General Chat

Dizzi,
don't think hubby's got that one, will have to check his bookshelf and see. Is it good?

JUST READING ABOUT THE PLANE


YOU KNOW IM ALWAYS LLOOKING FOR BOOKSOF INTEREST
I HAVEJUST GOT

RAF
HISTORY THROUGH AIRCRAFT

R A routine was pretty good, all the old favourites with formations aerobatics of five or seven with a lot of dual or fours doing crossovers.

I wasn't ideally placed , probably half a mile from the centre point, so might have lost some of the effect. The heart looked an odd shape, but that might have been my viewpoint.

One routine was a crossover at low level, into a half loop, rollout and crossover at high level.

Loads of smoke, a bit excessive actually, you sometimes lost sight of the aircraft in it, particularly as I was trying to camcord it..

Seemed to go on for ages, you thought it was over and in they came again.

Brian was the show good? Definatley too far for us to go to that one. Was watching a programme the other week about the Red Arrows and they were saying that the Southend Show was usually their first display of the year, what was their routine like this year?

I went to the Southend show yesterday, the Vulcan was originally scheduled to appear but funding to do the Airworthiness work came through too late to get the work done to make the first couple of shows in the season.

It should be in the air from next month, I believe.

The BoB Flight Lancaster made up for it to some extent, a sentimental attachment as my cousin died in one before I was born.

Fond memories of the Vulcans whilst stationed in Lincs. My husband worked on them and I used to love to watch them fly and do their display.

Hey Brian,
how's you doing? Well have ordered the tickets today for Fairford and the Vulcan is listed as flying at the show, I just can't wait. Rumours abound that it is going to be at Cosford as well, which is just down the road from us, so if it's true I might pop along to where my daughter works that day and watch it from there.

Helen

There is one at the IWM at Duxford, but not in flying condition.
There's a total of 15 in the UK, but XH558 is the only airworthy one, and looks like remaining so.

The Vulcan to the Sky Trust launched a public appeal to raise £1 million by last Friday (6/3) and has just about got it, with nearly 10,000 people pledging support.

Commercial sponsorship still lacking though, due to strapped company finances in the recession.

But it looks as if the 2009 season has a good chance of going ahead.

There's a petition on the No.10 web to try to get the IWM to step in with support, it would be great if everyone on here signed up.

Brian, do they not have one at the IWM? They have one at Cosford, but you can't get the effect of the sheer power and size of the Vulcan when it is static on the ground, even if you are right underneath the bomb bay.

Helen

I think I saw a Vulcan at the Tangmere air show once.I may be wrong but somehow it is associated in my mind.

It was nearly fifty years ago but it was certainly the first time I knew that shape of aircraft was called a Vulcan.

It would be dreadful to lose it at this stage, due to lack of commercial sponsorship in the recession.
A tiny amount of what's going on the bank bale-out or the Olympics would secure its future.
Two possibilities are: increased public support, say a tenner each from 15,000 people, which is possible, especially if it can be got through to the summer display season and start to earn appearance fees.
Or else the Imperial War Museum should add it to its flying collection.

nudging again as I've added my plea thread onto the chat board as well.

LATEST NEWS re THE VULCAN

taken from the Vulcan to the Skies website.

Vulcan on brink of closure; has last flight already occurred?

The Vulcan Effect

Over last summer Vulcan XH558 made a triumphant return to air displays around the UK. She was the star of the show wherever she appeared, generating such a strong reaction from her 1.5million audience that the media were moved to call it the Vulcan Effect.

What has truly surprised and pleased is the reaction of youngsters seeing the Vulcan for the first time. There are very few sights and sounds with the power to stimulate and inspire the young, but the Vulcan in flight is indisputably one of them.

That was last summer. Unfortunately the Vulcan to the Sky Trust (VTST) has to announce today that the prospects of seeing the Vulcan fly again in 2009 are currently looking very poor.

Grim future for the Vulcan team

VTST is running out of cash. The current conditions – an economic "Perfect Storm" – are making corporate sponsorship increasingly difficult to secure, and recessionary fears are understandably limiting the flow of charitable donations.

The Trust has just enough money to pay the wages bill at the end of the month. As the result, last Monday, VTST had to put all of its employees on one month’s notice.

Whilst huge numbers of people saw the Vulcan display last summer, by contrast, hardly anyone appears to know of XH558’s plight now.

Only the further generosity of the public can now save the Vulcan. £1million is needed to keep going this year, and secure the financial footing for the future.

Pledges are the way forward

Just before Christmas, VTST started a Pledge campaign, looking for promises of donations which could be called in once the target had been reached. The response has been good, today reaching £260,000. At least £150,000 can be added from other sources to this amount.

We are hoping that the public will want to see the amazing Vulcan fly again this year. The public need to help us by pledging now, either through our website www.vulcantothesky.org or by phone to our office on 0116 247 8145. Even the smallest pledge helps, because it is people in their thousands who make the difference.

The very real danger is that we won’t get near enough to our target of £1million by the end of the month. If we don’t, the Trust will be destined to rapidly go into administration, which would inevitably lead to the sale of the aircraft, probably to an American buyer. What a terrible waste of all the money, effort and heartache which went into restoring XH558 back to flight.

It’s quite remarkable that £50million can be raised for a Titian that will be seen by only a few thousand people a year, but that we are struggling to raise a fiftieth of that amount for another stirringly beautiful British creation that will be seen by millions every year.

Immediate action is required if this great British icon is to continue honouring the past and inspiring the future. Apart from pledging donations, supporters are also encouraged to sign the petition at http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/vulcan-XH558/

Oh teresa, I await your posting on the show, We are off to Fairford early next Friday.

Have fun.

Helen

Waddington was where my cousin was based when he was killed in 1944. (Lancaster tail end Charlie).

The Vulcan has now received permission to display at RAF Waddington this weekend. (On the East Midlands local lunchtime news.)

The weather forecast is not good though!

5 weeks tomorrow till Fairford. just been looking at you tube and this is the latest clip that's been added. Cosford show was on last Sunday and the local paper had a big spread on the Thursday saying that there was a good chance it would be there. But in Sat's edition it said that it wouldn't be, but we knew that it wasn't due to be a Cosford anyway.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=18oQBikV9WU&NR=1

awaiting in anticipation for Fairford.

Helen

helen and ann

ive driven to local (unused now) army base wehre they were training with chinooks and other vehicles,
to show son on afternoon when he was a bout 7 or 8, we sat by fence watching them, he loved it too

your right you can tell the sound before you see it,
we used ot have them where we lived in emsworth, when hubby was in army, our son could watch um practising lifting landrovers up on winches over on the airbase,
he was just 2 then, dad has done paintings for him too, years ago of hurcules flying thru a valley, and a chinnook to hang up in his bedroom, they are brilliant

we lived not far from farnborough years ago, but never went in to the air show

Strange isn't it Julie, I love watching aircraft too. Loved the days when the RAF stations had their air days. And back in the 60s when we used to go to HMS Daedelus air days.

here we get the small aircraft now (no more choppers at the moment as RAF Innsworth has closed - used to love the Chinooks) and a lot of the aircraft from Gloucester airport sound like those aircraft you get in the old films of the 30s i think it must be.
We do get the occasional screaming jet though (small ones)

can't remember what one it was maybe wessex but we were flown from innsworth to RAF Benson on a visit in 1993.

Ann
Glos
Ann
Glos

Julie Ann, my ambition is to fly in a Chinnok. I just love the sound it makes. You can tell when one is flying even before you see it. Where do you live? Have you been to Fairford for the Royal International Air Tattoo? Hubby and I went for the first time 2 years ago, we only went on the Sunday and didn't have time to go round the static displays because the flying starts at 9.45 and goes on till 5pm. So last year we went both days and camped. It was fantastic. Our 2 daughters are coming with us this year and The Vulcan is listed as flying. So it will be a brilliant show this year.

For those interested the web page for the Tattoo is,
https://www.airtattoo.com/airtattoo/

Helen