XH558...

[marksx]

A display for club members in Coventry after Goodwood apparently.

[aeropilot]

marksx said:

A display for club members in Coventry after Goodwood apparently.

That would suggest they are intending that as being it and won't be accepting anymore potential public bookings that displays may try for in a 'last minute.com' for last ever display 'bragging rights'.

Would seem appropriate that the club members get the final fling so to speak.

I was at Cranfield back in September 1992 for it's last ever RAF display. I was convinced then that I would never ever see it fly again, but I have, but not as many times as I would have liked to have since 1992 - only twice I think since it's post restoration flight in 2007. I hope to make that 3 times before it lands for the absolutely final time next month.

[saaby93]

Impasse said:

Have these docs been posted yet?
(If yes just ignore me and carry on.)

Brilliant
Someone turn off the lights when we sell all our kit to our rivals

[marksx]

aeropilot said:

That would suggest they are intending that as being it and won't be accepting anymore potential public bookings that displays may try for in a 'last minute.com' for last ever display 'bragging rights'.

Would seem appropriate that the club members get the final fling so to speak.

I was at Cranfield back in September 1992 for it's last ever RAF display. I was convinced then that I would never ever see it fly again, but I have, but not as many times as I would have liked to have since 1992 - only twice I think since it's post restoration flight in 2007. I hope to make that 3 times before it lands for the absolutely final time next month.

I can't remember the exact words used now, but on a facebook thread last night VTTS said other shows were still being negotiated.

I hope someone films that final show!

[yellowjack]

saaby93 said:

Brilliant
Someone turn off the lights when we sell all our kit to our rivals

It was too late for that - half their bloody surface fleet was ex-RN. They even fielded Type 42 destroyers, same class as HMS Sheffield, ironically. Complete ineptitude from politicians is nothing new, it would seem. Selling/giving away jet engine technology to the Russians? The "ayes" have it, it would seem. Then we found ourselves facing that very technology in the Korean war. And don't forget selling off our reserve stocks of desert combat uniform to one Mr Saddam Hussein, late president of Iraq, barely a decade before we went in to bat against him...

[FourWheelDrift]

yellowjack said:

saaby93 said:

Brilliant
Someone turn off the lights when we sell all our kit to our rivals

It was too late for that - half their bloody surface fleet was ex-RN. They even fielded Type 42 destroyers, same class as HMS Sheffield, ironically. Complete ineptitude from politicians is nothing new, it would seem. Selling/giving away jet engine technology to the Russians? The "ayes" have it, it would seem. Then we found ourselves facing that very technology in the Korean war. And don't forget selling off our reserve stocks of desert combat uniform to one Mr Saddam Hussein, late president of Iraq, barely a decade before we went in to bat against him...

And they wanted to buy the Vulcans to replace the Canberras they bought from us earlier, that were to replace the Avro Lincolns they bought before that from us. Oh and they bought the Lincolns to replace their Lancasters.

Ps Argentinian Canberras flew 46 missions and 2 were shot down (1 by a Sea Dart and 1 by a Sea Harrier) during the Falklands War.

[aeropilot]

FourWheelDrift said:

yellowjack said:

saaby93 said:

Brilliant
Someone turn off the lights when we sell all our kit to our rivals

It was too late for that - half their bloody surface fleet was ex-RN. They even fielded Type 42 destroyers, same class as HMS Sheffield, ironically. Complete ineptitude from politicians is nothing new, it would seem. Selling/giving away jet engine technology to the Russians? The "ayes" have it, it would seem. Then we found ourselves facing that very technology in the Korean war. And don't forget selling off our reserve stocks of desert combat uniform to one Mr Saddam Hussein, late president of Iraq, barely a decade before we went in to bat against him...

And they wanted to buy the Vulcans to replace the Canberras they bought from us earlier, that were to replace the Avro Lincolns they bought before that from us. Oh and they bought the Lincolns to replace their Lancasters.

We also supplied them with Gloster Meteors as well in the late 1940's, and despite starting to obtain F-86 Sabre's in the late 1950's, they were still operating 2 squadrons of Meatboxes in the fighter role well into the late 1960's.

[marksx]

aeropilot said:

We also supplied them with Gloster Meteors as well in the late 1940's, and despite starting to obtain F-86 Sabre's in the late 1950's, they were still operating 2 squadrons of Meatboxes in the fighter role well into the late 1960's.

Where does the Meatbox nickname come from? I've never heard that before.

[DrDeAtH]

The Meteor jet didn't have an ejector seat. Plenty of pilots were lost during training. The meatbox nickname came from this.

[Dr Jekyll]

DrDeAtH said:

The Meteor jet didn't have an ejector seat. Plenty of pilots were lost during training. The meatbox nickname came from this.

Not just in training.

In 1952 three Meteors a week were being lost. Through it's RAF career there were 436 fatal accidents all together with 890 aircraft lost.

I've only ever seen 3 aircraft crash, and 2 of them were Meteors.

[marksx]

Interesting, thank you for the replies. That number of losses is staggeringly high!

[wijit]

Full display at Blackpool next weekend. As a Morecambe lad, it will kill me to go there, but needs must.

[marksx]

Might see you there. I hate the place, butI can make an exception for '558!

[marksx]

Just stumbled across this on YT:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwIKOSGp1X0

XH558 displaying at Church Fenton in 1988.

There's a good chance it is already in this thread, but knickers if you think I am looking back through 66 pages!

[towser44]

There's a rumour that I read on tinternet that it will fly over Woodford in Cheshire in October to mark the opening of the AVRO Heritage Museum which will also house a Vulcan

[wijit]

marksx said:

Might see you there. I hate the place, butI can make an exception for '558!

Real crisis of conscience stuff, but it looks quite good. Free too, but 558 is there only on the Sunday.
http://www.visitblackpool.com/listing/blackpool-ai...

[Ydnaroo]

Does anyone know the timing for the display at Elvington on Sun 9th? I have some time to waste around York on Sunday afternoon and was thinking of trying to catch the show from nearby. The NOTAMS show 14:00 to 16:00 BST, does anyone have any more accurate info?

[MartG]

Well it's due at Blackpool at 14:33 so I'd guess visiting Elvington on the way back ?

http://www.visitblackpool.com/listing/blackpool-ai...

[PanzerCommander]

MartG said:

Well it's due at Blackpool at 14:33 so I'd guess visiting Elvington on the way back ?

http://www.visitblackpool.com/listing/blackpool-ai...

The LMA website detailing the show simply states that XH558 will be displaying after 2pm so it is possible that it will do the display at Elvington and then fly across to Blackpool, it’s not far as the crow flies (even with a small deviation to avoid Manchester airspace) and the Vulcan is fairly sprightly

I think I’ll head straight to Elvington from Humberside airport on the Sunday as this may be my only chance to see her perform. Sadly most of the big air shows clash with race meetings, damn them having the audacity to do them on bank holidays, don’t the organisers realise that some of us racers are aviation enthusiasts too

[Ydnaroo]

Thanks to both for your replies, as it turns out I will not be able to get there anyway! Must go to Rhyl at the end of the month.