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Vulcan memories

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C24
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Vulcan memories

Post by C24 » Thu Jul 02, 2015 1:17 pm

As previous contributors to VTTS we have just received a package from them yesterday.

There is a section asking for individual personal memories of the Vulcan & the VForce. If you have one special memory, you can go to vforcememories.com & post yours.

Or you could join in this thread. :) or do both

This is my best one of many over the years.

"Vulcan memory (1966)

Returning to RAF Dishforth at 5000' from a solo aerobatics training sortie near Hutton-Le-Hole, I picked up a camouflaged Vulcan on long finals (13?) to RAF Topcliffe.

I was enjoying the experience watching it, feeling very proud of myself, when I received call from Dishforth informing me that "the Vulcan would not be stopping but planned to do several touch & goes. Had I seen it?"

Daft question! I made a suitable response not saying that I had the best view in the World!

So I banked right to go well astern, watching this magic machine getting ever larger as it gained height & flew across my bow. I made a full 360 over Kilburn returning to my origin track, watching it disappear, smoke pouring out behind it.

You can't buy that sort of experience! ; -
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mirage41
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Re: Vulcan memories

Post by mirage41 » Thu Jul 02, 2015 8:29 pm

Back in the late 60's early 70's, when Brands Hatch was the place for The British Grand Prix (and also The BOAC 500), we would enjoy the lunchtime break in racing.

This would involve a Vulcan coming low and fast and quiet from the west, and on reaching circuit opening up and climbing away on full power - non of this engine saving % limit. Young families not impressed.

Then we would be treated to The Lightning display, down below the trees, and culminating in the proper vertical departure.

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reheat module
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Re: Vulcan memories

Post by reheat module » Fri Jul 03, 2015 12:35 pm

Having just finished my RAF Engineering Training in 78, I was on night shift on my very first week at Kinloss, when 6 of these beasts got diverted in at about 2am. Having only completed my marshalling training on JP and Buldogs at Halton some 2 weeks earlier, I was thrown out with an experienced SAC to marshall and park these airframes. Boy, what an eerie experience, the probe is virtually over the head before they turn; the size; the noise; I felt rather small...
What amazed me was the mix of the age of the crews getting out.
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chrisfg1
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Re: Vulcan memories

Post by chrisfg1 » Fri Jul 03, 2015 6:50 pm

In 1988, I was an AATC in the tower at Finningley. I will always remember the practice day before the BoB at home day. The Vulcan finished its display by going over the top of the tower before climbing on full power (Tom Cruise, eat your heart out). How the windows stayed in place, I don't know. I can still picture the SATCO's face when he shouted at one of us to get the display organisers on the line, pronto!

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Re: Vulcan memories

Post by Unknown74 » Fri Jul 03, 2015 8:20 pm

My favourite memory of Vulcan XH558 is the arrivals day at Leuchars in 2009, when she arrived in the company of an 11 Sqdn Typhoon and after the Typhoon broke off and landed Vulcan proceeded to carry out her practice display maybe the best Vulcan display of XH558 I've ever seen since she has been back in the Air.

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sploosher
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Re: Vulcan memories

Post by sploosher » Fri Jul 03, 2015 9:17 pm

the one that sticks in my mind the most, is back in Cyprus in the early 70`s, I was on the beach at Limassol with school, when my father came and collected me to go to Akrotiri for a display of some kind, and they have a mass (17 I think) Vulcan scramble.......... :clap:
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Vulcanone
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Re: Vulcan memories

Post by Vulcanone » Fri Jul 03, 2015 9:24 pm

Vulcan memories....Where to start, having grown up within an hour of Waddington and Scampton

As a youngster I can remember them coming back in off the Lincolnshire Coast over Immingham heading back home, sometimes at school.....watching instead of listening to the teacher :ninja: Coming back from Binbrook and watching one running into Binbrook while having several Hunters and Lightnings attack it.

As for 558, I can remember when it was with 27 Sqn as a B.2 MRR, and when the VDF occasionally popped over to Binbrook for overshoots :Wow:

Happy days

Tim S

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Re: Vulcan memories

Post by Aarhus44 » Fri Jul 03, 2015 9:43 pm

I grew up with the Vulcan B2 from the early 70's till today. Akrotiri, Waddington as a child then 1989-1990 as an Airman. I worked opposite the hangar where 558 was housed.

50 Sqn used to do the best displays, often flying so low they would on occasion clip the tops of trees in Wellington Square by No 66 where I lived. Another time I saw a 9 Sqn one go off the end of runway by the A15 and bury itself in the mud. My father towed it out.

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sploosher
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Re: Vulcan memories

Post by sploosher » Fri Jul 03, 2015 10:02 pm

Aarhus44 wrote:I grew up with the Vulcan B2 from the early 70's till today. Akrotiri, Waddington as a child then 1989-1990 as an Airman. I worked opposite the hangar where 558 was housed.

50 Sqn used to do the best displays, often flying so low they would on occasion clip the tops of trees in Wellington Square by No 66 where I lived. Another time I saw a 9 Sqn one go off the end of runway by the A15 and bury itself in the mud. My father towed it out.
may I ask if your father was on a squadron or in the ASF in Akrotiri?
Last edited by sploosher on Sat Jul 04, 2015 8:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
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roadstar1845
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Re: Vulcan memories

Post by roadstar1845 » Fri Jul 03, 2015 11:02 pm

So many, 1967 ATC camp Finningley, Vulcan OCU simulator, escaping from the rear crew position onto a coconut mat.
Flying test bed before then for a Concord engine,over flying Hucknall. No "e" notice.(Sorry Francophiles), may still have the print on an 818 format negative somewhere, who can remember that!(818 that is).
Easter April 1982 at St.Athan when everything was being rushed back to service for the the South Atlantic when just before the angle grinders got to work, someone shouted stop! stop! to save the refuelling probes.
A certain Mildenhall display, circa 1983/4,when the aircraft was displayed to it's limits,whilst we were standing in awe next to the equally dumbstruck B52 crew.
My dear late friend Geoff Bacon said to the Buff driver."can you do that with one of yours?" To receive the laconic reply."only once sir, only once!"
Finally, last shows at Waddington before final demise from service, with the best airshow commentator of any age describing the Vulcan scramble scenario, followed by the ear splitting roar of four of the mighty beasts bursting westwards, followed by snap turns to the North and east. Shame about the fence that got in the way of the shots to end all shots.

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Re: Vulcan memories

Post by Vulcanone » Fri Jul 03, 2015 11:16 pm

Ah yes the 4 ship scrambles...

Or for those that went outside with Dad to watch after doing the static, how to avoid getting all the dirt and grass cuttings blown up when 4x Vulcans powered off the ORP
:roll:

Tim

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razor23uk
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Re: Vulcan memories

Post by razor23uk » Sat Jul 04, 2015 8:16 am

2 from me......I remember seeing the test bed aircraft for the Concord engines flying up and down the river severn over several months, then seeing it either climb or descend over our house as we were in the Filton flight path. I also worked out on the roads back in the late 70's, early 80's and remember one day up in Wentwood forest with lovely views out over Wentwood reservoir and the Bristol Channel. We always saw F111's,F4's, Jags ect doing the low level sorties and using the reservoir as a nav point, but one day a Vulcan came in low level and pulled up under full power over us. I didn't hear it until it powered up and that Vulcan howl just echoed and bounced off the forest. This bird was so low it was scarey!...and the noise!!!!!.....you have seen the cartoons when a gun is fired and all the animals leave the forest?...picture that in real life and include grown men!
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Figure8
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Re: Vulcan memories

Post by Figure8 » Sat Jul 04, 2015 10:01 pm

I can recall a BoB at Home day at St Athan in the 80s when there was a massive downpour and several hundred of us sheltered under the static aircraft. Up close and personal. Love the Vulcan and will hate to see it go.
Regards

Art (The Lie in King)

romeo bravo
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Re: Vulcan memories

Post by romeo bravo » Mon Jul 06, 2015 8:23 am

Remember back in the late 70s when I was at secondary school, just north of Peterborough and under the flight path into RAF Wittering, seeing Vulcans coming into land; quickly found out what there were up to. So when this happened, after school I would cycle up to Wittering and wait for the siren to sound; when it came was bliss, 4 Vulcans on QRA take offs, black smoke everywhere. The noise was heaven to a 14 yr old.

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Dan D'Air
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Re: Vulcan memories

Post by Dan D'Air » Mon Jul 06, 2015 2:40 pm

When I was a teenager, we went sailing, usually on a Tuesday or Wednesday pm on Pitsford reservoir.
Occasionally, Vulcans came down the reservoir, low. I mean LOW!
Not too bad if you see them coming, but if you didn't.........awesome.
Dan
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Sparts99
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Re: Vulcan memories

Post by Sparts99 » Mon Jul 06, 2015 6:11 pm

Similar to Figure 8 but many years earlier, at a Biggin Hill Air Fair in the 60s, it tipped down with rain, me and my Dad standing under the wing of a white Vulcan to keep dry. At ATC camp at Scampton and seeing so many parked around the airfield, and hearing one having an engine test, and getting to climb all over one. Finally at the WoGB dispaly at West Malling in 1984, I think the best Vulcan dispaly I ever saw.
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C24
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Re: Vulcan memories

Post by C24 » Tue Jul 07, 2015 9:47 am

Thanks for posting your memories, it is great to read them. Please keep them coming!

Romeo Bravo, would that be the Arthur Mellows Village College by any chance? :) ( aka Aunty Mary's Village Cowshed)
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romeo bravo
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Re: Vulcan memories

Post by romeo bravo » Tue Jul 07, 2015 10:11 am

C24 wrote:Romeo Bravo, would that be the Arthur Mellows Village College by any chance? :) ( aka Aunty Mary's Village Cowshed)
You must a local; not many people know it as Aunty Mary's VC (not heard that in years). Went there between 1974 and 1981. Born and bred Southorpe, near Barnack. Used to enjoy watching aircraft descending into Wittering; A7s on deployment, early Harriers, etc.

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Morseman
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Re: Vulcan memories

Post by Morseman » Tue Jul 07, 2015 11:28 am

When serving at RAF Episkopi in 67/69 I remember sitting in the open air cinema waiting for darkness to fall and watching the Vulcan coming in low level before climbing away and throwing of its payload at the target out in the bay. Wonderful sight.

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Re: Vulcan memories

Post by Andy_99 » Tue Jul 07, 2015 11:31 am

A couple from me

1) Greenham Common 1983 ? - Saw the Vulcan on the Practice Day, Both Show Days & the departure day. On the show day just remember the roar, then the howling like a banshee every bone in the body seeming to vibrate & then the tin Triangle climbing what looked like almost vertical away to start her display.

2) Brands Hatch 1985? British GP The Vulcan put on an absolute rip roarer of a display that IIRC shook all the dust/rust out of one of the grandstands covering all the people who'd paid extra for covered seating.

Will be a massive shame not to have her flying anymore but like all good things they must come to an end. lightning, F4, Bucc, Starfighter & who can forget the SR71.

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