Armed Forces Day - V Force Last Salute

[cessna152towser]

Today was Armed Forces Day and an occasion to wear my Royal Air Force tartan kilt and cross the border into England for an event at Carlisle Airport where I do some volunteering at the aviation museum.

Our museum is custodian of the airport gate guardian, Vulcan bomber XJ823 which entered service in 1961 and landed here in January 1983 when it was stood down from service. This plane was a standby for the Falklands campaign having been based on Ascension Island for a time during 1982.

My wife got to meet Flight Lieutenant Frank Hilton, RAF retired, who flew XJ823 while based at Akrotiri, Cyprus from 1969 to 1972.

She also met Flight Lieutenant Bob Wright, RAF retired, who was radar operator and bomb aimer on Black Buck mission 1 with Vulcan XM607 which bombed the runway at Port Stanley on 1st May 1982 during the Argentine occupation of the Falkland Islands.


The V force comprising the Vulcan, Victor and Valiant were retired from active service thirty years ago, and the few flyable survivors have only been flown for display purposes in recent years. Now airframe fatigue life is catching up and the people who knew how to fly and to maintain the V-bombers are reaching retiral age, so the last airworthy V-bomber, Vulcan XH558 is about to be grounded for ever at the end of this season. XH558 gave us a display today as a last salute to her sister aircraft which have donated parts to keep her flying.

It was an emotional moment when XH558 made her final flypast and climbed away to the south. Almost certainly the very last time I will ever see one of Britain's famous V-bombers in flight.

The Sea King RAF Air Sea Rescue helicopter also paid us a visit, another type which is soon to retire from service.

The Lotus car club put on an excellent display.

The Vulcan might fly no more but you can still enjoy virtual Vulcan flying thanks to the Flightsim ladies in the air museum.

[tpa]

Thanks for that Alex, great photos. I was hoping to visit the Royal International Airshow at RAF Fairford, 17-19th July in Gloucestershire to see the final Vulcan flight, even got a discount courtesy of the BAe pension scheme. Alas I have to be in Brighton the same weekend so your pictures are doubly appreciated.

[Dughlas mor]

Very interesting photos, thanks much.

[416 Rigby]

Thanks so much for posting. I've been an aviation freak since I was a little boy.

[The Q]

Thanks for that Alex, great photos. I was hoping to visit the Royal International Airshow at RAF Fairford, 17-19th July in Gloucestershire to see the final Vulcan flight, even got a discount courtesy of the BAe pension scheme. Alas I have to be in Brighton the same weekend so your pictures are doubly appreciated.

Discounts on Bae pension scheme? Have I missed something? Or are you not told about such things till you actually retire?
I can remember a Vulcan doing a fly past as part of their farewell at the radar station I was at. Unfortunately they were quite high. This was before the Falklands!
I also remember the one of the last Victor flights not because we were at a show but the turning point for the run in to a display was over our house and they were surprisingly low
Great pictures Alex.
I also can't make fairford, because i'm on the way to scotland, still trying to find time to drop in at the Carlisle museum on my trips to Scotland, but adding time to an eight hour journey makes for a long day!
I don't know yet if my brother in law will come back from Spain for the final flights he was a Green Satin man.
Sorry if this is a disjointed posting just had a good social event, Kilted of course, in the midst of a two day sailing event.

[tpa]

Discounts on Bae pension scheme? Have I missed something? Or are you not told about such things till you actually retire?

Yes you are right, it is am OAP perk, once you are drawing a pension. They send you a booklet periodically which is quite an interesting and can be profitable read.

Pleased to hear you are enjoying yourself!