It is the one thing that the UK Military does very well. It is a regular occurence, about 2-3 times a week on average.

Paul Usually up there 2/3 times a week if work allows. Also go in the evening and can walk the dog at the same time.

It is to my lasting regret that in 1978 I had the opportunity of buying a ticket on BA to Brunei and flying on a VC10 and to then connect to Kuching, or flying with SIA to Singapore on a B747 and then on to Kuching. I took the latter and of course have never been on a VC10. Sods law that one. However one consolation is that I was allowed on the flight deck on the SIA aircraft on the Orly to Dubai leg. Fantastic memory that and of course now impossible. But I still regret not taking the BA flight (and I never regret not taking BA flights in economy!).

I am almost 100% certain I saw this VC10 flying over my town this afternoon at about 1400.

It was quite low, so I presume it had just left Edinburgh, heading north, my friend thought it might have been heading to Leuchers in Fife.

It was so low that the tail was only just scraping the cloud base. There were contrails coming off the wingtips, it would have made a brilliant picture, however I had no camera to hand. :{

I may be wrong, in which case I apologise in advance, but I believe Mr T Bliar uses the VC10 as his personal transport so the sight of a magnificent Vickers airliner dropping off one passenger near his constituency shouldn't be too much of a surprise.....

Yes you are wrong:

a) It was a compassionate. Already told you that!

b) Bliar doesn't use it as personal transport.

Do you honestly think he goes around on his own?

All the same, how can we get this lot out? They resemble Major's lousy government now. Something gets politicians not only useless, but actually counter productive after a few years in power, which this lot are like. Just to stop thread criticism, if it was Bliar, let's nail him! But it wasn't, so we can't nail him on that.

There was one in about ten days ago and by Friday (15.6) there were two.

Shame I missed the VC10; I flew on a three as a kid, all to/from/within Africa. The last was the Air Malawi machine. More recently (relatively) I flew on an IL-62 of LOT which was an interesting if hair-raising experience. Ahhh, nostalgia!

Well said that man...:D

gdiphil,
In my job [ATCA] I was fortunate to partake in an Air to Air Refuelling sortie, with another VC10 in [[B]very[B]]close formation in "Transit", :ok: Both "Tank" and "Recieve" from 2nd VC10, then have 4 Mighty Fins take fuel as well...then it was several circuits and "touch and goes" before [sadly] doing a "Full Stop" landing :D :ok:
Oh yeah, I was in the "jump seat" for a lot of the trip :cool:
watp,iktch

Rainboe, if you want a political thread why don't you wander off to Jet Blast and join/start one that is there already?

A shame they never re-engined the VC10 with something more economic than the Conway. Built like a brick outhouse it could rival the B52's for length of service with new engines :E

Well somebody else brought up Bliar, but let's put him to rest.

There were no alternatives for re-engining. It was a long range, heavy fuselage, and its economics would never have worked out. I think its empty weight was several tonnes more (maybe up to 7) than a 707. At the time it mattered, no other engine could have fitted the bill- you couldn't get paired CFM56s on either side. A wonderful machine, but of its time- the 60s. That darn Bill Boeing got the right formula.

And BEA/BOAC "managed" to c0ck up the UK Aviation Industry......
ie, "Designer Aeroplanes"...["Original"] Trident......too big....want the B727-100. Eventually got the Trident3, original size..underpowered, hence 5 engines.
VC10, Designed for "Empire" routes.....even though the "Empire" was fading
watp,iktch

VC-10 was (is!!) far more refined than a 707. I came back from Aden in a BUA one in 1967, a wonderful aeroplane. The reason for success of the 707 was probably more due to economics and the economies of scale. A certain colonial airforce ordered several hundred tankers of the 707 family. Now, if the VC-10 had the benefit of a launch customer placing orders on that scale history might have been different. I for one will miss her when the time comes for retirement, she certainlt is the Empress of the skies.

Agree that there probably isn't a practical re-engining option for the VC.

I understand that our colonial friends at Mildenhall sometimes position their tankers at Lakenheath instead of Mildenhall when crosswinds are unfavourable. Just take a look at how low slung those CFM's are.

First flight of my life, aged 9, on a VC-10 to JNB, also on the Super. As I have read ... the VC10 was engineered for many of the Hot & High fields of the Empire. These had short runways (natch). So the engines needed to get the new machine off the ground in that space had to be powerful.

The Americans took a practical alternative: Pay the foreign countries to upgrade their airport to the new international standard to cope with the jet age and provide longer runways. Once that was done, who are they going to buy their new jets from...?

By the way, in apportioning blame for fouling up the UK air industry, don't leave UK GOV out of it, they had their fingers in ALL the pies (airports and carriers) and made as big a mess of it as they later did to the nationalised UK car industry.
__________________
"I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you any different."
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

30 minutes turn round..... must have been a great Ground Engineer!:D Considering the normal military f$$k ups, we do compassionate cases really well. And so we should.........irrespective of cost

I was involved in BA security in the 70's and also have happy memories of the VC10 at Columbo and Beirut. On one ocassion at the latter the catering truck impacted into the wing and a temporary plate had to be fitted to get the a/c out as it was not insured overnight, the job done the a/c took off using what aeemed to be 100% power and then returned to do a low pass, awesome. Some of you will also remember two others that BA looked after VJ 'Gulf Air' titles and VE UAE. VJ was very popular as for the crews it was a big money earner and it often went to strange places. I saw VE on one occasion on one of the Scottish islands, perhaps Stornaway?

Isn't the callsign "Kitty" until the VIP is picked up, and then "Kittyhawk" or am I wrong? :8

Right we need to stop this nonsense now. There is to be no more sacriligous chatter on the re-engining the wonderful Vickers Mk 10 noise and smoke machine.

There are enough modern aeroplanes whistling over my head as it is.
Now stop my dinosaur as I need to get off.

Aaaah Vickers..... brought up watching BA Supers at Prestwick. Happy days. Went to see G-ARVM at Cosford to say goodbye before the JCBs arrive. Hurry - while there's still time:{

Farrell

I was under the impression that the "Kitty" callsign was used when carrying the VIP baggage & "Kittyhawk" when VIP on board.

This is HRHTQ's callsign, right?