Last OPERATIONAL Vulcan sortie

[Memsec655]

I’ve been researching the last operational sortie of an AVRO Vulcan K2. It would have been at some date in March 1984 as 50 Sqn was disbanded on the 30th March 1964. It would have been after 3rd of March and there is a photo of 3 K2s taken on March 10th. but so far have been unable to find the date of the last operational sortie. If anyone knows I’d be delighted to hear from them!

[Exrigger]

Is this of use, dated 26th March 1984:

https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=Last+sortie+for+Vulcan+K2&mid=56B48FEBE3C198BE188156B48FEBE3C198BE1881&FORM=VIRE

[Memsec655]

Is this of use, dated 26th March 1984:

Brilliant, Exrigger and many thanks from an ex Ltech FS with 10 yrs at Waddo and last tour on 50.

[57mm]

In 83, IIIRC, we tanked from a Vulcan in RAFG. One of the most stable platforms ever. I recognised the garden shed enclosure, which caused us much chortling. Then we had some affil with it and boy could that beast manoeuvre!

[BEagle]

...the garden shed enclosure...

Commonly known to the crews as the 'MFI wardrobe'!

[Memsec655]

Yes they could! A bomber that flew like a fighter. Experienced a take-off from Bitterswell standing on the steps. Went up so fast the pressurisation couldn’t keep up!

[Archimedes]

I’ve been researching the last operational sortie of an AVRO Vulcan K2. It would have been at some date in March 1984 as 50 Sqn was disbanded on the 30th March 1964. It would have been after 3rd of March and there is a photo of 3 K2s taken on March 10th. but so far have been unable to find the date of the last operational sortie. If anyone knows I’d be delighted to hear from them!

I'm sure you'll get the answer here, but if not - the F540 is in the National Archives at Kew and should contain that detail. Sadly not digitised yet although you can ask for a quotation for this to be done; not sure what that works out at these days - the file AIR 27/3677.

[Memsec655]

I'm sure you'll get the answer here, but if not - the F540 is in the National Archives at Kew and should contain that detail. Sadly not digitised yet although you can ask for a quotation for this to be done; not sure what that works out at these days - the file AIR 27/3677.

Thanks for the file reference, although I doubt I’ll be getting down to Kew any time soon

[Jimlad1]

If anyone is interested, there are some great files in the National Archives about running on a display team Vulcan after 84 - it is a fascinating read.

[Avionker]

I could have sworn that when I passed out from Swinderby our fly past consisted of a Vulcan with two Phantoms, one on each wing tip.

The date would have been the 2nd May, as we started on the 13th March and passed out seven weeks later, not six, due to having a weeks leave at Easter (April 22nd that year).

Now according to a couple of on-line sources the first display by the Vulcan Display Flight was on the 23rd of May for IX Squadron’s Standard Presentation Parade at Honington.

The question is am I misremembering a Vulcan been there or is it possible that the flypast I remember was not deemed to be a display, perhaps just slipped in to another sortie as a “bonus”?