Vulcan to the Skies.
 

Hi All,
I never am sure which forum to post to, so feel free to move me if you wish!
Anyone know when the Vulcan is due for a test flight, the website indicates that all will be on schedule for the Falklands Memorial Flypastk, so I would assume that it would have to be in the next couple of months...

Hi Scud - difficult to know, as you say, which forum this belongs in, but since it will be very much a 'spotters' event we'll leave it here for the time being. There are threads in Aviation History here and here and the Mil forum you can watch for news.

Is this realistic?? I thought I heard a few years ago that there was no way at all that the CAA would ever permit a Vulcan to fly again, especially in private hands...

Would be amazed if the CAA did NOT allow it. How could they allow all this fundraising (including millions of pounds of lottery cash) to be wasted on something that would not fly again.
From what I have read, the aircraft will be in many parts virtually brand new under the skin, and besides, do I not see a WW2 Bomber flying on regular occasions?

Since when has the CAA been in existence to worry about fundraising?? Call me stoopid :} but I thought one of its main purposes in life was to ensure the safety of aircrew, passengers and all those lovely people on the ground. I would say a Vulcan was a bloody dangerous aircraft to fly when it was in service, let alone after many years mouldering on the ground. There's no way you can compare a Lancaster with four lovely Merlins to a Cold War monster with thumping great jet engines (Olympi??)

IMHO, I would be pretty surprised if the CAA allowed it to fly at all, especially from a British airfield where you are inevitably flying over the general public whichever direction you take. Way way too risky, and that's definitely not in the CAA's job description.

Dream on, guys...

I thought the CAA were working with the Vulcan guys

G-I-B

Even if the CAA were to "ware it" the insurance issue would be a greater obstacle.

Take a look here at the web site

As they might know a bit more about the issues than most of us and may be able to get a Vulcan flying again....

Just a thought. It is common knowledge that the Woodford Vulcan is to be scrapped. Would it be practical to arrange a final photo shoot charging an entrance fee with the money going towards the Bruntingthorpe Vulcan?

Good point re the insurance: just what would be the Public Liability quote???

I still maintain that this is Fantasy Island - I knew an ex-Vulcan pilot some years ago, and you had to have top-of-the-line military flying skills to handle the beast. And with the best will in the world, you've got civilians 'responsible' for what was a Serious Military Machine. And no Vulcan has flown anywhere for, what, nearly 25 years???

I just hope that all the people giving money and fundraising are aware that there is a very high chance (IMHO) that the Vulcan will NOT fly. Has anyone asked the CAA what they think??

[quote=oldlag53;3079385]Good point re the insurance: just what would be the Public Liability quote???

I still maintain that this is Fantasy Island - I knew an ex-Vulcan pilot some years ago, and you had to have top-of-the-line military flying skills to handle the beast. And with the best will in the world, you've got civilians 'responsible' for what was a Serious Military Machine. And no Vulcan has flown anywhere for, what, nearly 25 years???

[quote]

...and how many 4-engined tailwheel pilots are being trained for the Lancaster/B17

There will be enough pilots able and willing to teach their successors, just as there are for the Hunters.

oldlag53
the vulcan flew in the 90's, not sure exactly when but certainly a lot less than 25 years ago, there are plenty of older aircraft than that flying around too, all certified by the caa.
also, surely its inconceivable that all the fundraising and restoration would be done without knowledge of whether the caa would approve the aircraft for flight?

The website is quite comprehensive and a few few minutes reeading thro the various topics would help answer in detail many of the concerns being raised.

The entire engineering effort is being done to a set of requirements established in conjunction with the CAA and using properly accredited engineering resources....in order to gain CAA approval once complete. It is not being done on a whim and a hope....

The proposed flight crew is comprised of ex-Vulcan Display Flight crew, who were the last to fly a Vulcan as well as other ex-Vulcan crew members. In order to refresh their memories and practice cockpit drills they have a separate Vulcan cockpit section to use as a proceedures trainer whilst 558's is u/s.

The nature of the Vulcan made it essential that the CAA and insurance world were amongst the first to be approached in the project. Either couldhave made it clear that not matter what was done there would be a shopstopping issue with them. That this has not occured measn that there is a real hope (cash flow allowing) that 558 will fly again.

Vulcan to the Skies / Falklands 25th Aniv. Flypast
 

Hi,

Not sure if this is the right place to post, just wondered if there was any news on the first flight.. I know that this has been discussed time and time again, but there is no news on the TVOC site, and if they are gonna be on that flypast, they are really gonna have to get their backside's into gear!
Any PPruner's work @ TVOC per chance?

My money would be on the 'not' option and you are dead right, it's all gone remarkably quiet on the Vulcan front.

Anyone have any news.............

This is on the Vulcan to the Sky website as of a day or so ago:

XH558 Appearances 2007
Wednesday, April 04, 2007 - TVOC

As you can imagine many people are keen (understatement!) to have
XH558 attend their airshow this year.

We are at the moment making no commitments, but we are collecting requests, for decisions later in the year.

With a first test flight currently planned for approximately the beginning of the 2nd quarter, we won't be committing to any air display attendance until after that.

I'm sorry for the uncertainty but, as you can imagine, our main focus at the moment is a safe and successful return to flight.

Dr Robert Pleming
CEO VTST

3rd April 2007

Sounds like good news, first flight test due any day now?

Worthy cause
 

With reference to the previous post, may I point you to my post on the 'Miltary aircrew' thread - currently page 2 - ' Sea Harrier at Falklands Anniversary'.

Would love to see the Vulcan there too, but I can't help thinking it unlikely - that's a personal view & I have no inside knowledge of that project.

Feel free to PM me if you'd like to throw money - a very great deal less than the Vulcan - in the way of the team or offer moral support ( I am not a team member just have been in contact through interest, as I used to be a tech' photographer on the Harrier Test Team - see also www.harrier.org.uk/history , scroll down to 'Harrier Testing'.

The main snag facing the SHAR is a recent rule about single engined aircraft over London, though they allow griffon engined Spitfires & the Red Arrows !

In the '80's they flew heaps of Merlin Spits' & Hurricanes over for the Battle of Britain Anniversary...

Good luck to the Vulcan and the Seajet !

Andy

Ex PM Maggie Thatcher visited Bruntingthorpe a couple of weeks ago to see the Vulcan.
My 10p worth, I think the Vulcan would look awesome in it's Cold War white paint scheme, maybe Dulux would sponsor it.:)

Not sure if this has been mentioned, and I know it is followed by all the "subject to" discliamers, BUT the Vulcan is penciled in for 5th May @ Duxford!:O