Final thought prior to possibly final flight

[Old Rigger]

I know it has been pondered before on where XH558 should go before it cannot fly again, but in light of the last security warning posted about people turning up to see her take off and land putting its final flights at risk, does anyone else think that it does not bode well for having it trundle up and down the runway or having more chances of seeing her sat on the airfield after a statement like that as that will also have the same 'safety issues' that turning up to see her take off and land would, if not worse.

Also where is the money coming from to maintain and fuel it for these when the money dries up post last flight, as people stop donating.

[Dougs]

the only place in the UK for XH558 in retirement is Brunty it has one of the longest runways in the uk and can do thunderdays unrestricted but as always the "trust" has its own ideas and has pee'ed off mr Walton so it probably cound'nt go there anyway. for the wrong runway see poor old 655 she is a very powerful lovely maintained vulcan with a runway as long as a ww2 aircraft carier such a shame

[Spitfire]

but as always the "trust" has its own ideas (

That sums it ALL up for me

They'll do what they want to do - and you can bet your bottom dollar it won't be too long till the arm twisting begging bowl is out again .......

'Come on you supporters she's grounded now but we still need £600,000 to keep her 'live' and fund the education project and if you don't pay up again she'll go for scrap - we've got the funding meter up on the website again - dig deep' etc etc

[Mayfly]

I don't think that many will turn up to see her taxi tbh and if they do, MaPS handle their crowd pretty well on their open days. Seeing her take off and land in the last few days was always going to be problematic, say what you like about the team but the public love of 558 is astounding.

I always thought the 'Academy' idea was aimed at industry and colleges rather than Joe Public but I may be wrong.

By the way she did 2 passes at the Lincs Lancs day at RAF Coningsby today then returned with 7 Spitfires and 2 Hurricanes in Battle formation - simply stunning and when the public realised she was inbound on the first pass you could hear a pin drop,

[Spitfire]

You are very lucky up there - there were no passes over Hayle at all - I think we may have been overlooked

[Vulcan Bomber]

the only place in the UK for XH558 in retirement is Brunty it has one of the longest runways in the uk and can do thunderdays unrestricted but as always the "trust" has its own ideas and has pee'ed off mr Walton so it probably cound'nt go there anyway. for the wrong runway see poor old 655 she is a very powerful lovely maintained vulcan with a runway as long as a ww2 aircraft carier such a shame

Be assured that Mr Walton would welcome 558 back at brunty with arms wide open, wether the trust would be is another matter. Sadly Bruntingthorpe can't provide what is required from the lottery fund. The Walton family have wanted to build a Hanger for the aircraft there for years to be a museum but the council won't allow them. The LPG have been very lucky to get the Q shed.

[Dougs]

such a shame VB perhaps we could convince the MAPPs lads to unbolt the wings and mover her over insted what a combo that would be, BIG THUNDER runs back again
i do feel badly for the XH558 guys tho they have worked so hard to keep her flying and they are all out of a job very soon. the engineering team have always been on top of thier game and hardly ever had to go tech.

[Spitfire]

i do feel badly for the XH558 guys tho they have worked so hard to keep her flying and they are all out of a job very soon. the engineering team have always been on top of thier game and hardly ever had to go tech.

I'm sayin' nothin' or I shall be in deep trouble - again

[Vulcan Bomber]

such a shame VB perhaps we could convince the MAPPs lads to unbolt the wings and mover her over insted what a combo that would be, BIG THUNDER runs back again
i do feel badly for the XH558 guys tho they have worked so hard to keep her flying and they are all out of a job very soon. the engineering team have always been on top of thier game and hardly ever had to go tech.

A loverly idea but unbolting the wings would still involve some serious cutting, she would never breath again doing it.

The ground crew did and do spoil her, she is a credit it to them, but i didnt need to tell you that.

[Sooty655]

...........and remember that XM655 doesn't belong to MaPS, it belongs to Wellesbourne Airfield.

[Vulcan Bomber]

...........and remember that XM655 doesn't belong to MaPS, it belongs to Wellesbourne Airfield.

I hope you ment SHE...... Yours or not, shes as much a credit to you guys as 558 is to the donny Contingent.

[Dougs]

That was a flippant comment as even wingless the "body" does not fit on a standard road you only needed to see the hinged lamp posts they had around Woodford for evidence of that.
Sorry to be off topic but how are you doing with the anti houses campaign?

[Hungry Haggis]

such a shame VB perhaps we could convince the MAPPs lads to unbolt the wings and mover her over insted what a combo that would be, BIG THUNDER runs back again
i do feel badly for the XH558 guys tho they have worked so hard to keep her flying and they are all out of a job very soon. the engineering team have always been on top of thier game and hardly ever had to go tech.

Got ask (because I haven't heard that one) has anyone said they are out of a job. Just asking nicely because where ever 558 goes as I understand it she will run engines at times if she fast taxis in demonstration or for any other reason, so surely the engineers will be needed to keep her in working order. You can't just leave a Vulcan or any other aircraft sitting for weeks/months jumps in and pray it is safe to start. Not only that but those guys experience etc will still be needed for maybe years to come, I am not jumping to any conclusions here but surely that goes with the teaching others about the tech that this aircraft is about to be preserved for the future for. Or am I wrong as usual.

[Sooty655]

...........and remember that XM655 doesn't belong to MaPS, it belongs to Wellesbourne Airfield.

I hope you ment SHE...... Yours or not, shes as much a credit to you guys as 558 is to the donny Contingent.

On behalf of all the MaPS folks, thanks for the compliment.

I meant IT. I don't object to others' anthropomorphism, but it isn't compulsory.

[Sooty655]

...Sorry to be off topic but how are you doing with the anti houses campaign?

Reasonably positive at the moment, but there is still a long way to go.

[Sooty655]

such a shame VB perhaps we could convince the MAPPs lads to unbolt the wings and mover her over insted what a combo that would be, BIG THUNDER runs back again
i do feel badly for the XH558 guys tho they have worked so hard to keep her flying and they are all out of a job very soon. the engineering team have always been on top of thier game and hardly ever had to go tech.

Got ask (because I haven't heard that one) has anyone said they are out of a job. Just asking nicely because where ever 558 goes as I understand it she will run engines at times if she fast taxis in demonstration or for any other reason, so surely the engineers will be needed to keep her in working order. You can't just leave a Vulcan or any other aircraft sitting for weeks/months jumps in and pray it is safe to start. Not only that but those guys experience etc will still be needed for maybe years to come, I am not jumping to any conclusions here but surely that goes with the teaching others about the tech that this aircraft is about to be preserved for the future for. Or am I wrong as usual.

I have no idea what the employment arrangements at Donny are or will be, but bear in mind a Vulcan can be maintained in safe ground-running condition with no paid staff at all, as demonstrated at Wellesbourne.

[Spitfire]

as demonstrated at Wellesbourne.

And by all the different teams and groups and Bruntingthorpe ... For example - Those 2 Lightnings have now been kept in perfect reheat ground running conditions longer in the hands of unpaid volunteers than the period they were owned and run by the RAF....

PS also other groups like the Shack WR963 at Coventry - and I'm sure many more around the country.

[Dougs]

I am pretty sure that the staff XH558 needs now is nowhere near the level required in retirement and is most definately un-sustainable, people need to eat. while 558 is popular they will have a level of interest but that will very quickly subside once it is grounded and why would you pay loads to go see a vulcan when you can go to wellesborne, eastmidlands, coventry etc etc and see ones for next to nothing and in more original condition.
the turst's plans have always evoked heated debate but i do belive that they are just wrong on this the future of a grounded aircraft in a live arport is a very bad combo and just wont work, it simply is just not in the airports best intrest to have it trundling round.

[Ray C]

She can't come to Woodford all but the short section of "Touchdown" landing strip is left....However, She will grace the skies over Woodford Saturday & I'm airfield side this time... ,

602 is all but finished ready for the public to view...& then we start on 603, metal shears & rivet gun at the ready.

[Dee]

So, Has she taken her last flight or what!? So many rumours around..Ive said my goodbye to her last week in the hangar

[Dougs]

i think there are components life expired as of 30th so she now has 7 days left for one last sortie
all i can say is good luck to her and the the ground crew on whatever they do in the future most of all thanks for putting her back in the air and giving us a few more years of awsome displays.

[Spitfire]

I can only say that that first flight post restoration was THE most incredible sight and something I thought I'd never see in my lifetime ... this has got to be the BEST video clip ever ...

Watch DT give a quick blip of right rudder - then its pour on the coal - and a brilliant howl - followed by a lift off right by the camera .... (this cameraman was SO well placed )



Short - sweet and totally STUNNING and MAJESTIC - I cried buckets

Because I live so far down the SW peninsular I've only seen her live doing one display post restoration - Bournemouth 2012 - and that's how I'll remember her ...

It's no secret that I have not been a great fan of post restoration VTST and the HUGE bottomless pit of money that's been poured into the project - and the 'entourage' that surrounds her - and the one aircraft airline she became ... mainly because the 'major sponsor' that was supposed to fund things never actually materialised ... so I for one am of the opinion that enough is enough and lets remember what was done and the magnificent achievement of getting a complex multi engine bomber back into the sky.
I hope that in retirement the endless 'lets have your money' and emotional blackmail tactics of 'if you don't donate then this - or that - will happen' will now stop.

A public airport like RH is not the right place to end up and I had hoped she'd return to Brunty to join the many jets being kept in running condition there and to join in the thunder runs they all do so successfully - to see her run with a Victor would have been amazing. She will be so isolated where she is - such a shame.

Final flight or not I think John Le Mesurier's epitaph sums it up for me 'Its all been rather lovely'

[Mayfly]

The first flight still lives with me, it was almost 13 years of constant sorting and shuffling our lives to make sure DT was available for countless meetings. late night conference phone calls and answering 60 plus emails every evening after work.

Would I do it again?........ Hell yes....... but only for a Vulcan.

[Spitfire]

but only for a Vulcan.

Funny you should say that .... there is now talk that Pleming wants to maintain his entourage (and therefore his large salary) and is rumoured to be sourcing another 'historic plane' to restore to flight

Stand by for 'Please donate quickly or we'll lose the chance to ....'

[Vulcan Bomber]

I can only say that that first flight post restoration was THE most incredible sight and something I thought I'd never see in my lifetime ... this has got to be the BEST video clip ever ...

Watch DT give a quick blip of right rudder - then its pour on the coal - and a brilliant howl - followed by a lift off right by the camera .... (this cameraman was SO well placed )

I might get correted here but I Al Mcdicken was captain that day, being a test pilot.