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VC10 Retirement

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Old 20th Sep 2013, 21:25
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Sad day indeed, I had a great tour as the 10 Sqn Ops O. Great jet, great people and great flying. Happy days.
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Old 20th Sep 2013, 22:14
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The most beautiful commercial airliner ever built
Concur, especially in the markings of the first model kit every built for me, by my late father.



Flypast over the Windy Lincolnshire Cabbage Patch at around 12:55L with a couple of GR4's breaking off just before the airfield boundry.









Seems to be dumping fuel out of the wing pod HDU's in the last photo.
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Old 20th Sep 2013, 22:47
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A great flying machine - flew on it several times as positioning crew with BOAC in the 1970s.

Neal Rendall (aka Stubs) was on my course at Hamble (692) but this is the story I love the most:-

The VC 10 played a major role in the life of Rendall and his family
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Old 20th Sep 2013, 22:55
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Main

"Concur, especially in the markings of the first model kit every built for me,
by my late father."

Agree.

I think my brother or I had one of these.

Used to like the BOAC livery, looked good.

I think I still have an old BOAC bag somewhere
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Old 20th Sep 2013, 23:59
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VC10 memories

As the shiny '10 signs off, from a penguin ,(all flap and no fly), MT Fitter/Tech, can I just say thank you to all those involved in the operation and support of this mighty bird. It took me and my family to and from the far east, (Brunei Hong Kong ,Singapore and Cyprus(x2)).

When the far east troopers started in the late 60's it was a quantum leap from the Britannia (13 hrs from Cyprus!! via Luqa) and god knows how long in a British Eagle Britannia from Paya Lebar, with no worries regarding baggage weight.

My thanks extend to the unsung MT drivers, Caterers, Cleaners, Firemen and Movers (and any other trade I have missed) without whom all those down route rates would not have been collected

Forever in the mind, the Kai Tak trainers and the Conway howl.

PM

Thank you all.
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Old 21st Sep 2013, 03:02
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VC-10 Farewell

47 years and 2 months after the first airplane was delivered to the Royal Air Force, the last ever VC-10 operational flights from RAF Brize Norton took place today 20 Sept 2013

ZA147 airborne as "Tartan 52"





closely followed by ZA150 as "Tartan 51"





Sadly, a sight never to be seen again





And an immaculate flypast over the home of 101 Squadron





ZA150 "Tartan 51" lands at Brize Norton for the final time





and just behind is ZA147 "Tartan 52", and is the last ever VC-10 to land at Brize Norton







And the final taxi back to the ramp - I can't help but wonder what the crews were feeling at this point





Jolly Good Show by the boys and girls at 101 Squadron

Very glad I was there.

Sincere thanks to Brize Norton ATC for their generous hospitality

Squawk1177
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Old 21st Sep 2013, 04:35
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Savannah Jet
Thank you so much for these pictures...I'm sitting in my villa in Bali which seems a million miles from where you took the pics...but you've managed to bring me there.

I was one of the first batch of crew (Air Eng) to train at BOAC on the RAF VC10 and, after a couple of years on 10 Sqn as the VIP crew, became i/c Air Eng training in the original VC10 Sim.
I left the RAF and UK in 1974 and thought I'd never see the 10 again.

A couple of years ago, I was driving past Vancouver airport, where I then lived, when this roar occurred. I recognized the noise and pulled over...my wife was confused so I said "please wait', or words to that effect and, sure enough, this mighty VC10 with roaring Conways went over my head leaving a tell tale smoke....tears were running down my cheeks, as they are now.

I think I recognize, in your pic of the landing, the background is the Brize Officer's mess behind the porta-potty....if so that climaxes my nostalgia as I used to park my Isetta bubble car right in front before spending many pleasurable hours in the bar. I lived in the (new then) modular built married M.Qtrs a short path around the back but enjoyed sqeezing that crazy car between others, and stepping out, as the door opened in the front.

I have the standard framed pic of XV 104 in storage somewhere...it will soon be given a more 'pride of place' location.

Thank you again for enabling my emotional day and I'm also grateful to all the other contributors to this VC10 thread....for restoring those memories.

Friday 20 Sept 2013....A sad but yet beautiful day to remember.....and your pictures will keep that memory alive.
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Old 21st Sep 2013, 06:33
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Wonderful pictures ... Many thanks for posting


I hope someone has ordered a taxi to bring BEagle home from Brize this morning
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Old 21st Sep 2013, 08:14
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Must have been a "good one" ... 09:15 and still no little green light from the Master ... said light might be a little dimmer when he does finally surface
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Old 21st Sep 2013, 08:14
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VC10 TIE

As I wrote before I worked on them at PIK with BA. We trained crews on the Standard VC10 and each one of us was given a VM ( that was the reg) tie with VM and VC10 on it if anyone wants me to send it to them reply at perrinpeter@sky .com

Keep them boys and girls
Peter
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Old 21st Sep 2013, 08:44
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petitb

I am probably (sadly) one of the last surviving members of the original Vickers VC10 Flight test team based at Wisley. I was responsible for the development and certification programme of the AFCS. I first flew on the prototype G-ARTA on 29 Sept 1962. This was an exciting programme, encompassing all the autopilot runaways at high altitude/Mach No. on both the “Standard” and Super VC10. Also hot trials in Aden, and VMu’s etc in Madrid on the Super. In April 1965 I was on the inaugural to New York, and royally entertained by BOAC for 3 days.
As everyone here says, a magnificent aircraft, a tribute to it’s designers and test pilots, and I still feel proud to have been a small part of it.
Also magnificent pictures, thank you.
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Old 21st Sep 2013, 08:49
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A great flying machine - flew on it several times as positioning crew with BOAC in the 1970s.

Neal Rendall (aka Stubs) was on my course at Hamble (692) but this is the story I love the most:-

The VC 10 played a major role in the life of Rendall and his family
The table I was seated on at the VC10 dinner last night included Rendall's granddaughter! We were on 101 Sqn together.
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Old 21st Sep 2013, 09:59
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Thank you for those wonderfully nostalgic pictures. I flew many times on the VC10s in and out of east and central Africa.
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Old 21st Sep 2013, 10:03
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Wonderful photos, thank you, looking at the one where they are taking off past the Airman's accommodation I can see my old room, it was on the airfield end so I used to get the pleasure of the noise everytime anything took off, (none double glazed) they've bricked up my window !


I have used the flyby ones as a wallpaper on my iPad, and Damn fine it looks, hope you do not mind.

Last edited by NutLoose; 21st Sep 2013 at 10:08.
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Old 21st Sep 2013, 10:13
  #35 (permalink)  
 
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The table I was seated on at the VC10 dinner last night included Rendall's granddaughter! We were on 101 Sqn together.
Indeed. I should have placed that bet when I did her first sim trip and told everyone that it wouldn't be long before she became our first female VC10 captain - which she did! She later captained the last ever flight of the VC10K2 to its final resting place at St Athan, pulling off a superb landing in typically horrible Welsh weather.

A cracking night, eh Mr B? Lots of old faces and a good time was had by all - and over £8000 to the RAFBF from the auction. Perhaps the chap who paid all that money for the mounted control column yoke had slightly too good a time though as we later found him asleep all curled up on a sofa tenderly clutching the yoke in his arms. But Phil Tys.. has the photos for posterity!

Great to hear that ZA150 'J' is going to Dunsfold for preservation - my ex-boss AVM Dave Hurrell was overjoyed when I told him that 'his' Juliet will live on as he considered 150 to be his personal aircraft when he ran 101 some 30 years ago.

Oh and Beastie - was I really so mean that I only gave you a White Rating that time? Sorry, mate!

Last edited by BEagle; 21st Sep 2013 at 10:15.
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Old 21st Sep 2013, 10:41
  #36 (permalink)  
 
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Savannha Jet.....you made my day. Thanks for sharing.
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Old 21st Sep 2013, 11:53
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Savannha Jet, ref Tom Sawyer post - ditto

Absolutely stunning photos thank you for sharing with us

Nutloose

I was a singly in the block 2nd from the right. Back in 1978 the first block from the right was the Andover guys, the second block was us, the VC10 end of Base hangar, and the next two blocks were LSS. Great singly life. The entrance the other side of my block was right opposite the Pigs Bar. Happy days
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Old 21st Sep 2013, 12:09
  #38 (permalink)  
 
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I was in the second block from the left the LSS one, I was in the bricked up window downstairs opposite the steps, also first window around the corner (we moved about as it was decorated, they were the single rooms in the block, the rest being two man, I was also in the single room in the main entrance foyer on the right of the main door downstairs (cleared from RAF from there) the block was LSS and wings were split into shifts... A shift LSS was the upstairs and downstairs airfield side.
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Old 21st Sep 2013, 12:19
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lovely pics thx for them
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Old 21st Sep 2013, 13:41
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Perhaps the chap who paid all that money for the mounted control column yoke had slightly too good a time though as we later found him asleep all curled up on a sofa tenderly clutching the yoke in his arms. But Phil Tys.. has the photos for posterity!
BEags, at around 00:30 I certainly saw, ..... erm ..... shall we say 'PT19 McZero', asleep and cradling a VC10 co-pilots yoke.

I wonder if the Trng skipper who bid for the captains VC10 yoke also fell asleep? He was certainly well 'happy' when he made his winning bids, LOL!
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