Goodbye Gorgeous...XH558

[DTWD]

 

Seeing as it doesn't want to work:

 

Edited October 29, 2015 by DTWD
Fixed Youtube Link

[Grundar]

It is certainly a majestic looking aircraft and it's howl on take off is impressive as well.

 

Designed by the same gentleman who designed the Lancaster how could it not be a wonderful looking aircraft.

[BaconSarnie]

As a child of the 70's growing up in the UK at the height of the coldwar I got to see many V bombers flying about our skies, I fell in love with the Vulcan at an early age. I got to hear that mighty howl many times at air shows and in the Lincolnshire countryside where we hollidayed a lot growing up.

I even got to sit in a Vulcan when in the Air Training Corps while she was having an engine run up test, heady stuff to a 14 r old aircraft fanatic.

It fills my heart with nothing but sadness that XH558 will no longer take to the skies and I have a genuine tear in my eye watching the vid. So sad that RR withdrew technical support for her but its understandable with the mounting costs of keeping her airworthy and the untold hours of stresses and strains on her airframe that she finally has to retire.

I met one of her pilots some time back too, Martin Withers, some might recognise the name, for those who don't he was the pilot in XM607 who flew the Legendary Black Buck mission to bomb Stanley airfield during the Falklands war.

A very slight quiet unasuming man who you can tell loves the Vulcan very very much.

Farewell to the old girl, I will always remember that howl with nothing but fondness.

Edited October 28, 2015 by BaconSarnie
Spelling

[DarkFire]

Very sad to see XH558 finally retiring from flight. What a beautiful aircraft. I used to love seeing these at airshows in the early 80's. One of the loudest aircraft I've ever heard! British aeronautical engineering at its finest.

[Cripple]

I think I saw her flying south around about Gorebridge (south of Edinburgh) a couple of weekends a go... Very elegant lady.

[Weta43]

[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wi_ZQslBH8o[/YOUTUBE]

 

Seeing as it doesn't want to work:

 

 

Here, quote to see the correct format.

 

[DTWD]

Here, quote to see the correct format.

 

Ah right, so it's the code only, understood, thank you.

[DTWD]

Well that's it chaps, as of yesterday she's down "forever".

 

http://www.vulcantothesky.org/news/715/82/Final-Flight-of-XH558.html

 

So sad :(

[BaconSarnie]

Just watched yesterdays stream of her final flight, found it quite fitting that Martin Withers was at the controls for her last time in the skies.

I live reasonably close to the airport and could probably have gotten over there to witness some of the flight, but decided against as South Yorkshire police and Doncaster Robin Hood airport requested fans etc not to turn up.

Edited October 29, 2015 by BaconSarnie

[DTWD]

 

Robin Hood is a civil airport, but it has about 10 flights a day, they could have packed it out for this.

[BaconSarnie]

They couldnt though, too many people turning up put normal operations at risk, crowd control problems etc. They stated the reason for the secrecy around her final flight was to prevent this very issue.

During the official commentary it was stated that if the airfield was too busy and normal flight ops had to be curtailed they would charge the Vulcan trust a major fee, a fee which would have prohibited the flight as they just dont have that kind of money.

[DTWD]

But Robin Hood is a commercial venture, it seems like a good opportunity missed.

 

I think that airport does a lot right, but it's not that popular and this could have given them a nice boost in finances and given VTS a big Christmas bonus as well. Besides they average 1-2 flights an hour at most this time a year, plenty of room to fit her into the schedule. Parking isn't usually a problem as it's only seems half full at the busiest times as well.