VC-10's parking there especially the EAA ones. Anyway, my link to the VC-10 was that my father used to work for Cramic Engineering in Southall and I recall (so he told me) that he helped install the routers for the wing manufacture used for the VC-10. Now I don't know where this was but I think it was 'up north' and maybe on the Welsh borders so may be Hawarden? He did show me some pictures of the buildings being built that were to hold the router machines, but it was all a long time ago and he is sadly no longer around to ask. I live just north of Oxford now and still see the VC-10's going into Brize. I always keep an eye out for them. Another, now classic in my mind, the TriStar is also on its way out - that will be another loss, but such is life.