VC10 Retirement
Lets not forget that the Air (Flight) Engineer Branch comes one step closer to the end.
Best wishes to all the Engs, and I hope your future gives you what you want either in the Service or out.
Best wishes to all the Engs, and I hope your future gives you what you want either in the Service or out.
Last edited by Avtur; 24th Sep 2013 at 18:26.
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Sad all round
Yes sadly for a "Few" it will maybe be E3 for the rest that fly, instead of "Eng yours for 88" it's now "Crew doors for arrival" or "Chicken or Beef". VC 10 Eng was probably the best Air Eng job out there....certainly for me (a non Air Eng) it was a real pleasure to have been given the chance to work with them. Yes of course a jobs a job nowadays I hope the MSO role is sufficiently challenging and fulfilling for them. And of course the Navs and ALMs that went that way too
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VC10 Final Flight
Due to the huge interest in the final VC10 flight, the Squadron has asked me to post that it is currently delayed pending a clearance of the fog. The crew are aiming to depart early afternoon.
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Last flight
Hope she comes over Cheltenham! I've been sat by the door with a camera all morning!
Great memories of many journeys in these old ladies and of a VC10 crew in Alaska that we joined in Freddie Mercury impressions in a bar once! '98 I think.
Great memories of many journeys in these old ladies and of a VC10 crew in Alaska that we joined in Freddie Mercury impressions in a bar once! '98 I think.
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About 500 plus cars at brunty waiting
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Originally Posted by SOSL
Originally Posted by DozyWannabe
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder - and per my moniker I'm biased - but to my eyes Concorde has grace whereas the Ten has grace and beauty. Elegance defined.
Time to dig out my 35mm shots from Brize in the early eighties and crack open that bottle of 18 y/o single malt as a toast.
The most beautiful commercial airliner ever built...
The most beautiful *subsonic* airliner, I'd say...
Time to dig out my 35mm shots from Brize in the early eighties and crack open that bottle of 18 y/o single malt as a toast.
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Nutloose
I see that you're a regular on here I wonder who you were amongst the crowd.Yes quite a good turnout don't you think. The weather for photo's was a bit gash being a bit misty/hazy.I guess around thirty/forty of use who hung around till the dying embers got the treat of a quick look over and in her which was nice.
I've no connection other than being an aviation enthusiast to the VC 10 unlike some people who were there, but I felt a real twinge of sadness as I walked back to my car, so much so that I kept turning around for what maybe one last look.
Hopefully one will be taken on by Cold War jets and though she'll have to trundle along like an earth bound bus, it would be great to here one spool up.
HoneyBunny
I see that you're a regular on here I wonder who you were amongst the crowd.Yes quite a good turnout don't you think. The weather for photo's was a bit gash being a bit misty/hazy.I guess around thirty/forty of use who hung around till the dying embers got the treat of a quick look over and in her which was nice.
I've no connection other than being an aviation enthusiast to the VC 10 unlike some people who were there, but I felt a real twinge of sadness as I walked back to my car, so much so that I kept turning around for what maybe one last look.
Hopefully one will be taken on by Cold War jets and though she'll have to trundle along like an earth bound bus, it would be great to here one spool up.
HoneyBunny
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Yes Honey, I was there, I was near the Comet. XR808 is being kept as a runner for the open days, (the one with all the tail art on it) I noticed they appeared to have a spare engine for it too which is good.
Best aircraft I have ever worked on and a privilege to have had that opportunity. I am so glad you got the chance to have a look around inside her, it's one thing I've always encouraged throughout my career, to see someone full of beans and enthusiasm turned away from something they may have travelled a long way to see makes me wince, and if ever possible I've tried to let them have a look no matter how fleeting.
It was a good day even though the weather wasn't the greatest, took lots of photos and some of my attempts are here, kudos to Mr Walton for allowing us all in, they didn't have to and it must create added work for them.
http://www.pprune.org/military-aircr...pe-2013-a.html
Best aircraft I have ever worked on and a privilege to have had that opportunity. I am so glad you got the chance to have a look around inside her, it's one thing I've always encouraged throughout my career, to see someone full of beans and enthusiasm turned away from something they may have travelled a long way to see makes me wince, and if ever possible I've tried to let them have a look no matter how fleeting.
It was a good day even though the weather wasn't the greatest, took lots of photos and some of my attempts are here, kudos to Mr Walton for allowing us all in, they didn't have to and it must create added work for them.
http://www.pprune.org/military-aircr...pe-2013-a.html
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VC-10 Final Flight
After some delays caused by the autumnal weather around Oxfordshire and the Midlands, ZA147 duly arrived in front of a large misty-eyed crowd at Bruntingthorpe at around 1545
After a couple of sporting missed approaches and a last chance to hear the glorious howl of the Conways one last time...
..the inevitable moment we all hoped we would never see
The show's over folks - time to go home...
S1177
After a couple of sporting missed approaches and a last chance to hear the glorious howl of the Conways one last time...
..the inevitable moment we all hoped we would never see
The show's over folks - time to go home...
S1177
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Bit more in todays LM with video
VC10 lands at Bruntingthorpe airfield after last flight | This is Leicestershire
VC10 lands at Bruntingthorpe airfield after last flight | This is Leicestershire
One memory I recall from BOAC VC10 days in the mid 1970s.
The crew I was on was positioning back from HKG as passenger (they did that sort of thing in those days) on a VC10. There was also a British Airtours crew doing likewise as their Company was extending their routes to more exotic destinations.
The flight had a scheduled stop at Kuwait where the aircraft went unserviceable which meant it was AOG until engineers and spares arrived from LHR. All the fare paying passengers were put on a Kuwaiti Airways B707 to continue to LHR but the operating crew and positioning crews had to night stop in Kuwait. Having bought bottles of duty free in HKG we were a bit concerned that Kuwait was a dry state but we were waived through customs and despatched on our way to the Hilton Hotel.
The largest crew party I have ever witnessed then took place in one of the palatial rooms and I will never forget the look on the room service waiter's face when he arrived with ice that we had ordered to go with our hooch.
Engineers eventually arrive and fix the a/c. We then all flew as passenger back to LHR on our own private VC10 in First Class with full cabin service. It was like an airborne night club down the back with people quite merry dancing to the pop music playing on the PA.
A happy end to a very memorable trip away - the halcyon days of airline flying when we all got the job done without lots of bureaucratic nonsense.
The crew I was on was positioning back from HKG as passenger (they did that sort of thing in those days) on a VC10. There was also a British Airtours crew doing likewise as their Company was extending their routes to more exotic destinations.
The flight had a scheduled stop at Kuwait where the aircraft went unserviceable which meant it was AOG until engineers and spares arrived from LHR. All the fare paying passengers were put on a Kuwaiti Airways B707 to continue to LHR but the operating crew and positioning crews had to night stop in Kuwait. Having bought bottles of duty free in HKG we were a bit concerned that Kuwait was a dry state but we were waived through customs and despatched on our way to the Hilton Hotel.
The largest crew party I have ever witnessed then took place in one of the palatial rooms and I will never forget the look on the room service waiter's face when he arrived with ice that we had ordered to go with our hooch.
Engineers eventually arrive and fix the a/c. We then all flew as passenger back to LHR on our own private VC10 in First Class with full cabin service. It was like an airborne night club down the back with people quite merry dancing to the pop music playing on the PA.
A happy end to a very memorable trip away - the halcyon days of airline flying when we all got the job done without lots of bureaucratic nonsense.
Last edited by fireflybob; 26th Sep 2013 at 09:33.
Whilst talking of good trips, I was lucky enough to plan and captain the very last 'Global' trainer with 241 OCU (55 R Sqn). The destinations were: Akrotiri, Bahrain, Colombo, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bali (I think), Mauritius, Bahrain, UK. Two student crews and one set of FIs. The Ten also flew HKG - Kathmandu-HKG with another qualified crew whilst we were 'resting' in HKG!
We were asked if we would take a mate of the Stn Cdr to HK but as the crews were not qualified, the Colonel and his wife had to go as supernumerary crew. When we got to the first night stop (Bahrain) we all got off and the Colonel asked me when the slip crew would be boarding. I told him that we and the VC10 were night stopping, not just in Bahrain, but in Singapore also (2 days). Oh he said. To cut a long story short, when we arrived at his destination (HKG), he asked to stay on all the way round. On the return to Brize, he got a cab to LHR and flew BA back out to HKG!
It was our very last adventure, unfettled by passengers, in our very own private jet!
Cannot see that ever happening again.
We were asked if we would take a mate of the Stn Cdr to HK but as the crews were not qualified, the Colonel and his wife had to go as supernumerary crew. When we got to the first night stop (Bahrain) we all got off and the Colonel asked me when the slip crew would be boarding. I told him that we and the VC10 were night stopping, not just in Bahrain, but in Singapore also (2 days). Oh he said. To cut a long story short, when we arrived at his destination (HKG), he asked to stay on all the way round. On the return to Brize, he got a cab to LHR and flew BA back out to HKG!
It was our very last adventure, unfettled by passengers, in our very own private jet!
Cannot see that ever happening again.
Last edited by sharpend; 26th Sep 2013 at 13:10.
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I heard that too, mentioned it in the other picture thread, isn't the problem going to be the railway bridge..
Odd place to move it from though, one would have thought Coventry would have been nearer and easier.
Hope it does happen, isn't the Dunsfold one supposedly doing the same to Brooklands.
Odd place to move it from though, one would have thought Coventry would have been nearer and easier.
Hope it does happen, isn't the Dunsfold one supposedly doing the same to Brooklands.
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VC10 Vancouver
The gentleman earlier mentioned seeing / hearing a VC10 in Vancouver a couple of years ago (2011) IIRC.
It came in to Calgary with a fuel leak, at -30 it was way to cold to tinker with. Dispensation was given to take it to Vancouver (the warmest place in Canada at the time to conduct repairs). I arranged parking and handling with the GH for a maximum of 78 hours------------they had never heard of or had seen a VC10 but were delighted to accept us.
24 hours later sat in a Vancouver hotel room watching the news of the bombing of Libya and BZZ saying forget it we are busy turned in to about a 7 day stop.
A local enthusiast got in touch upon hearing of the visit and asked if he could photograph it, film it record the engine checks-----------this guy was a hardcore anorak but very pleasant.
If anybody is interested look up Henry Tenby as he has a historic aircraft production and publishing company. VC10 in YVR with noise, smoke and lift off to fill your cravings I am sure. He was one very excited enthusiast.
Enjoy, any dramas PM me and I will see if I have any further articles.
It came in to Calgary with a fuel leak, at -30 it was way to cold to tinker with. Dispensation was given to take it to Vancouver (the warmest place in Canada at the time to conduct repairs). I arranged parking and handling with the GH for a maximum of 78 hours------------they had never heard of or had seen a VC10 but were delighted to accept us.
24 hours later sat in a Vancouver hotel room watching the news of the bombing of Libya and BZZ saying forget it we are busy turned in to about a 7 day stop.
A local enthusiast got in touch upon hearing of the visit and asked if he could photograph it, film it record the engine checks-----------this guy was a hardcore anorak but very pleasant.
If anybody is interested look up Henry Tenby as he has a historic aircraft production and publishing company. VC10 in YVR with noise, smoke and lift off to fill your cravings I am sure. He was one very excited enthusiast.
Enjoy, any dramas PM me and I will see if I have any further articles.
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Sharpend,
Now when would that last " global" have been? Don't sound like a " global" to me as it didn't go "global" if you get my drift. Be interesting to know when you were an FI on 241 as well.
1106
Now when would that last " global" have been? Don't sound like a " global" to me as it didn't go "global" if you get my drift. Be interesting to know when you were an FI on 241 as well.
1106
Nice pics, NL, better than mine! If only the stories told during the afternoon could have been recorded for posterity. BA engineer who used to work on them at LHR, chap who made them back in the 60s (said they'll have fun getting the wings off, as there isn't a bolt in sight, all shrunk fastenings), guy who had '147 as his "wedding car" 15 years ago, complete with ribbon from the refuelling probe, someone whose dad made the flight engineer's throttle lever assembly (probably one of the only original bits left on the flight deck), and many more, from all over the country.
Strangely, one of the RAF ground crew was up on an elevated platform opening panels on the APU and engines and doing something inside.
End of an era, but well marked by those there.
Strangely, one of the RAF ground crew was up on an elevated platform opening panels on the APU and engines and doing something inside.
End of an era, but well marked by those there.