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I see XH558 nearly everyday(when its there) as I live 1 mile from Bruntingthorpe, and you know what I never get bored of hearing the growl it makes from them massive engines!
As a matter of interest, what kind of a display does he do in her. Does he do full wingovers and steep turns in the middle of the airfield and steep climbs etc., or is it much more restricted now?
Martin Withers display this year is a lot better than David Thomas's last year. It's a lot smoother and makes a lot more use of throttle and turns being blended into one display. It's not as full-on as the old RAF displays though but a definite improvement.
Yeah i sacked off FOS today as didn't get back from blur gig until 2am this morning. Might go tomorrow though as got hospitality all weekend if i want it.
If you're going to see the Vulcan don't bother. She won't be flying as there are issues with the display permit and the CAA won't allow her to fly this weekend.
You couldn't make this up
Martin Withers display this year is a lot better than David Thomas's last year. It's a lot smoother and makes a lot more use of throttle and turns being blended into one display. It's not as full-on as the old RAF displays though but a definite improvement.
Thanks for that Nat, glad to hear that Martin is allowed to do a bit more now. Its an awful waste of the aircraft to just do a straight flypast. I just saw in my flying logbook that I did a 6 monthly flight check on Martin and his crew not very long before my last Vulcan trip
It's just been confirmed that 558 WILL NOT BE FLYING at Waddington this weekend.
Static only.
Just got back in from the airshow.
Sad to see X558 parked up in the big planes section. I'm sure there's a propper explanation but to quote an ex-RAF mate "They didn't get the MOT sorted in time" is quite amazing to be honest.
Surely it's the biggest thing on the Vulcan calender, her home show?
I'm giving the team the benifit of the doubt that it was out of their hands as it appears to be one hell of a cock-up
Slightly disapointed by the show. Nothing really impressive on. The best bits were the Lynx/Apache display and the Red Arrows. Who kept up their place as the No1 display team in my eyes.
Absolute massive FAIL from the idiots running the project YET AGAIN. The engineers and supporters have given 100% all the way and as usual they/we have been let down by the useless, incapable, unfit to run it, couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery "management" that supposedly runs the project.
This has ensured that 558 will not fly after this year now
Supporters/sponsors are leaving in droves now after this latest cock-up.
The people who look after the admin side of things with 558 have a lot to answer for, this is the latest in a long series of cock ups.
558's permit to fly ran out on Thursday. The paperwork to renew the permit, which takes 20 days to process all being well, was submitted to the CAA on June 26th.....
Here's the official statement from the Vulcan's website:
Statement from the VTTS website:
Vulcan displays at RAF Waddington cancelled
04 July 2009 - VTTS
The Vulcan to the Sky Trust (VTST) and Marshall Aerospace are deeply disappointed and saddened to have to announce that the planned displays of the Vulcan at the RAF Waddington International Airshow on 4th and 5th July have had to be cancelled.
As part of the 2005-7 Major servicing, a number of structural inspections had to be deferred, because it was not feasible to complete them on XH558’s airframe. It was planned by VTST and Marshal Aerospace, in agreement with BAE Systems and the Civil Aviation Authority, that these inspections would be carried out before the renewal of XH558’s Permit to Fly on 3rd July 2009, using the airframe of BAE Systems-owned Vulcan XM603 at Woodford, as part of the scrapping process of this aircraft. Unfortunately, despite best intentions, it has not yet proved possible to complete or establish mitigations for all these inspections. Consequently, we have currently not fully met the conditions that would enable the issue of XH558’s Permit to Fly renewal.
XH558 is however is fully serviceable and ready for flight, and Marshall Aerospace together with VTST and BAE Systems are doing all they can as quickly as they can to resolve this unexpected, one-off issue within the next few days. We are very sad that it is not going to be possible for the Vulcan to display at Waddington over the weekend of 4th/5th July.
After speaking to a few people tonight and processing/evaluating the available information it is quite likely that 558 nor any other Vulcan will ever now perform another public display.
Well done to the clowns in charge of 558, they make ex-web-clown and the current IB mob look like consummate professionals
To be fair it's too early to say that. What is clear is that the CAA issued the permit to fly last year on the understanding that before the renewal was issued the structual tests on XM603 would have been carried out. Those tests have still not been performed.
The VTST say this is a "one off" event but those who worked on the project say the VTST have known for over 2 years that this work needed to be carried out.
What is clear is that there is an awful lot of angry people out there right now!
We need to let the storm blow out and see what happens over the next few days.....
Just listening to someone from VTTST on airshow FM and he's blaiming BAE!
He reckons the CAA were bending over backwards for them and BAE wouldn't give them the thumbs up for the structural checks on the other Vulcan airframe.
Just listening to someone from VTTST on airshow FM and he's blaiming BAE!
He reckons the CAA were bending over backwards for them and BAE wouldn't give them the thumbs up for the structural checks on the other Vulcan airframe.
What other Vulcan airframe? First I have heard of another one being involved! Just seen the bit about XM 603. Can't see what that one has to do with 558 though.
I met the bloke in charge and the head engineer at Waddington a while ago. We had lunch and they gave me their email addresses to contact them later. They have never bothered to reply!
It was a good show, my son got in the oilot seat of a kc135, had a good luck in the boom flyers hole, and we went in the awac and a vc10
i thought it said on airshow fm that something had to be tested on the vulcan and they we doing it at the one near us (woodford), it was going to be tested and then it would be ok,
the airshow was great, we are all bright red with the sun.
it was really well organised, we toon an hour to get out but once we were out there were no traffic problems, we were parked right near the tower, behind the two f15's from LN
What other Vulcan airframe? First I have heard of another one being involved! Just seen the bit about XM 603. Can't see what that one has to do with 558 though.
I met the bloke in charge and the head engineer at Waddington a while ago. We had lunch and they gave me their email addresses to contact them later. They have never bothered to reply!
Les
Les,
The CAA waived certain inspections during 558's return to flight programme on the understanding these inspections would be performed on XM603 when she was scrapped. The CAA want to see how the Vulcan's airframe deteriorates over time. Don't forget 558 is 50 years old now and some parts are almost imspossible to get to for inspection purposes.
There is a press conference due at 2.30 today.
Here's the statement made at yesterdays press conference:
Quote:
Vulcan Permit renewal Update
Monday, July 06, 2009 -
Following the announcement on Saturday that Vulcan XH558 would be unable to display at the RAF Waddington Airshow last weekend due to issues with the renewal of the aircraft’s annual Permit to Fly, the Vulcan to the Sky Trust (VTST) is doing all it can to ensure that XH558 returns to flight as soon as possible.
Robert Pleming, VTST Chief Executive: “On behalf of the Vulcan to the Sky Trust, I would like to apologise unreservedly for the huge disappointment felt by very many people, some of whom had traveled great distances, at the absence of the Vulcan from the flying display. The events leading to the cancellation of the Vulcan’s displays are deeply regrettable, and we will do everything we can to prevent this happening again at Waddington.”
Vulcan XH558 flies as a civilian aircraft, registration G-VLCN, under Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulations governing the operation of ex-military aircraft. The approved Engineering Authority for XH558 is Marshall of Cambridge Aerospace, which is responsible for all aspects of its airworthiness, including the application for the renewal of the Permit to Fly, due on 3rd July.
Following the success of the Pledge campaign in March, VTST contracted with Marshall Aerospace (MA) for the work needed to renew the aircraft’s Permit, including the annual service, and the test flight. However, during the original Major Service, a number of structural inspections were deferred and it was agreed to carry these out on BAE Systems-owned Vulcan XM603 at Woodford. The CAA required these inspections to be completed by the time of renewal of the Permit.
It has not proved possible to carry out these inspections and following a meeting with CAA, MA agreed to prepare a justification for a further extension to the inspections. In the week prior to the expiry of the existing permit, MA remained confident that the Permit revalidation would be obtained in time, to the extent that a joint decision was made to launch XH558 from RAF Brize Norton on Thursday 2nd July to fly to RAF Waddington for the Airshow Press Preview.
Unfortunately, on Friday 3rd July, MA were informed by the CAA that the justification for deferring the inspections was inadequate and that the CAA would require a much more detailed explanation before the Permit would be renewed. This report would also need to be underwritten by BAE Systems. (This report does not need to contain the results of the inspections, only the reasons for them, how they would be carried out or alternatively mitigated. There is no question that XH558 is in any way structurally unsafe.)
The level of detail required by CAA and the need for endorsement by BAE Systems meant that this could not be provided without significant additional work. Despite discussions between MA, the CAA and BAE Systems that ran on late into Friday evening and the following morning, there was no mechanism found that could have allowed the Vulcan to display legally over the weekend. Since then, MA have had a team working to generate and gain approval of the required report, ready for review by BAE Systems and submission to the CAA.
VTST does not yet have a firm date from CAA on when the Vulcan will be allowed to fly again, but it has been led to believe that the delay will be days rather than any longer.
XH558 remains fully serviceable at RAF Waddington.
A further update will be issued when more is known.
Les,
The CAA waived certain inspections during 558's return to flight programme on the understanding these inspections would be performed on XM603 when she was scrapped. The CAA want to see how the Vulcan's airframe deteriorates over time. Don't forget 558 is 50 years old now and some parts are almost imspossible to get to for inspection purposes.
There is a press conference due at 2.30 today.
Thanks for that information, I did not realise that they were going to do tests on 558's behalf on XM 603. Great shame that they did not get that done in time for the CAA.
I realise how old they are of course, I remember how long ago it was when I last flew 558 at the OCU.
The Vulcan had a strengthening exercise done on the main spar so that it could be flown at low level and stand up to the turbulence. This mod would need to be done again as it was coming up to the end of its life and this was one factor which led to the end of the Vulcan's service. It could have been done easily enough but they did not want to spend the money. XH 558 as an OCU aircraft was not subject to as much heavy turbulence as the squadron aircraft and in fact was the aircraft left with the most fatigue life of any of the Vulcans. Display flying does not put much fatigue on the airframe as long as the aircraft is flown smoothly.
XH558
