Vulcan!!

[jakeboy]

Today here in Somerset we had a brief weather window with 24 deg temperatures! A small customer of ours has 6 acres of wheat, which we tested and very surprisingly after a troubled week weather wise showed up 16% !! So at 2pm my 525 began its 37 seasons harvest, with no fuss and bother! And with a very contented purr from that old A6 Perkins, but about 20 minutes into this crop my tractor trailer driver waiting at the headland took to waving his hands and pointing his arms up in the air behind me in a westerly direction!? As I looked over my shoulder what a site the old delta wing Vulcan bomber!! Flying low in line with me and leaving a trail with its Olympus engines!! As I watched this old bird pass over head I realised that will be the last time I will see her fly! Which is very sad but I guess age and time waits for no man or his inventions! And as the old warbird disappeared from view I gave thanks that I had seen her for the last time, and as i looked around my own 525 i realised what giant strides this world has made in all things mechanical and I feel privileged to have witnessed it all.
Regards All jakeboy

 

[dickspanner]

Saw her last Saturday as she went from a display at Headcorn to the Thanet Airshow.
Shame it will be the last time .

 

[The Devonshire Bloke!]

Massey 525 super two what we run bought for 800!! This season will be its 9th, more than paid for itself!!

 

[jakeboy]

The old girl in action!!

 

[Barleycorn]

After what happened at Shoreham perhaps its just as well.

 

[DeeGee]

Due to fly here at the Rhyl Air Show next weekend. It was here about four years ago and flew over our fields when we were baling straw, but I couldn't get down to Rhyl to see it do the climb and hear the characteristic howl it makes. Must get down there to see it properly next Saturday for what will be one of its final flights.

 

[tomlad]

Tidy combine set up sir

 

[Tractortech]

Now Then..
Back in July it did a last fly around, Saturday to the North, Sunday to the south.. Typically disorganised I set off to see it.. Hawkshead overlooking Windermere was my hasty choice of location, so after consulting the timetable that I found, I set off with around 50 minutes for a 45 minute drive.. Well,,,, trailing up through Coniston seemed slow, everyone was in the way etc.
On arrival at a suitable vantage point I was sure I'd missed it. I had eldest daughter on hands free looking for information on her computer & all seemed lost! Within two minutes I heard aircraft noise . Jumping out of the car, I looked straight up,,,,,,,,, & there it was,,,,, awesome. A bit higher than I expected but I'd set my camera up with telephoto lens in preparation..
When I got home much later, someone had a link on f/b to 'Vulcan at Keswick', look it up on youtube.. What a missed opportunity!

 

[kill]

The old girl in action!!View attachment 196230 View attachment 196230

That would just proper look over at the Honiton Hill Rally next weekend. Are you taking it?

 

[jakeboy]

That would just proper look over at the Honiton Hill Rally next weekend. Are you taking it?

Sadly not!! Love the Honiton hill rally but unfortunately it falls bang in the middle of our harvest here!! Although if the forecasts are correct I doubt we will be combining for the next week!!

 

[jakeboy]

Tidy combine set up sir

Thank you Tom check out www.yellowswirl.info for more pictures!!

 

[RobFZS]

vid of it flying over our farm

 

[jakeboy]

After what happened at Shoreham perhaps its just as well.

At this early stage I would still say possible pilot error!!?! These old aircraft are subject to the most strict inspections and testing annually, and its no mystery to discover their owners are multi millionaires they would have to be to Pay to keep them in the air!!
About 20 years ago I went through the ppl and throughout the training it was drummed into the students about the dangers of complacency!! The more experienced the pilot the greater the risk!!
My instructor was a semi retired commercial pilot, the stories he told would stay with me forever, about man's somewhat flippant regard for machinery!! In this case aircraft!! Although this applies to everyday life and all our jobs!!

 

[Barleycorn]

I was on duty at the Boscombe Down airshow about 25 years ago when I was a member of the observer corps. I was by the runway when a Vulcan did a landing and takeoff again and it was tremendous, even my teeth rattled.
Sad that she is grounded, but like Concord plenty of film exists, and she will be available as a static display.

 

[dec]

Is there more than the one vulcan still in the air? Have one fly quite low straight over the middle of our yard nearly every week at the moment and its awesome!! Didnt think it looked like it was painted camoflauge though, might be wrong

 

[RobFZS]

Is there more than the one vulcan still in the air? Have one fly quite low straight over the middle of our yard nearly every week at the moment and its awesome!! Didnt think it looked like it was painted camoflauge though, might be wrong

i think it is painted

 

[JCMaloney]

@dec think the idea is that the "camo" breaks the plane up to cloudy sky`s even if it is green.

 

[glasshouse]

the vulcan is flying at AYR next week.

 

[mf298]

the vulcan is flying at AYR next week.

we saw it from Haddington show this year. absolutely tremendous piece of machinery! Brought back memories of winter ploughing in East Lothian uplands many years ago and watching them come over the Forth from Leuchars. Usually we were above them until they got quite close and then they would pass over very low. lower than the 200 ft limit on some occasions! Amazing!

 

[Skimmer]

The Vulcan is kept at Robin Hood Doncaster airport about 3 miles as the crow flies, and usually circles round for a few minutes before landing. unfortunately it runs out of flying time next month. I have never managed to get a decent picture of it though.