FighterControl

Ok bit left field but what do people think of keeping a "10" for the airshow circuit as The Vulcan bows out this year ?

Personally I think the VC10 is gorgeous, nowhere near as iconic BUT a thing of beauty nonetheless.

With the organisation already in place to support this type of operation all it would need is.....yes money !

I guess it wouldnt get the support BUT would it need as much TLC as The Vulcan, I suspect not but does anybody know ?

Its a reasonably big beast so could still catch the publics imagination on the airshow cicuit, certainly as graceful AND can still do punchy take offs !

Over to you what do readers think ?

As lovely as the vc-10 is I would personally much rather see an airworthy Vulcan. You can't beat the howl it makes on take off and the crowd it brings to an event is equally impressive. I'm not sure most people, public or spotters would flock hundreds of miles to see a vc-10 airborne over a Vulcan. Keeping both flying of course funded by the government would be the best possible outcome, just a shame it'll never happen.

Could I ask what you mean by 'the organisation already being in place,?
If you refer to the squadron manpower, I think you may find that the personnel and specific equipment will be diluted amongst the rest of (RIP) the remaining service.

It could also possibly carry fare paying passengers to the major airshows? Okay insurance would be a major hurdle there but possibly another angle?

roughcutter wrote:It could also possibly carry fare paying passengers to the major airshows? Okay insurance would be a major hurdle there but possibly another angle?

Unlikely considering the MoD stopped carrying all but "operationally essential" passengers on the aircraft due to various issues.

I'd just like to agree with what the last two posters have said. There's basically zero chance of a VC10 being kept flying, short of there being someone with oodles of cash to chuck into the massive black hole that it would inevitably be. The public simply wouldn't come forward in any great numbers to make it a realistic proposition either.

I think the best anyone can hope for is that one is kept taxiable at somewhere like Bruntingthorpe or Elvington; although if it's the former I suppose there's always the outside chance it could take to the air again one day.

Sad to say but i agree with most of the others here i think its just to much to ask to try to keep 558 and a potential VC10 in the air..... although now we know 558 is well on the way to being kept up there for another year or two hopefully!!!
my stance on this i would rather see one of the smaller faster jets get support for being put up in the air (lightning or buccaneer perhaps) there are to few fast jets on the circuit lately and with the RAF pulling this years Hawk and Tornado display jets the ear splitting after burning lineup seem and little quiet for 2013 :-(
Cheers Simon

If it ever did happen, which it is likely never to happen, i'd know who i would place my bets on being the pilot