JSF

Fully understand your affection, however, if you had read anything on the Vulcan ending flying, and understood what it meant, then you would know that it is not about politics and power. It is about a tired old aircraft that no longer has the support of the Design Organisations - essential to be allowed to continue flying. The reasons for the Design Organisations positions have been made very clear and discussed at length on this forum.
As for that last bit of your post, pathetic.

Hope the weather has been as good as it has been over Cambridgeshire for today's flight.

S-D

I was travelling on that aircraft and we were told that Vulcan was heading back to Doncaster due to it's fuel state. Fair one really as EMA was the last point on yesterdays trip. Gutted I can't be there today.

Well I got a pic of sorts ... Wellshurst Golf Club (Southern most WP) 14:01 Local.

http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/...ps8b6xzyy8.jpg

Image Credit : Self

Just approaching Brizzol...14:40, hope to catch her at East Mids after yesterday's stealth fly past of Derbvegas. :ok:

Just sighted from a hilltop just south of Bath, very much the same aspect as in Coff's photo - now if only our friends, the S****s had asked to lunch, we would have had a ringside seat!:ok:

Farewell, My Lovely......:sad::sad:

Jack

Goodbye Vulcan....from St.Athan Camp. :(

So Dragartist, No 1 Son and No2 daughter head off to Grafham. Car park brimming. We make our way to the vantage point. It turned into a bit of an impromptu reunion with colleagues from years past. I took a few pics on my Kodak instamatic not worthy of posting. but the memories will live on for a while. I did not imagine this machine would have such a national following. I hope they can put her safely to bed and wrapped up in the warm and dry for all to see in the years to come. Well done to all those involved in showing her off this past few weeks.

THANKS FOR THE FLYPAST!
 

....although I only heard the sound and caught a fleeting glimpse of a wing tip as '558 departed to the east about 20 min ahead of the original TOT here. :( I'd just got off the phone and was walking to the Stanton Harcourt Road bridge over the A40, so that's the only glimpse I managed.

Judging by the number of people standing on the bridge, people from all walks of life came to see the Farewell Tour here in British West Oxfordshire - '558 has a LOT of followers!

Magnificent fly past @ Staverton Airport
 

Great sight and sound- a couple of minutes early but the approx 2000 watching greatly enjoyed it. Shame it is for the last time!!

XH 558 - Wellsbourne @ 15:45
Unfortunately road works on the way only allowed me the view as CoffmanStarter's photo :(

Next time :ok:

Good job it is not a war mission - 15 minutes early at Wellesbourne (OK, hat, coat)

Over the big base in Oxon 20 minutes ago.............

Followed by a C130J landing with an engine shut down.....is that a crazy metaphor for the state of today's Air Force?:ugh:

A post full of thank yous!!


First of all thank you for everyone who answered my query about the take off time today.

I was at North Weald this afternoon, along with at least another 1,000 car loads of people, to watch the fly past. We weren't disappointed!! If any of the crew read this, or anyone who can pass a message on to them, many thanks for their efforts today - it was greatly appreciated by everyone there, young and old.

Secondly a big thank you to North Weald airport. Plenty of marshallers on site to direct traffic, good car parking arrangements, and all free of charge!

A bit gutted they missed Oundle by a good 5 miles! :(

No. That was a training sortie doing a practice asymmetric landing. Normal stuff. No metaphor.

Old Sarum
 

1435 or so At Old Sarum. Old Sarum Castle was heaving on all the earth walls facing the airfield with the Great British Public (plus anyone else who could appreciate it) bidding farewell. Made it more special as the Old Girl put on the coals as she approached from Middle Wallop (wot no rotor blades?!?) banked to the right over the airfield and shot off towards Warminster. Topped off by seeing so many people waiting patiently for the fleeting moments of grace, thunder and the sound of freedom.

There was a famous tale about a Vulcan visiting the US and approaching US airspace at some height way above what B52s could manage, and asked for FL53 or something. Air trafic said you can have FL53 if you can get up there.
Vulcan replied decending from FL55.

NDW
At least you knew you wouldn't be getting a flypast.

I on the other hand expected to see XH558 twice today. I was reassured by looking at and studying the flight plan this morning from the Vulcan to the sky team. Once in my 'plane spotter' spot near the second Severn bridge I settled down for the 45 minutes until the aircraft arrived, and all the time was following the flight route on the official Twitter.

In the end I didn't get to really see the aircraft as it decided to orbit the northern part of Bristol and then instead of following the published flight path up the Severn estuary and flying over the second Severn bridge it turned left and the only view was at least 3.5-4 miles away. It's a fair comment to say that the several hundred spotters near me were very unimpressed. Many of these people had donated their £5 just for today's flight only to be told the aircraft was now going to Cardiff.......a town not on today's flight route.

Following the Twitter account it seemed that lots of people were voicing their opinions (far worse than could be put online were other comments in my earshot). The official Twitter account then said that the aircraft was coming back to the Severn Bridges. There were signs of relief, which soon changed to anger again when the aircraft was spotted around a mile to the north of the bridge and only visible for four to five seconds.

I wonder how many of the 300-400 pekoe around me thought that they had paid £5 to help to see a point point accurate Cold War bomber, and not the Severn estuary with the tide out.

Sky sports

That was bad, they only missed me by four miles.

Miss Distance
 

Great view from 80ft beneath the tin triangle on the overshoot @ Staverton