Vulcan XH558 update

She is due out to Coningsby today at 2.30pm. If the previous flights are anything to go by it could be upto a couple of hours after this though.

An hour's test flight apparently. So due at Coningsby at 3:30pm, by that timing. Hope everyone there enjoys this afternoon.

Do we know which airshows the old lady is intended to be seen at this year, if all goes well?

They are hoping to be at Cosford on 1st June. But it's a close call. All depending on whether they can get the paperwork withh the CAA, and a display routine completed by then.

All being well possibly Kemble in mid June, then should be all systems go for Waddington, Fairford and Farnborough in July.

Fantastic, I'll book my ticket for Fairford now then

I am just day dreaming now but it would be good seeing it do a fly past with the Red Arrows and a couple of Eurofighters!

Don't forget though it will be at Waddington before Fairford and the Waddington airshow is looking like being the best one for quite a few years.

XH558 returned to Bruntingthorpe this afternoon following tests at Coningsby yesterday.

TVOC have updated their website with this message:-

 

Excellent news from TVOC today. Seems they have some financial backing for the rest of this season.

Hopefully the CAA will clear the Vulcan's permit to fly soon, then roll on next month.

Wow, wow, wow. News from Waddington today is that the Vulcan's permit to fly has been granted, and possibly the display authorisation too.

Any of you heading to Waddo this weekend, hopefully you'll see her performing in the flying programme.

More news. Confimation from TVOC that she has indeed received the display authorisation, and Waddington will be the first display venue.

Well done everyone, look forward to seeing the display this weekend.

Just seen this on the XH558 website, (As many of you will know, XH558 now operates under civil regulations, and is limited to “Visual Meteorological Conditions”, which effectively mean a minimum cloudbase of 2,000 feet, and minimum visibility of 5km (3miles)). If this is obviously the case, then I can only assume that XH558 will be severely restricted in its flights to various British Airshows, as proved at the recent Duxford show on the sunday. How can such a sophisticated aircraft as the Vulcan, an aircraft once deemed to be our main deterrent in nuclear warfare, and piloted by very experienced aircrew, be ristricted in this way.......???????? This restriction will very severely curtail its chances of raising sufficient airshow appearence revenue. On this note I fear for the continued operational success of XH558. What do you all think about this? John.

JOHNNYB1950:

XH558 now operates under civil regulations

 

 

That's your answer, its now a civilian operated aircraft flying under a CAA permit to fly, not with a full CoFA which the Vulcan type never has held.

With a permit to fly it has to fly VFR only.

Thanks for that apgphoto, but my point here was really concerned with its very limited ability to earn " airshow revenue" which after all would be its main source of income over a normal year. Do all restored aircraft such as the Sally B and the Air Atlantique fleet of Daks, twin pin, Devon/Dove etc etc and many many others, have to operate under the same very restrictive criteria? Will the Vulcan XH558 always be limited in this way, or is it just a phase before progressing to a "higher" category as it progresses through its flight programme? John.

There has been much talk about the end of the line for the Vulcan.

The Vulcan restoration team, The Vulcan to the Sky, is holding a press conference to make an "important announcement" about the future of Vulcan XH558 on Friday at 11.30am.

Could the Vulcan restoration be the next for the chop given the current economic climate?

 

 

• Filed under: Vulcan, Vulcan restoration, Vulcan to the Sky, recession, Vulcan XH558

Lets hope its good news rather than bad news. They need £1 million by Friday and acoording to their live web page they are upto £767000. Lets hope they get there and we see this again:

WIth two days to go i think it should be publicised more on airspace and the main flightglobal page to help them out.

The Vulcan XH588 has been saved. Aerobytes, a flight data monitoring company is now sponsoring the Vulcan XH558 with aspirations that it should be the "star of the fly-past that will open the London Olympic Games in 2012."

Robert Pleming, chief executive of the Vulcan to the Sky Trust said the prospects of seeing the Vulcan fly again in 2009 are looking good but that the Trust still relies on donations.

 

The amount of money pledged stood at £956,835, earlier today, against the target of £1million.

 Despite the donations Pleming said: "Where does that leave us? We still have no cash, just pledges for a significant sum. How can we carry on? I am delighted to announce that our closest sponsors have decided that they cannot let the project down, and have stepped up to the challenge of providing the immediate cash to ensure we can keep going."

 

So that's good news. But more money is always needed...

 

Flightglobal has charted the progress of the Vulcan XH558 from the beginnning...

• Filed under: Vulcan restoration, Vulcan to the Sky, Vulcan XH558

hi

May anybody explain to me that what is the primay purpose of thrust reverser on commercial jet? military aircraft? antonov? etc Primar purpose? are they being used to abort takeoff? on AN series a/c are they being used after parking the a/c as parking brakes?

Asif

922103463233780

How to Start the APU in very cold winter season may anybody explain it please.

Asif

922103463233780

I have come out of my self imposed hibination from the site to post about the Vulcan. It is in serious financial trouble at the moment and needs all the help it can get. Unfortunately we cant rely on our current rubbish government here in the UK at the moment so it needs individuals or even better companies(such as Flightglobal!) to help it out! Come on people!

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8508604.stm

An anonymous donor has given the trust £400,000 which appears to have saved it for now.

Full story at the BBC