RAF VC10 - Great Memories
As I said on another forum I would put money on 808 staying at Bruntingthorpe and doing fast taxy runs as well as being used for corporate events as has already happened with 241 and very successfully. At least the sound of the might Conways would still be heard although, unfortunately not at full military power!
Morayvia staged a valiant attempt to purchase 241 and its small membership of volunteers raised a considerable sum but unfortunately not enough. Given more time maybe the balance could have been raised from the wider aviation audience but there is yet a chance that a portion of 241 could be purchased and mounted on a trailer like the Nimrod. Morayvia are hoping that continued sales of its VC10 Malt, which will soon be available for despatch, will add to the coffers as well as a considerable donation to the RAFBF. Feel free to PM me for details.
As an aside, 808 is the airframe that I thought I had wrecked in Akrotiri some years ago when, being a knowall, I opened the freight door without removing the section of hat rack that bridged the gap with the result that it ended up fairly well mangled. Blows with a hide-faced mallet made it semi fit for purpose until the time came to close the door at which point one of the red warning lights remained red indicating that one of the hooks on the bottom of the door wasn't closing fully. Numerous attempts made opening and closing the door with the same result and crew duty time running out fast. Decision made to night stop, disperse the pax to hotels and crew off to transit. Techies worked into the night accompanied by embarrassed Loadie who was convinced he had done the damage all by himself but seen by new squadron boss as hands on good chap.
Morning came and pax arrived back at the terminal but the problem was still there. Numerous attempts made, still one red light. Advice from on high was to tow the aircraft round the pan, that didn't work, next advice get everyone out on the port wing and try to close the door again. Still no luck but great entertainment for the watching future pax! Brize eventually found that 808 had past door problems and adjusting the fuel load should clear the problem which it did much to the relief of myself! 808 bless her and may she have a long retirement.
Morayvia staged a valiant attempt to purchase 241 and its small membership of volunteers raised a considerable sum but unfortunately not enough. Given more time maybe the balance could have been raised from the wider aviation audience but there is yet a chance that a portion of 241 could be purchased and mounted on a trailer like the Nimrod. Morayvia are hoping that continued sales of its VC10 Malt, which will soon be available for despatch, will add to the coffers as well as a considerable donation to the RAFBF. Feel free to PM me for details.
As an aside, 808 is the airframe that I thought I had wrecked in Akrotiri some years ago when, being a knowall, I opened the freight door without removing the section of hat rack that bridged the gap with the result that it ended up fairly well mangled. Blows with a hide-faced mallet made it semi fit for purpose until the time came to close the door at which point one of the red warning lights remained red indicating that one of the hooks on the bottom of the door wasn't closing fully. Numerous attempts made opening and closing the door with the same result and crew duty time running out fast. Decision made to night stop, disperse the pax to hotels and crew off to transit. Techies worked into the night accompanied by embarrassed Loadie who was convinced he had done the damage all by himself but seen by new squadron boss as hands on good chap.
Morning came and pax arrived back at the terminal but the problem was still there. Numerous attempts made, still one red light. Advice from on high was to tow the aircraft round the pan, that didn't work, next advice get everyone out on the port wing and try to close the door again. Still no luck but great entertainment for the watching future pax! Brize eventually found that 808 had past door problems and adjusting the fuel load should clear the problem which it did much to the relief of myself! 808 bless her and may she have a long retirement.
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If I remember rightly you couldn't put over 100K onboard with the door open as the thing used to twist a bit not allowing it to close, I did one refuel and unbeknown to me they opened the door, I had to offload about 60K so they could shut the door before uplifting it again..
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Sad Day ... 
RAF VC10 Retires
Coff.
The last Vickers VC10 C1K (XR808) was delivered to Bruntingthorpe today, 29th July 2013, by 101 Squadron, RAF Brize Norton and into retirement.
Coff.
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The real Tragedy is in the fact it went to Bruntingthorpe,
I take it this now means the Airframe there that was originally planned to join the collection will be scrapped. So not only have the RAF Museum lost out on a VC10, but it also means the two planned surviving RAF VC10's will be reduced to a sole example. Shame they couldn't go tech with one of the survivors at Kinloss thus ensuring it ended up at Moravia permanently..
When you think of the Grimrods scattered about the Country a lone Ten is a crime...
I take it this now means the Airframe there that was originally planned to join the collection will be scrapped. So not only have the RAF Museum lost out on a VC10, but it also means the two planned surviving RAF VC10's will be reduced to a sole example. Shame they couldn't go tech with one of the survivors at Kinloss thus ensuring it ended up at Moravia permanently..
When you think of the Grimrods scattered about the Country a lone Ten is a crime...
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I am on the road with no internet access for 18 hrs (night stop included) travelling to York on a camping trip and I get here and find this thread on page 2!!!! Thanks to all that have tried to keep it on top, shame on you that cant be bothered.
Just goes to prove that Military PPruNe is full of people that really dont……… and have probably never flown on a VC10
The VC10 is as great an aircraft (in the Royal Air Force) as the Vulcan, Different role and not as glamorous but an aircraft that has touched the heart of thousands of lives. Make it a sticky or comment to keep it on top till the old girl retires in glory. It is not a lot to ask
Just goes to prove that Military PPruNe is full of people that really dont……… and have probably never flown on a VC10
The VC10 is as great an aircraft (in the Royal Air Force) as the Vulcan, Different role and not as glamorous but an aircraft that has touched the heart of thousands of lives. Make it a sticky or comment to keep it on top till the old girl retires in glory. It is not a lot to ask
Last edited by SRENNAPS; 2nd Aug 2013 at 06:51.
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Sorry
Ex LSS A shift.
....
Ex LSS A shift.
....
Last edited by NutLoose; 1st Aug 2013 at 21:13.
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Will have to go visit Brunty to see her again...
An unashamed bump..
An unashamed bump..
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One might have hoped the local MP could have shown an interest and had some influence.......That said, maybe he did and this is the result!
Thinking about it, could it have been passed off as 'high jinks' if some enterprising folks had hooked up a tug on it and managed to drag it out the crash gate, leaving it parked up in the middle of the worlds most unused industrial park across the road
Might involve a coffee less meeting in handbrake house but what a way to go....
Thinking about it, could it have been passed off as 'high jinks' if some enterprising folks had hooked up a tug on it and managed to drag it out the crash gate, leaving it parked up in the middle of the worlds most unused industrial park across the road
Might involve a coffee less meeting in handbrake house but what a way to go....
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VC10 aircraft - XV108
I've done a near vertical take off in a VC10 - XV108, with minimal fuel on board, 4 aircrew (the pilot was an ex-Fighter pilot!!) & 2 ground crew. The aircraft only had 4 rows of seats in the passenger cabin. We refuelled at Tengah, & loaded 6 Atom Bombs, to take back to the UK. We stopped off at Guam, Hawaii, San Fransisco, & Martle Beach South Carolina, on the way back to Scampton, & then on to Brize Norton. - Us two ground crew were onboard to refuel it & to fix any snags. I spent a lot of the time in the cockpit on the way home. Great experience. Great aircraft. Very sorry that they have now been scrapped.
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There are a couple still flying, the last C1 at Brunty will be kept as a runner..
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Keeping a promise 
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Keeping a promise
much appreciated.The thing that amuses me is that just about all the threads above this one actually involved the VC10.
Last edited by SRENNAPS; 4th Aug 2013 at 20:08.
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For the real VC-10 fans here...
ZA147 is in the Falklands, and is rumoured not to be coming back
ZA148 and ZA150 (the last VC-10 built) are currently stationed at Brize Norton until their withdrawal from service in mid-September.
It will be a sad day when the last one lands for the final time...I shall miss them more than most
see Visual Approach Images: VC-10
S1177
ZA147 is in the Falklands, and is rumoured not to be coming back
ZA148 and ZA150 (the last VC-10 built) are currently stationed at Brize Norton until their withdrawal from service in mid-September.
It will be a sad day when the last one lands for the final time...I shall miss them more than most
see Visual Approach Images: VC-10
S1177
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It's a shame one may get broken so far south...
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I sat on a revetment one afternoon in MPN looking down on a young sapper in a JCB chew up the F4's - fascinating but sad at the same time. Shame to see another 'proper' jet go the same way, if that is the plan. It would make a nice coffee shop or bar.
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Oldsarbouy
The door was not supposed to be operated at all when refuel/defueling. You can open it before or after though, which was the norm down route at least.
I had a similar problem on route. Tried the tow/jump on the wing/move the pallets around/use locking wire to pull the lock in/shift fuel around and simply kick the door outside to no avail. Finally got it to work by taking all the load off the pallets, closing the door and hand load the pallets back on
(We had a plane load of rather large built squaddies to assist)!
Had another occasion where taxiing right out of the parking slot at Deci and motoring the final few inches shut worked!!!!
The door was not supposed to be operated at all when refuel/defueling. You can open it before or after though, which was the norm down route at least.
I had a similar problem on route. Tried the tow/jump on the wing/move the pallets around/use locking wire to pull the lock in/shift fuel around and simply kick the door outside to no avail. Finally got it to work by taking all the load off the pallets, closing the door and hand load the pallets back on
(We had a plane load of rather large built squaddies to assist)!
Had another occasion where taxiing right out of the parking slot at Deci and motoring the final few inches shut worked!!!!
Truck2005
No, I didn't open or close the door during either refuelling or defuelling but it strikes me that, as it appears to be a rather common occurance, it should have been taught at ground school which, in my case, would have saved a substantial amount of money in extra hotel bills!
Further to rumour of 147 staying down south, I believe that the intention is to bring it home, for disposal, in September, watch this space.
Still have bottles of the special VC10 malt available!
No, I didn't open or close the door during either refuelling or defuelling but it strikes me that, as it appears to be a rather common occurance, it should have been taught at ground school which, in my case, would have saved a substantial amount of money in extra hotel bills!
Further to rumour of 147 staying down south, I believe that the intention is to bring it home, for disposal, in September, watch this space.
Still have bottles of the special VC10 malt available!
I got broken, quite badly, it eventually led to my Medical discharge, whilst on Albert in GW1. I will never forget the comfort, quiet and speed of my return home on the Queen if the skies. Despite never having served on the 10, I always loved the "great white guzzomie bird". Keep the thread up there guys, she's worth it.
Smudge
Smudge
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Blowout over Birmingham...
Seem to recall an incident back in '88. XV109 had just dropped a load of Percy Pongos off at Leuchars (or Edinburgh - can't recall exactly) and was coming back to BZN. Somewhere over Birmingham one of the left-hand mainwheels "exploded", taking out a lot of hydraulic lines and blowing a lot of cr@p down the port donks. 'BZ' to the crew who limped her back home.
edwardspannerhands, you can read more about the '109 incident at http://www.pprune.org/military-aircr...109-today.html .
The crew certainly did NOT deserve 'BZ'.....
The crew certainly did NOT deserve 'BZ'.....