BlueSkyNick
Well-Known Member
Indeed, Martin Withers was the name given out over the commentary.
Vulcan over the Solent
- Thread starter BlueChip
- Start date
Indeed, Martin Withers was the name given out over the commentary.
I can trump you on that one Brendan , I used to live under the take off path of the main Vulcan station in Poynton Cheshire. I don't remember the details but as a two year old I had to be rescued from the garden during a take off.
Family lore has it that a struggling Vulcan knocked the chimney off a house further down the road but I suspect is was a vibration related tumble.
The Western Solent was fully booked Saturday night and Berthons said this was due to the airshow. Yarmouth had its "Harbour Full" sign up but they cleared a gaggle of ribs to make way for a raft of yachts against the wall so we got in on the second attempt.
Goldie
Well-Known Member
Obviously the Vulcan has a lot of fans and makes a big impression wherever she flies. The operators face a perpetual struggle for funding (circa £1.6m p.a.) so if you'd like to see the Vulcan flying for a while longer, you could help by making a donation to either by text; the donation is set at £3 and to use it, you simply text vulcan to 82055, or online at www.vulcantothesky.org What's £3 compared to one night in a forgettable marina berth? No connection etc etc etc....
Chris_Robb
Well-Known Member
Ian - having missed out on this flight, I have followed the link and donated to them, in the hope that I will see it another time.
Come on guys - time to anti up......
Last saw her on her last flight on Portsmouth Navy day years ago - trully gut rumbling!
Just like to say that I made bits for the Vulcan while working for Hawker Siddley Aviation & still think the things a brute.Take a look at the kink in the leading edge & that chopped off tail.The Folland gnat was a far prettier airoplane
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Goldie
Well-Known Member
Agreed - the Gnat is far prettier but it can't match the Vulcan for 'presence'. As for the kinked leading edges, weren't they a later development for the B2 version? Off to get my anorak....
reginaldon
Well-Known Member
Yes remember the prototype flying from Avro's Woodford, Nr Stockport, not long before I came South, to educate the masses. I did get a flight in a Fairey Barracuda,(no doubt another product of Stockport) close formation flying and dummy divebombing, when I was in the Andrew, however this WW2 aircraft was not quite so advanced!!
dukes4monny
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the link.......donation made.
Alfie168
Well-Known Member
Once again, Poynton is on the flight path to the Vulcan factory at Woodford, about a mile away. It was never an RAF base. Its the Avro works, so i'm not surpised you had a few ' noisy ones' down your way. I took my two years old son to an air display at RAF Chivenor in 1990. I had to hide with him in a hanger he was so frightened by the Vulcan.
The last time I was at RAF Cottesmore was in 1970 as an air cadet. It had Canberra squadrons then, but there were three Vulcans being broken up even then on the far side of the airfield as it had fairly recently been a Vulcan base. I think the Victors were at Wittering and the Vulcans were Cottesmore and Scampton..not sure about Waddington.
I did witness a mass V bomber flypast just to the East of Uppingham which must have included at least thirty or more aircraft, a mixture of Victors and Vulcans in flights of four aircraft at short intervals. I'm only guessing, but it might have been the squadrons disbanding flight as much of the V force was stood down about that time as Polaris came on stream. It was a once in a life time sight, and interrupted the cricket match I was supposed to be playing in. They were not on full throttle, but it was still quite awe inspiring.
Tim
Oh I stand corrected, I was three when the family left.
My confusion can also be attributed to a pretty female student at college who hailed from Poynton. Her father was a RAF Vulcan pilot back in the early 1980's and after a drink or two she would talk about the mission impossible of Vulcan's strategic role. I assumed she lived in Poynton because the base was nearby.
Cap'n Creosote
Well-Known Member
In the early 1960's I used to cycle up to Ringway airport to watch the aircraft. You could stand on the Altrincham/Wilmslow road, right at the end of the runway in those days.
Vulcans would often liven up our day by coming in on an approach (even with undercarriage down sometimes) and then without touching the tarmac, open up the engines and roar over our heads.
And sometimes go round for another go!
They never landed. I never understood what they were doing, I assume it was some kind of training exercise. We referred to them as "doing beat ups" what ever that meant.
Vulcans would often liven up our day by coming in on an approach (even with undercarriage down sometimes) and then without touching the tarmac, open up the engines and roar over our heads.
And sometimes go round for another go!
They never landed. I never understood what they were doing, I assume it was some kind of training exercise. We referred to them as "doing beat ups" what ever that meant.
Alfie168
Well-Known Member
Its called doing circuits, or if you touch down before opening up again, circuits and bumps. I used to watch them doing that at Waddington in the last days of the Vulcans in the early eighties. These days they do circuits and bumps in the AWACS Boeings at Waddington, which is not as noisy with their fan jets, but its still a large aircraft to be throwing around, and impressive to watch.
Tim
Tim
Ken_Irby
N/A
Small World
the pilot of red6 is the son of an old friend of ours and another old(er) mutual friend was an raf technician on XH558 when it was operational who later went on to be the co of the atc unit where said red arrows pilot went to school.
Chas
the pilot of red6 is the son of an old friend of ours and another old(er) mutual friend was an raf technician on XH558 when it was operational who later went on to be the co of the atc unit where said red arrows pilot went to school.
Chas