Vulcan RIAT 2015
 

The most amazing display, on her farewell. Thanks to all who kept her flying, my boys and I will treasure the display for life.

I would have loved to see the tin triangle one last time and feel the ground shake. Sadly, it's not to be. Such an icon of my time.

Guys - it was only a farewell to RIAT - and even then, she'll do the same tomorrow (wx permitting). Actually, I say 'only' - but it was, indeed, a fantastic display....

Anyway, she'll do more than twenty more shows before her wheels finally touch down for the last time in October(?)

Check it out at http://www.vulcantothesky.org/appearances.html

airsound

Far from normal take off here....:ok:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGt--x_vq_M


Almost on her back here.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBRWLqGEoeQ

'kin' 'ell!

Join up with Putins folly
 

To bad 558 can't surprise one of those Tu-95's and join up with one over the North Sea!

Saw it, awesome, nothing modern comes close. How we will miss that tin triangle.

Smudge

What superlatives would you guys use if you had seen the Vulcan displays in the 1970's? The stuff the Vulcan does now are very tame compared to how they used to be thrown around the sky when they were front line aircraft and on the display schedule.

Remember watching Dave Thomas doing display practice at Waddington, awesome.

Surely not,

I did, and rest assured no Vulcan display in the 70s came near what 558 did today, probably down to a lighter aircraft due to the removal of not required for flight equipment. As a techie at Akrotiri in 1973, and needing to get home to get married, I abandoned all hopes of a lift with the Air Transport fleet and managed to get a lift to St Athan with a 9 Squadron crew. Having done 5000 hours flying in the back of Albert since, the Vulcan experience back to my wedding, was nothing more than a few hours in the dark. But 558 was a star at Fairford today.

Smudge :ok:

No idea what to put as a title
 

I'm so annoyed I couldn't get the time off work to see this amazing aircraft. At only 25 years old this aircraft, concord, the lanc and spit are the aircraft I look up to. Huge feet in aviation history.

Gutted I didn't get to see her one last time but she will live on in our hearts and YouTube

You've got another 10 chances (serviceability permitting...) to see XH558 display this year, not to mention several fly-bys...

-RP

Longer vids here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elyWH5NKoZE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh-9uZjg1Tg

Incredible take-off.

I'm aware that sadness that this was probably my last chance to see her fly may have clouded my judgement, but yesterday's performance seemed wonderfully full on. There was a moment of (relative silence) after that amazing takeoff when all you could hear in the crowd was "B****y H*ll!", "J***s C****t!" And "F*** me!" in a variety of different languages. Outstanding. Hats off to all involved. And good luck with the final displays.

I will never tire of watching that !

Do believe that 558 was one of our aries on 230 OCU at Finningley '63-66. If that's the case still need to finish the checks I started back then. Never signed the F700 either.

At some stage in the early 70s I believe the 35 Sqn Vulcan display captain was Dave D.....e, best man at my first marriage, and with whom I am still in touch.

Almost?.. I reckon she was.

Yes that looked properly inverted to me - RIAT yesterday was fantastic and I hope they were blessed with similar weather today.

It was the first view of a Vulcan for my boys and it brought back happy memories of graduation flypasts at FTS at Linton in the early 80s.

Some fantastic displays this year, the standard was very high across the board - special mention to the Chinook and the Reds.

Not sure wtf was going on with an R44 on the south side at about 500' while the pair of Mirages were waxing the place!

It was so nice to hear a huge round of applause for the Vulcan; something that no other team received.

The Reds got a well deserved standing ovation from the FRENCH at Tours a few weeks back - I have to confess I felt very proud to be a Brit, and a former RA Trust Trustee.

Trouble with the Reds is that, over very many years, we have come to expect excellence and we always get it. Moreover, they have very tight rules as to exactly what they can do. The Vulcan display on Saturday was very exciting as it broke the rules and apparently got a yellow card. Obviously there is a very fine dividing line between safety and an exciting display. One only has to look at old footage of the Arrows flying Gnats to see just how exciting they were. Sadly (or sensibly) the Arrows cannot now fly down the runway at 2 foot 6. Sadly too we have seen the last of 22 Hunters looping. Would it not be fantastic to see 24 Typhoons looping in formation?

I took my family yesterday, having also been hosting previously. A great airshow, made by the Vulcan. But it's also interesting being back in the UK.

A couple of rhetorical questions:

Why are there so many enormously fat people at air shows?

Why would anyone go to a military air show wearing bits of discarded military clothing (and I don't mean the cadets and military re-enactors)? There were dozens of, frankly, weird people there wandering around in DPM jackets, random surplus flying gear (and no, I'm not referring to the foreign contingents). Do they wear this clothing normally, or do shows like these allow them to dig into the dressing up box?

And, finally, whilst on my DM rant, why do people cover themselves in the most bizarre tattoos? As we walked in, there was a chap who had spring shock absorbers inked on to his calves; one woman had tie-bows down the back of both legs. And these looked like otherwise-sane people.

I compare that with a recent foreign air show I attended, albeit in an official capacity, and visible tattoos were enough to be excluded from the crowd. Not that it matters, but I do wonder whether there are large sections of the UK public hell-bent on self destruction.

Right, I feel better now. "Nurse, is it time for my special pills?"

I still think the Vulcan remains an outstanding example of British design and engineering ... compared to the cars available then (to the lucky few) like the Morris Minior, it must have looked as if had come straight out of science fiction.

A sad day when she will fly no more :(

Please don't knock the Moggie'. A great Motor!

sharpend wrote: Hmm, having only seen the footage I did wonder :uhoh: . At least the crew now has a better artificial horizon installed than the Smiths MFS, so recovery from such steep attitudes is made rather easier - but the fatigue counts will doubtless be interesting...

Still, I gather the Vulcan display won a trophy.

Indeed. it's a fine line...

A visual manouevre, surely?

I'm glad they're finally throwing her around a bit more with less regard to maintaining low fatigue counts. Such a shame it is the end. :(

just another jocky, have you ever been in a Vulcan cockpit? Extreme pitch attitudes can just about be assessed by the horizon angle through the portholes - you can see √(c*ck all) through the windscreen at such attitudes and there is absolutely no overhead or rearward view. The MFS ran out of pitch at (I think) 20° nose-up, so it was by guess at higher pitch attitudes - apart from the ground angle through the portholes.

Aeroplanes which are 'thrown around' will usually be found in subsequent accident reports....:uhoh:

SharpendActually, what happened was that another pilot, a Display Authorisation Evaluator, saw the take-off manoeuvre, and spoke to the Vulcan captain later about it.

The Vulcan captain then went, off his own bat, to see if the Flying Control Committee had any problems with it. After much consulting of rule books, the FCC decided that no rules had been broken. So, no yellow card.

I understand, though, that at least two other popular displays did get yellow cards!

Whenurhappy, I love your After 35 years of working at air shows, I'm inclined to agree.

airsound

I have mentioned this before but not the time and place but seeing as the display envelope seems to be changing it may be worth another mention. Six weeks ago 558 was practicing at Scampton, at the end of the routine it flew fast down the runway from the A15 end before climbing out over the viewpoint. The climb out was at 70 - 75 degs. and before top of climb it flew a half roll and then levelled out inverted, another half role was carried out before it flew off the right way up. For once I was dumbstruck, I was involved with the Vulcan fleet from 1968 - 1980 and have seen lots of displays but nothing came close to the manoeuvre that I saw 6 weeks ago, and yes, I do know the difference between a half role and a wing over.

A slightly better video if only spoiled by the commentator




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh-9uZjg1Tg

I used to go to Mildenhall and went once every three years. This was my first visit I hope I have captured the atmosphere. This is part one I have done the flying sequences to match up with the static displays


http://youtu.be/-egPwzNSwVU

Polish MIG pilot by any chance?

Sorry - genuinely don't know about that one.

airsound

Fairy snuff. :ok:

ITYKWIM. ;)

I was there on Saturday, close to the point where most of the aircraft, including 558, started their take-off. It was the best take-off I recollect seeing, including all the ones I saw in the 70s and 80s (it helped to see that manoeuvre from behind - it doesn't look quite as impressive form the side).

I agree about the displays in general - up until this year they have been quite low key compared to the old days but they do seem to be pushing the envelope a little now that the end is near.

I live very close to Finningley and see many of the take-offs and you can always tell when Kev Rumens is at the controls as he tends to do the more spirited take-offs and certainly the more dramatic wing-overs and he was the pilot on Saturday (except during the formation with the Reds when Bill Ramsay took over).

It would be interesting to know if a different pilot displayed on Sunday and how the take-off compared.

If I remember correctly, the commentator mentioned that the Vulcan display would include one 120 degree wing over, but I don't know if anyone had a protractor handy to check what we saw on Saturday.

I was quite impressed with the A400, which is also cleared to do 120 Degree wing overs, and included one in a very spirited display. It is just a shame it is so quiet.

Sunday's display was amazing.Great display topped off by flypast with the Reds - it doesn't get better than that. The morning's low cloud gave way to perfect blue skies :D
The commentator did make it clear that the cessation of flying at the end of the year was because of the withdrawal of Design/Engineering Authority by Marshall's, BAE and Rolls Royce, not lack of serviceable spares.
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