Vulcan over the Solent

Great pics, Solitaire. We just got back from today's show. The Falcon parachutes had to cancel due to low cloud, and the red arrows did some low level stuff but had to abort part way through.

The rest of it was fantastic, from a hotel garden at the top of the cliffs. Enjoyed the Black Cat helicoptors, the vulcan, typhoon, and the two girls on top of the Guinot bi-lanes!

Our commentator said that the Vulcan did both Shoreham and Bournemouth in one flight, so timing was very much of the essence to avoid keeping her in the air any longer than necessary.
 
MoodyNick said:
The Falcon parachutes had to cancel due to low cloud, and the red arrows did some low level stuff but had to abort part way through.

The rest of it was fantastic, from a hotel garden at the top of the cliffs. Enjoyed the Black Cat helicoptors, the vulcan, typhoon, and the two girls on top of the Guinot bi-lanes!

Our commentator said that the Vulcan did both Shoreham and Bournemouth in one flight, so timing was very much of the essence to avoid keeping her in the air any longer than necessary.
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Few more here -
 
crewman said:
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!
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Probably flying from BAC (Ex Avro) plant at Woodford near Manchester Airport. Thats where the Vulcans were built originally.

Tim
 
RAF Brats

BrendanS said:
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.
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That's a coincidence Brendan, so did I! Drake Close if I remember correctly. I remember the buggers always coming in on a Sunday morning, what a way to wake up lol.

Tony
 
For any Vulcan fans (and there appear to be many of you) can I recommend the book 'Vulcan 607' by Rowland White which tells the story of the operation to bomb the runway at Stanley in the Falklands. It is impeccably researched, goes into great detail for us propellorheads and is a stonking good read. The refuelling program needed to get the Vulcan to target is mindblowing.
 
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.
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Still clearly remember a similar event in Portland bay in the mid 70s. A Vulcan came in doing an attack run on the naval base, then just stood on its tail...... awesome! I read somehwere that was their configuration for dropping a nuclear bomb - go into a full power vertical climb then release the bomb. It would go on up at 400+knots until it started to fall back again, giving the Vulcan more time to get away from the blast area.

The only aircraft I ever heard anywhere near it was standing at the end of the runway at Brize Norton when the prototype Concorde was doing pilot training. That thing coming over at 250 feet on full take off power without the silncers fitted to the production run aircraft was ......
 
oldharry said:
Still clearly remember a similar event in Portland bay in the mid 70s. A Vulcan came in doing an attack run on the naval base, then just stood on its tail...... awesome! I read somehwere that was their configuration for dropping a nuclear bomb - go into a full power vertical climb then release the bomb. It would go on up at 400+knots until it started to fall back again, giving the Vulcan more time to get away from the blast area.
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Toss Bombing I think it was called...
 
vulcan story

In around 1964 I was in the Air Training Core based at Hawarden airport in Flintshire , North Wales ,home of deHavilland aircraft . We were lucky lads ,as every year we went to RAF summer camps and the best ever trip was to RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire . the V- bomber base . during the week one cadet from each wing was chosen to go up in a Vulcan for a circuit . the lucky one from our squadron was a sickly type and ,whilst airborne ,threw up on the floor of bomb bay ! we all wanted to string him up ! I wonder if they take lads up for a blast in a Typhoon these days ??
 
On the way to Littlehampton we wondered what was going on as we saw the Vulcan and a flying fortress among others. Didn't anyone else see the fortress? it seemed to be going v slowly.
 
Dawlish Airshow last week

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DawlishAirshow178.jpg
 
fflakey said:
That's a coincidence Brendan, so did I! Drake Close if I remember correctly. I remember the buggers always coming in on a Sunday morning, what a way to wake up lol.

Tony
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Yep I can remember the Vulcans at St Athan too - I was on the inside, and Tony used to babysit me! :eek: And went to school in nr Llantwit Mjr!

I was less than 5 at the time, but I can still remember the noise the Vulcans used to make on take off, and was gutted I missed her this week end.

I did see a Lancaster and the Typhoon and others fly over the IOW, which made me chuckle with delight :D
 
Memories!!

I remember the time a Vulcan displayed at RAF Sek Kong * - the only time. They had far from a full fuel load. The bowl in the hills was only just big enough for the aircraft to circle the airfield - well below hilltop height - and the OiC the airshow was wetting himself in case they slid across the Chinese border. They didn't.

A spectacular display by the best display aircraft ever built.

* Now spelt Shek Kong if you want to admire the airfield on Google Maps
 
tugboat said:
For any Vulcan fans (and there appear to be many of you) can I recommend the book 'Vulcan 607' by Rowland White which tells the story of the operation to bomb the runway at Stanley in the Falklands. It is impeccably researched, goes into great detail for us propellorheads and is a stonking good read. The refuelling program needed to get the Vulcan to target is mindblowing.
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Read this book a while ago and bought it for my dad who read it and enjoyed it.

I was working at RAF Cottesmore last year on the harriers, as i was towing a harrier up to the pan prior to first flight of the day, i hear a rumble far away and expected to be told to bring the jets in becuase of a storm. Next thing i feel is my guts and the 8.5 tonne tractor start to tremble as 4 olympus turbines scream past at no more than 100ft above me.

Believe me, that was an almost :ahem: orgasmic experience! :D
 
Just a point of interest. Mention has been made of the excellent book Vulcan 607, the story of Flt Lt Martin Withers and his crew's epic bombing run to the Falklands. He is now one of this year's Vulcan display pilots' and was very likely at the controls during all recent sightings.
 
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