Yesterday's news was just wonderful and we are all grateful to Union Jack Hayward for saving the day.
I can't wait to feel my chest vibrating from the pressure waves as she lifts off from Bruntingthorpe. Hopefully we shall be allowed to fly in on the great day.
I have been fortunate enough to hear many stories from my cousin who was the boss of 617 Squadron in the cold war era, flying the Vulcan. In those days, at least one was airborne at all times with an atomic bomb "strapped 10 feet behind my a**e" as he puts it. His designtated target was Leningrad and the crew were well aware that if the call came to go, they would have insufficient fuel to return to base, but understood that under such circumstances there would be precious little to come back to. Makes you think how lucky we all are that the deterrent worked.
As an aside, I am so pleased that on this forum the comments are all positive on XH558. More than can be said of another one.
Here's to that first flight!