Vulcan over the Solent

BlueChip

BlueChip

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Must have been an airshow on somewhere today because there was a lot of low flying fast aircraft over the Solent today.
Highlight for me was the Vulcan flying down the Solent and banking to turn over Cowes this afternoon, no afterburners though so it was quite sedate passage, but still a beautiful sight.
 
Powers said:
The Vulcan doesn't have afterburners, but it can be very noisy when it wants to be!
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Many years ago, the day after we moved into our new house near RAF Halton the annual air show was on. A Vulcan came over on a low level high speed run and then climbed vertically right overhead. It was like the end of the world, unbelievably noisy.
 
She was going to the Bournemouth Air Show, as were the Red Arrows, the Eurofighter, and lots of other guys. At one point, they put her into a climb more or less above us (on Boscombe beach). Boy, is she noisy........:cool:

I didn't know there were any airworthy Vulcans left, although I know there's one being kept in trim by a preservation group - is this a recent development?
 
jhr said:
I didn't know there were any airworthy Vulcans left, although I know there's one being kept in trim by a preservation group - is this a recent development?
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Same one, doing lots of shows. I posted recently in the Lounge that she is going to overfly Uffington White Horse show next weekend. You can see the events it can be seen at here (and Uffington now confirmed)

http://www.vulcantothesky.org/FlightOperations.asp

As I've posted often before, I used to live as a kid on the takeoff path of RAF St Athan where the Vulcans were serviced, and it was wonderful to see these planes take off just a few hundred feet overhead, though somewhat noisy. I used to get the Red Arrows doing waves as well, as we sat on our garage roof, as one of the famous leaders, Ray Hannah, was my next door neighbours uncle, and we used to get special flyby's if he had been prewarned we were on lookout duties.
 
One of my most unforgettable moments whilst serving in the Royal Air Force was standing alongside RAF St Mawgan's runway as 19 visiting Vulcans took off one after the other. It was a mindnumbing experience.
 
Here's a pic taken from the beach at Bournemouth yesterday........

3847320149_564414eb63_o.jpg


So many boats were anchored offshore that it looked more like a Fleet Review than an airshow! :)
 
Vulcan used as the Concorde testbed

Beadle said:
If it was many years ago there was one Vulcan used as a testbed for the Concorde engine. It was fastened on underneath the fusilage. That engine had an afterburner and when its noise was added to the "ordinary" Olympus engines the result was to say the least impressive.
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I remember that, they used to fly over my school in Cheshire with the Concorde Engine tied underneath. I think it was based in Stockport. As you say the noise could disrupt lessons!
 
BrendanS said:
I used to get the Red Arrows doing waves as well, as we sat on our garage roof, as one of the famous leaders, Ray Hannah, was my next door neighbours uncle, and we used to get special flyby's if he had been prewarned we were on lookout duties.
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Those were the days....I remember one day they buzzed Llandow Airfield on request and I am sure the folk in the old double decker looked down on the singleton pair as they shot by OVER the racing crowd . :)

Laterly I lived in Cowbridge about 5 miles away however our Sunday peace was frequently shattered by the sound of Olympus engines being run up in the test bays prior the test flight. Have to swap notes Brendan next time I am knocking back the ale in Foxham:)
 
"As you say the noise could disrupt lessons!"

The noise could disrupt internal organs

Wonderfull noise - the sound of freedom!

Many years ago - when the Vulcans were all white - I saw a 4 aircraft scramble at Finningley - Thats four Vulcans airbourne in 3 minutes.

16 Olympus engines spooling up to full power at once is not something one easily forgets.
 
When I was a child I remember Vulcans low flying overhead, I can remember thinking they might hit the telegraph poles or wires!
Concorde used to go supersonic overhead, all the windows in the house would shake quite a bit.
All quite scary for a child!
 
Bilgediver said:
Those were the days....I remember one day they buzzed Llandow Airfield on request and I am sure the folk in the old double decker looked down on the singleton pair as they shot by OVER the racing crowd . :)

Laterly I lived in Cowbridge about 5 miles away however our Sunday peace was frequently shattered by the sound of Olympus engines being run up in the test bays prior the test flight. Have to swap notes Brendan next time I am knocking back the ale in Foxham:)
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Ah Llandow! that brings back even more memories. Marshalled at banger racing there a few times.
 
BrendanS said:
..as one of the famous leaders, Ray Hannah, was my next door neighbours uncle, and we used to get special flyby's if he had been prewarned we were on lookout duties.
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Ray was also the R.A.F. glider aerobatic champion. He tutored me in the Slingsby T21 and be basis aerobatics. Always an awesome display when he used to put on his private show to us at Moonrakers Gliding Club at RAF Upavon in the mis '60's.
 
BlueChip said:
Many years ago, the day after we moved into our new house near RAF Halton the annual air show was on. A Vulcan came over on a low level high speed run and then climbed vertically right overhead. It was like the end of the world, unbelievably noisy.
Click to expand...
I used to work at RAE Farnborough, and lived under the main runway approach, about half a mile from the threshold. On the first occasion that the Vulcan was demonstrated at the SBAC show, it did a low (really low!) pass along the runway, then opened up everything to climb away over the RAE Staff Mess (about 400 yards from the threshold). It brought their ceiling down!
 
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