Vulcan final flight live broadcast now.

[banjodrone]

Watch it live here

https://youtu.be/DcKqkq27ffk

[Airbubba]

Wow, thanks for posting this! The plane is ready to taxi...

[andrasz]

Thank you, just in time for the takeoff. Sad to se a piece of history pass.

[gemma10]

Well what a total and complete balls up that stream was

[Airbubba]

Oh well, looks like somebody pulled out the cable to the video equipment just as the plane was about to land... :eek:

Anybody else see it land?

[GeorgEGNT]

Looks like the stream has been cancelled.

[Airbubba]

On the Periscope feed the plane did a touch and go and back around to a full stop landing.

Decades ago in Sigonella a transiting Vulcan crew let me climb up and take a look around the flight deck. Thanks guys, it was awesome! :ok:

As the Vulcan retires I'm betting yet another delta wing bomber will emerge with Northrop Grumman's award of the LRS-B contract.

[Herod]

It's still on, and you can wind back to watch.

[Simplythebeast]

No doubt you will be able to pay VTTS for a nicely polished video of the last flight if you are desperate.

[Exnomad]

Remember she was built to handle Britain's deterent, along with the Victor and Valiant.
I worked on the things that turned a beautiful feat of engineering into a devastating weapon.
Very glad it was never used, except in that Falklands raid.

[Akrapovic]

I wouldn't worry too much - they'll be another final flight next week I'm sure . . .:8

[spekesoftly]

Anybody else see it land?

The 'missing landing' has been tacked onto the end at about 49:00.

[India Four Two]

A truly dreadful piece of TV.

I hope some amateur out there will post something better.

[JW411]

So Sean (with whom I flew on Belfasts) tells us that it cost £23 million to operate XH558 over 8 years. He also tells us that she flew 346 hours over that period. My cheap Russian calculator tells me that this comes in at just under £66,500 per hour.

Ouch!

[N707ZS]

Sad to see, but that bloke couldn't half batter on!

[Airbubba]

A truly dreadful piece of TV.

I hope some amateur out there will post something better.

Well, one of the ground staff was taking video with her iPad.

Also, hope there were some good still photographers, I didn't see much in the way of professional camera equipment in the linked video.

[Downwind Lander]

JW411 suggests:So Sean (with whom I flew on Belfasts) tells us that it cost £23 million to operate XH558 over 8 years. He also tells us that she flew 346 hours over that period. My cheap Russian calculator tells me that this comes in at just under £66,500 per hour.

Well, it is not cheap but mentioning that a C-17 is a quarter of the cost makes it seem good value.

[RAT 5]

I wouldn't worry too much - they'll be another final flight next week I'm sure .

Only if it's got Bob Dylan painted on the nose.

[Airbubba]

Oh well, looks like somebody pulled out the cable to the video equipment just as the plane was about to land... :eek:


As PlanesTV put it:

This recording was broadcast live, an unfortunately timed connection problem means Vulcan XH558's final landing is at 47:42 in the video.

Actually, some very nice shots edited into the YouTube link, I'm hoping the final video will be quite good.

Also, I saw a couple of pro still photographers toward the end of the clip, hopefully there were more near the runway.

[evansb]

Take-off roll begins around 29:30..

[Jet Jockey A4]

Terrible, terrible TV coverage of the event!

Could they not get better camera positions to see the whole flight, what a shame!

[911slf]

I reckon if you chip in for the DVD you will see more than this. I've got my tickets for the raffle. First prize a fast taxi next spring, right hand seat.

[cessnapete]

How terribly British the Vulcans last flight.
A large, backwoods, provincial airport with less movements then Popham on rainy day, is unable to organise a fitting send off for such an iconic aircraft. As usual at most large aviation events in UK the local police force appears powerless to control access from local roads , and in fact intending enthusiasts are actually told to stay away.
Enthusiasts with light aircraft could have been invited, plenty of parking, oh sorry mandatory handling and PPR required, not enough security staff to to cope with the perceived risk assessment I suppose.
And of course with a couple of holiday 737's chaos would have ensued.

[wanderinwilco]

I watched Vulcans over my primary school in the 60s, returning to Woodford from test flights carrying the Blue Steel weapon.

At a Woodford airshow ( 66 or 67?) a Vulcan performed a RATO departure. With a good headwind, all was silent along the crowd line (right up close to the runway with just a rope barrier and a patrolling policeman to keep us in check) but one watched the rippling air as he rushed towards us the, BANG!; the loudest noise I had heard as the beast darkened the sky.

Late 60s, Again heading back to Woodford, the Olympus engine strapped to the bomb bay for the airborne trials on the future Concorde powerplant, during which trials the testbed shut down all 4 internal engines and flew out over the Irish Sea.

74 or 75, NAS Portland, a retiring Vulcan pilot taking a final trip around UK asked for a GCA to overshoot. We all rushed out of the tower to witness the final stages. Like the proverbial giant bat he swept in over Chesil Beach, lifted one wing to avoid taking the SPN-35 with him, touched the main gear down in a puff of smoke before screaming away over Weymouth. A pre-warned Naval Airman rushed onto the runway, a pot in hand, and painted a white edging to the rubber streak to mark the day Britain's biggest bomber "landed" at our shortest military runway.

Thanks for the memories

[XSMR133]

Can't "Black cat" a Vulcan, but a Boscombe (Raspberry ripple) Javelin did several from over Portland Harbour, late sixty, Great sight.

[Less Hair]

Looked like the camera broke down right in time for the historic final touchdown.

[RAT 5]

Surely Nat Geo, or even the BBC- finally, had a 'final salute' documentary planned and actioned. Surely surely? If not then heads should be on the block.

[barry lloyd]

The BBC? Nah they only do poetry, all day gymnastics and fancy dancing. Aeroplanes are dirty, noisy and industrial if you work in Broadcasting House.

I think their treatment of the whole business has been appalling. As for Nat Geo, well if the Vulcan had been built in the US, I'm sure there would have been a programme on it.

[G-CPTN]

There was a female wearing a Hi-Viz 'BBC Crew'.

[attic7]

I was shocked at the intimidation heaped on the Vulcan Trust in trying to operate this historic last flight. Everyone was told to stay away!
In terms of commercial flights at DSA on wednesday, there was a single TOM departed 0720 and returned from PFO at 1820.
One of the threats issued by the authorities was the danger to the commercial operation of the airport!
Absolutely, totally unbelieveable, Spirit Of Great Britain does not exist any more:mad:

[RAT 5]

Had the Vulcan trust runout of money? Did they not have any cash for a tribute film; even a chase plane for the tour? Surely, within the ranks of the trust members there were a few that had access to a suitable air to air photo plane? A coordinated scheme to launch locally and film the tour; to save costs rather than a full tour wingman? Much of history has gone unseen.
Thread creep: I was shocked that no documentary was made of the first round the world Burt Rutan a/c trip; nor the 1st balloon; nor many other 1st's in aviation. OK, this was a last, but the connecting theme is historical moments in aviation. A/C are getting less & less items of affection to the public. Bit like cars; they all look the same. The Vulcan might have been one of the last of those.

[rans6andrew]

final flight kept secret!

Seems to be a bit unfair to the people who have paid for it, supported it, bought the souvenirs at shows up and down the country, being denied the last chance to see it fly.

The website was still saying "watch this space" even after the flight was over.

Poor show.

Rans6......

[LynxDriver]

There were sound reasons behind the small notice period given for the final flight. She's grounded now so perhaps the criticism can now stop and we can reflect on what a star turn the air display circuit has lost.

[MAN777]

Vulcan bomber prohibited air roll investigated - BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-34712346)

[BEagle]

Well, if the crew was stupid enough to fly the alleged manoeuvre so soon after the Shoreham disaster, they shouldn't really expect any sympathy.

[Corsairoz]

The 9 minute BBC Inside Out Piece on the final flight, as broadcast on Monday..... a pretty good job I thought.

https://youtu.be/hTTh0WT3ZHM

[staplefordheli]

BBC now have footage of the two rolls she did on route back I was talking to ground observer at time on mobile when he told me what she was doing I did ask him twice but this was never going to be a secret Footage of Vulcan performing barrel roll investigated - BBC News (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-34712344)

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Looks faked to me.

[Allan Lupton]

This plug for a Channel Four programme shows the usual regard for truth:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/guy-martin-last-flight-of-the-vulcan-bomber

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

The clip won't play for me but I'll guess that Guy Martin is going to build a Vukcan, using parts from an old combine harvester and a couple of Olympus engines he found in his shed.............