theanorak73 Posted May 15, 2015 Share Posted May 15, 2015 (edited) apparently 2015 will be the last flying year for the Vulcan. quote from the newsletter below... "This is going to be a spectacular summer for Vulcan XH558 but also a very emotional one; it is with considerable sadness that we have to confirm that we are about to enter the final flying season. After she has landed from her last flight this autumn, there will no longer be a flying Vulcan. We are therefore going to work especially hard to make summer 2015 a memorable flying season for every Vulcan enthusiast across the country. We intend to use every flying hour available, taking her to more people than ever before, celebrating other iconic British engineering achievements and saluting the heroes of Britain’s legendary V-Force in which she played a vital role during the knife-edge tension of the Cold War." "We are sure you are asking why this has to be the end of this phase of XH558’s life, particularly as many of you will be aware that we have been trying hard to find a way to extend her life for at least one more season beyond the additional two years (2014-15) that were promised when we completed the wing modification. The answer is that having evaluated a great many factors, the three expert companies on whom we depend – known as the ‘technical authorities’ - have together decided to cease their support at the end of this flying season. Without that support, under Civil Aviation Authority regulations, we are prohibited from flying.At the heart of their decision are two factors. First, although we are all confident that XH558 is currently as safe as any aircraft flying today, her structure and systems are already more than ten percent beyond the flying hours of any other Vulcan, so knowing where to look for any possible failure is becoming more difficult. These can be thought of as the ‘unknown unknown’ issues, which can be impossible to predict with any accuracy. Second, maintaining her superb safety record requires expertise that is increasingly difficult to find.Our technical partners already bring specialists out of retirement specifically to work on XH558; a solution that is increasingly impractical for those businesses as the necessary skills become distant in their collective memories. We have recently been made aware that the skills issue is particularly acute as our engines age and will require a considerable amount of additional (and costly) inspection and assessment." Edited May 15, 2015 by theanorak73 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John B (Sc) Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 Sad, but a sensible engineering decision. As someone who has been involved in updating and refurbishing old structures for additional life, the comment about the unpredictables rings bells. There is a sensible linit to how far we can extrapolate in engineering; the tricky judgment lies in deciding just how much extrapolation is safe. I can sympathise with the technical authorities ; that they came evidently came together to this conclusion indicates their increasing uncertainty. Possibly not greatly helped by the legal culture developing here, where any incident can be cause for compensation claims. It was a magnificent effort, keeping one of these Cold War legacies flying. Welll done all involved! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffreyK Posted May 17, 2015 Share Posted May 17, 2015 Looks like it might become a little expensive this year, as far as my air show attendance is concerned... J Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatalbert Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Anyone know what will happen to her when she is finally grounded? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomastmcc Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Anyone know what will happen to her when she is finally grounded? she will go into the hangar being built i think to be part of a ground museum... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theanorak73 Posted May 19, 2015 Author Share Posted May 19, 2015 will be able to "taxi" but not fly !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skids Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Will have to pull my finger out to see her this year, its a shame but safety must come first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CedB Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 Sad news indeed... 'last chance to see' her appearances are listed on the website here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Dot Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 anyone know when the last show is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpine_modeller Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 (edited) anyone know when the last show is? Yes, I would like to know this too. I am due over in the UK last weekend of September for a wedding, and I am wondering will I have missed the airshow season or is there a chance to catch up with XH558 before the fateful day. At the moment VTTS only has dates up until the end of August up. Are there still some airshows on the circut up until the beginning of October ? Edited May 30, 2015 by alpine_modeller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theanorak73 Posted May 31, 2015 Author Share Posted May 31, 2015 http://www.vulcantothesky.org/appearances.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick32 Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 I'm due to see her next weekend at Throckmorton. I doubt i'll get to any other shows so this will be it for me. I have fond memories of seeing her at Fairford in the past when i was a kid. I'm looking forward to hearing that howl one final time. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpine_modeller Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 (edited) http://www.vulcantothesky.org/appearances.html ...which only goes up to end of August. I watched her bomb up the Solent during one day of the Bournemouth Airshow 2010 whilst sat on the top deck of a Red Funnel ferry at Cowes, IOW waiting to return to Southampton. A ton of black sh*t coming out of the Olympuses, every toddler and baby on the boat crying at the sudden shock of the noise. All the older kids and parents looking gobstruck at this bird of prey from hell disturbing the peace. Absolutely fab.... Edited June 1, 2015 by alpine_modeller 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Av8fan Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 (edited) I am sorry to hear about this, but I understand safety first. Has a Vulcan ever flown through Mach Loop? I guess that it is a bit late to suggest it..oh well. Any reason that they couldn't? I am grateful for all the great videos and photos that we have to see and enjoy. Edit: I remember seeing a Vulcan at the Airshow in Toronto when I was a young fellow. I was so impressed that I found a Vulcan kit and bought it soon after. The Vulcan build was one of my first major painting/spill/carpet=VERY UNHAPPY parents incidents. Edited June 12, 2015 by Av8fan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidelvy Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 Very pleased to see it is scheduled to make an appearance over Swansea. I remember seeing the ocasional Vulcan on low flying exercises on my way home from school and it would be nice to give a wave goodbye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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