In the 1970's my dad and I tried in vain to get to an airshow at RAF Leuchars in Fife. I remember how disappointed I was when we were still stuck in traffic, not in sight of the airfield, when the show began. About half an hour later we watched a Vulcan do a fly by, then go vertical on full afterburners. Seeing the V-bird in full plan profile was amazing. And the sound of those olympus engines was thunderous. After seeing that we just turned around and went home.
Nice memory, just one thing though, the Vulcan doesn`t have afterburners, but they were fitted to Concorde so it could accelerate to supersonic speeds..
A similar thing happened to me at RAAF Laverton in Australia, 1975 I think. So I stood outside the base on the main Road . At the end of Display I heard something, turned around & there was a Mirage 111 at about 40 ft. There were 6 in line I think. It sounded like a truck until it passed me then made their jet noise as they passed. I ended up being in the best spot . That noise was in my head for weeks, just amazing.
I worked as a crash & rescue firefighter at Goose Air Base in Labrador, Newfoundland. The RAF flew Vulcans there to train for low-level flights over the northern tundra and often they would perform these same long runway landings and use almost the full length of the main runway - over 10,000 feet. They just seemed to balance so easily! I've never seen any other aircraft perform so smoothly! I still think the Vulcan is the most beautiful plane ever made!
I never tire of watching videos of this aircraft, a thing of beauty, and aptly named... "The Spirit of Great Britain". What a machine! 😎😎😎. I was directly under the flightpath of one at low level once - I'll never forget the majesty of it going overhead, and the roar of those engines.
My father navigated this No 9 sq i was so proud of him .And the victor 57 sq these where real planes unlike the mine things we see today . I remember these on the runway lots of them as a child . And have photos of me and my brother inside as a child .The RAF was very real then
Was at Marham with 617Sqn Tornado/ When 55 Sqn was still going. Had the very good fortune to the final farewell of the Victor. My god it was an awesome display. They did a scramble take off. They almost ploughed the grass with a wingtip. The next 10 minutes was amazing. Speed runs, power climbs at full thrust. Scaring the tower. The pilot, after he landed, got an interview... without coffee. He simply said. I'll never fly that again. Why should I care.
Judging by the smoothest landing and the least tire smoke on the main wheels, as well as NO tire smoke on the front wheels due to aerodynamic braking, this pilot knows this aircraft better than he knows his wife!
Delta wing's just have the best flight profile due to the large air surfaces. It's why they make the best gliders for their size, it's why 3D aerobatic aircraft drastically increase the wing depth to match what the delta wing always had. Why do you think the F22 performs as well as it does in high alpha?
Just stunningly beautiful , saw it on Volkel a few jears ago , together with the Lancaster bomber . Their sound just gives me the goosebumps .... These planes represent where the Great in Great Brittain codes from , marvelous !
I saw the Vulcan at RAF Finningley in the late 70s. It was a fly-in, display & fly-out. It drifted in along the flight line on "tickover" & at the end of the runway the pilot opened the taps fully, stood it on its tail & climbed just about vertically to start the display. You didn't hear it, you *FELT* it! The roar was incredible & yet, for a heavy bomber, it handled like a heavy fighter. Absolutely awe-inspiring. We were privileged to see its return to the display circuit & I saw it at Waddington in 2014, take off, display & land. It made me proud to be British...🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
That is how you land with utter control and confidence in your natural ability. Nose up after the rear gear touches deck, hardly a burst of rubber. Explanation..... British pilot 👍
I agree Darren.What a team.Worked at Farnbrough 1994.Saw the most amazing displays ever from aircraft and most of all Pilots from all over the world.What a thrill ! !
I used to work at the factory that made these but many years after they had finished production. I was working there in the mid 1980s but every year a Vulcan would come back and do a demonstration thank you flight for all the factory. What I remember was it coming down the runway at low altitude, then the pilot would point the nose up and turn up the gas. The power and noise was simply incredible and rabbits everywhere thought that the world had come to an end - 100s of them !!. They would come running out of their burrows at breakneck speed thinking "wtf was that?". Fabulous memory.
In it's day and at altitude that massive wing and 4 powerful Olympus turbojets meant it could out manoeuvre fighters of the day like the US F101 Voodoo, Look up "Operation Sky Shield" where Vulcans played the part of enemy bombers in a test of US air defences.
I was at Church Fenton air show in 1982. Lucky to have witnessed a vulcan flyby. You could feel the vibrations in your chest it was that noisy. Not forgetting red arrows display. Memories that never fade.
What an incredible plane. The unique shape, those engines; the hairs stand up on the back of your neck watching it on You Tube. To see and hear this thing taking off and being put through its paces would live with you for ever.
One of the most impressive aircraft.To see it fly over Plymouth sound and also at Bournemouth is clearly lodged in my memory. It looks stationary in flight even flying at 400mph
My house at this time was a 1/4 of a mile from goodwood so i saw this exact display, it was breathtaking and i will never forget that howl as it banked hard over me
Sometime in the sixtys at an air show in Laverton Melbourne Australia a Vulcan did a flyover and fifty odd years later it is still one of my best memories you could feel the sound in your bones it was fantastic
Sir ,not knocking your patriotism, however, the proper name is greater Britain, prior to the union, alot of uneducated oiks were calling Scotland North Britain. Sooo whe the union happened, the collective name was greater( larger, bigger ) Britain, never stood for the greatness ( might) of the country, and has been hijacked (by some) to try to imply Britain's might in byegone eras. Hope this helps
I remember seeing one of the first Vulcan Mark 1 aircraft when it came to the Base we were stationed at in England back in early 1956. It came there for an airshow and needless to say, it was the show stopper. All the British airplanes, being so different from American ones; were always a sight to see for us, as I am sure our American planes were for the English/Scot/Welsh peoples. Thankfully, we are truly ALLIES and FRIENDS even over and above our political differences.
There is in fact a very easy, common phrase, for English/Scot/Welsh people. Its called British. And that my friend was the most sarcastic way I could've said that :) Nice comment.
I remember going to Finningley air display in the 1960's. The highlight of the afternoon was a vulcan 'scramble', with several (I think at least 6) taking off together in formation. I wouldn't describe many things as being 'awesome', but that met the criteria. Truly awesome.
The Best looking plane I have ever seen..I was working on a tall office block in Leeds right at the side of Leeds train station in the early 90s..We were on the roof one day when I heard this huge raw getting louder and louder we looked up and Concorde was flying right over our heads what a sound I should imagine this is even louder ..?
Beautiful!!!! Loved watching this. Great close ups and superb quality. Vulcan never fails to please 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜 💜 amazing to see her beauty and power. Thank you for this!!!!!!
As a youth around 1952 me and friends used to cycle down Bridal lane close to Avro,s main runway to watched the small 707 deltas that preceded the mighty Vulcans and then the strait leading edge first prototypes. Later I started at Woodford my apprenticeship working on Vulcan,Shackleton and later Nimrod and HS 748 prop jet hi wing short tale off planes.
Am in tears I so remember the Vulcans flying from RAF Waddington when I was kid and it still brings goosebumps now I am 71 years of age I still remember the noise of the Vulcans taking of one after the other when they were scrambled.Great Memories.xx
Remember, before everyone gets in a pissing contest about how good or how unnecessary this aircraft was, IT WAS USED AS A DETERRENT. It worked well wouldn't you say?
I lived 8 miles from the former RAF St. Athan base in South Wales, and for many years loved the open day event. The highlight of the flying display was the Vulcan. First approach skimming down the runway at about 200 ft, and lighting the afterburners and going almost vertical. The delicious deafening roar and feeling your insides shaking was unbelievable. Second pass down the runway banked to port with bomb bay doors open, showing the crowd the empty bay, and thankfully never having to be used in the role it was designed for. Very happy memories. 2nd fav in the display was the EE Lightening.
A vision of beauty,nothing will ever come close to that. Shame that the CAA grounded it , I am sure it wouldn't have taken much, in the scope of things, to find a manufacturer to make and supply the parts,. I remember speaking to some ex vulcan crew members at RIAT,, when it made its last flight, a lot of tears were shed that day, myself included
I remember it at the FOS. I think we went back to my Dad's TVR to get something to eat and then it was doing its thing. Looked stunning. There were quite a few car alarms set off that day too.
One of the RAF Vulcans came to the RAAF airshow at Laverton AFB, Australia in 1964. Over 50 years later I can recall how LOUD it was. An awesome sight with that huge delta wing. cheers.
I was at Laveron RAFAF base in 1974 on the occasion of the RAAF 50th jubilee Airshow. They flew over a Vulcan, and a Handley-Page Victor in refuelling rig with four Lightnings close in behind mock refuelling . I have the photos to this day and still think how lucky I was to see these three types.
I was at the Edinburgh RAAF base in Adelaide, at the 50th year anniversary, But Im sure it was 1971. Love the F4E Phantoms we had then. I remember the Vulcan fly over, it was/ is the loudest aircraft I have ever heard.
4:55 Never occurred to me before but the powerful shoulders (around the air intakes) and curved sweep of the Vulcan’s back reminds me of a bulldog straining at its leash.
Assuming you toured XM575 at EMA Aeropark? I also toured inside her many years ago when she lived on the other side of the runway where the old viewing area use to be. Not sure now, but not many years back at least two of her engines were still fully operational.
Beautiful plane even today. Along with the canberra bomber one of the best. Interestingly in Jacksonville Ar. at the Airbase where c-130s fly, you encounter a Canberra Bomber as one of the three jets shown.
