XH558...

[Stuck In A Lift]

fatboy69 said:

Stuck In A Lift said:

They were chucking her around today

Edited by Stuck In A Lift on Saturday 23 August 19:24

This photo is epic - where was it taken? It is doing the rounds on Facebook & some are saying it has been faked or turned round somehow.

Looks real to me although I thought that they had decided to hold back on the displays.

I took it on the village green at Dunsfold. Nice to know my photo is famous on Facebook.

If you have seen it on the spotters group you can also see the sequence. No fakes from me.

[R1nur]

Flew with Kev today ...

[Mr_B]

Lets say it the very last display by 558 and seconds after take off she does a barrel roll ( same as Farnborough 1955 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afj19PedlxE ), would the pilot be in for any kinda reprimand ? For the non pilot/aviation experts, is a really a crazy thing to do in such an aircraft or is it actually quite capable but just the idea of such a large aircraft doing it that's mind boggling ?

[paulrussell]

Mr_B said:

Lets say it the very last display by 558 and seconds after take off she does a barrel roll ( same as Farnborough 1955 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afj19PedlxE ), would the pilot be in for any kinda reprimand ? For the non pilot/aviation experts, is a really a crazy thing to do in such an aircraft or is it actually quite capable but just the idea of such a large aircraft doing it that's mind boggling ?

Lets just say another time it was tried things didn't go so well. If the pilot did attempt to do a barrel roll, and if he survived he'd be in a lot of trouble.

[Dr Interceptor]

Mr_B said:

Lets say it the very last display by 558 and seconds after take off she does a barrel roll ( same as Farnborough 1955 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afj19PedlxE ), would the pilot be in for any kinda reprimand ? For the non pilot/aviation experts, is a really a crazy thing to do in such an aircraft or is it actually quite capable but just the idea of such a large aircraft doing it that's mind boggling ?

That's a hell of a gamble with a 30 million dollar plane lieutenant.

[aeropilot]

Nicol@ said:

aeropilot said:

I maybe near there tomorrow enroute to somewhere else, any idea what time '558 is due to make it's flypast as I might make be able to make a slight detour to get near-ish to stop off for 5 mins to see her?

From twitter:
Thank you for watching today. 'Tune in' from about 11:00 tomorrow for the latest news on departure, display and return times.

They have also mentioned the flypast is on their way back to base, so I guess after 4:30pm.

Yup, just seen on the Canadian Lanc thread that '558 is due over Gransden at around 4.30, so too late for me to catch it, as I have to be back in London by 5-ish.

Might catch the 2 x Lancs though

[DJFish]

paulrussell said:

Lets just say another time it was tried things didn't go so well. If the pilot did attempt to do a barrel roll, and if he survived he'd be in a lot of trouble.

Out of interest, do they fly displays 4up or do they leave the two non-ejector seats empty?

And once it comes to the end of its display life (I understand the engine life is the limiting factor) are they going to go for broke and really give it some welly on the last displays?
Tower bridge is roughly double the wingspan of the Vulcan.......I'm just saying.......

[Eric Mc]

Mr_B said:

Lets say it the very last display by 558 and seconds after take off she does a barrel roll ( same as Farnborough 1955 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afj19PedlxE ), would the pilot be in for any kinda reprimand ? For the non pilot/aviation experts, is a really a crazy thing to do in such an aircraft or is it actually quite capable but just the idea of such a large aircraft doing it that's mind boggling ?

The Vulcan is a very agile aircraft. It could out turn some of the RAF's fighters of the day - such as the Javelin.

Rolling over onto their backs and performing half loops were part of operational flying for Vulcans - it wasn't just for show.

[MartG]

DJFish said:

Out of interest, do they fly displays 4up or do they leave the two non-ejector seats empty?

Pretty sure they wouldn't risk having anyone in the 3 non-ejector seats

[Dr Jekyll]

I think the rule only the crew deemed to be essential are in the aircraft during a display, so that's the 2 up front. But there was a suggestion that the Vulcan team were trying to get an exemption so they could display with a navigator on board instead of having to land before and after the display to drop the navigator off and pick him up.
On a separate question, there was another aircraft (looked like some kind of Jet Provost) that accompanied the Vulcan to within a few miles of Dunsfold then stayed out of sight during the display. Is that usual?

[Stuck In A Lift]

Dr Jekyll said:

I think the rule only the crew deemed to be essential are in the aircraft during a display, so that's the 2 up front. But there was a suggestion that the Vulcan team were trying to get an exemption so they could display with a navigator on board instead of having to land before and after the display to drop the navigator off and pick him up.
On a separate question, there was another aircraft (looked like some kind of Jet Provost) that accompanied the Vulcan to within a few miles of Dunsfold then stayed out of sight during the display. Is that usual?

I'm not sure if one of the Gnat's stayed around after the fly past.

[aeropilot]

Dr Jekyll said:

I think the rule only the crew deemed to be essential are in the aircraft during a display, so that's the 2 up front.

I'm pretty sure the Vulcan is displayed with a min. crew of 3, 2 x pilots and the flight engineer. I don't think you can fly a Vulcan without the FE on board?

[ATTAK Z]

aeropilot said:

Dr Jekyll said:

I think the rule only the crew deemed to be essential are in the aircraft during a display, so that's the 2 up front.

I'm pretty sure the Vulcan is displayed with a min. crew of 3, 2 x pilots and the flight engineer. I don't think you can fly a Vulcan without the FE on board?

Yea the crew is always 3 in number ... I think they usually tweet the crew members or advertise it on the app

[theboyfold]

I'd never seen the Vulcan fly, until today and now I know why it's so amazing! Here are a few snaps.

Vulcan by cloud34.com, on Flickr

We were right behind her on her first big turn and the noise was amazing! My little boy was a little spooked by it, but once he had his ear defenders on he was fascinated

During the turn...

IMG_8385 by cloud34.com, on Flickr

IMG_8387 by cloud34.com, on Flickr

[Greensleeves]

https://twitter.com/xh558/status/50317336691712409...

@XH558: Crew in: Kev Rumens, Phill O'Dell, Phil Davies.

Tweet from Saturday. Three on board. Follow her on twitter or get the app. Or join the Vulcan to the sky trust and see if we can keep her in the air for another year. I fear that 2015 could well be the last in the air.

If she goes high enough, she also shows up on flightradar24 nowadays.

[Nicol@]

The flypast at Little Gransden was better than I expected. Nice to be reminded of that noise.
And happy with my decision not to take photos and to just watch.

[hammo19]

Watched from outside the Little Gransden airfield on the hill with hundreds of other excited enthusiast awesome view of the Lancs and the Vulcan

[Tyre Tread]

She flew over Harborough at about 3.15 this afternoon.

I was was working in the garage and heard a sound that could only be a Vulcan.

Surely not I thought and ran outside to see her smoking along fairly low

[Hooli]

paulrussell said:

Mr_B said:

Lets say it the very last display by 558 and seconds after take off she does a barrel roll ( same as Farnborough 1955 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afj19PedlxE ), would the pilot be in for any kinda reprimand ? For the non pilot/aviation experts, is a really a crazy thing to do in such an aircraft or is it actually quite capable but just the idea of such a large aircraft doing it that's mind boggling ?

Lets just say another time it was tried things didn't go so well. If the pilot did attempt to do a barrel roll, and if he survived he'd be in a lot of trouble.

IIRC the prototype that was rolled wasn't stressed for high speed or the full Gs the production Vulcans were, hence it broke up when flown 'hard'.

[Dr Jekyll]

The Vulcan rolled at Farnborough was an early production B1, it was finally scrapped 15 years later. That's not to say various other Vulcans weren't rolled when nobody was looking of course.