The last Vulcan airshow display. XH558 R.I.P. (with Tower/Vulcan communication)
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- Опубліковано 3 жов 2015
- This is the very last airshow display of the pride of Britain - AKA Avro Vulcan XH558. Includes ground/air communication announcing the final pass, and when exiting the airshow.
Now retired as aircraft knowledge and expertise is lost to time, insufficient to maintain flight worthiness any longer. The cash required certainly plays its part, but the saddest thing of all is that even today, on its very last airshow, the H&S police couldn't grant a special dispensation from the Shoreham knee-jerk reaction to permit an unbridled display, in the hands of responsible seasoned pilots who knew the craft so well.
Despite the politics however, the final display was fabulous and departure met with many a tearful eye at the Old Warden airfield.
On behalf of all, our sincerest thanks in appreciation to all who made it possible.
I only ever saw it fly once but I will never forget it that noise in the flesh shakes your soul....thanks Vulcan and all who flew within her.
There are not many aircraft so beautiful and graceful that they bring a tear to your eye, the world will never see her like again.
So true! I'm old enough to remember the Vulcan scrambles at Finningley 'At Home' days, when the crew ran to the four waiting planes, which were rapid started and airborne in two minutes. Such a phenomenal machine able to leave everyone with a mixture of smiles and tears! You felt safe with the Vulcan.
Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.
I cry because I couldn't see her flying while it was possible !
It never happened for me.
I never got to see her fly.
I saw it fly and I'll tell you how it is.
Brilliant. Really and strongly brilliant. When I heard it was retiring, I cried to bits. So when I last saw it come over Farnborough and RIAT, I smiled for all it gave me. R.I.P Vulcan..
Same display, same smile, different camera angle: ua-cam.com/video/h1hgSHbnjr8/v-deo.html
I was there to witness this final air display and so glad that i did. The howl is so loud that you literally feel it through your whole body.
Very well put sir. Per Ardua Ad Astra.
For those of us who never have (and never will) see such a magnificent aircraft fly, we are grateful to experience it through videos like this. I fell in love The Vulcan the first time I ever saw one in person (Castle Air Museum, 1996).
I will always feel privileged to have seen this great bird fly on many occasions, and feel sorry for all those of an age that never will !
The RAF's first operational Vulcan, XA897, flew to Australia and New Zealand in September, 1956. My brothers, sister and I were in Primary School in Taneatua and our parents took us out for a couple of hours to watch the Vulcan fly over Whakatane on the coast. I can still remember that giant white dart sliding low across the sky, banking over the town, then putting the power on and rattling windows as it headed for Gisborne.
We were very distressed when we heard that it crashed on landing on 1 October, on its return to Britain and that some of the crew had died.
I always thought it very unfair the all the V-Bombers had ejection seats for the pilots, but none for the rest of the crew.
The most beautiful aircraft ever built. I worked at the factory in Cheshire where they were built, and got to hug them!!!! 😆😆😆🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
You must have long arms lol
1:43 'wait for the noise'
*Waits for the noise*
*Proceeds to cry like a fucking baby.*
What a wonderful aircraft. I miss it so much!
Too sad that howling will be heard only in video from now on, godspeed XH558!
+Juan Iparraguirre you'll be able to hear the howl at Robin Hood Airport near Doncaster, she's still allowed to do fast taxis :) she's just not allowed to fly anymore :(
@@SpudderRail Last one this Sunday, unfortunately.
I used to live less than 3 miles (as the crow flies) from Woodford airfield. The howling roar was a regular event as they rolled out the B2s in the 1960s for engine tests, heard clearly even with their exhaust blown into L-shaped silencers to direct the fumes skyward. Happy days!
The Prius fearing itself a meal for the Vulcan screamed as it passed overhead.
i feel so privileged to have been allowed inside a Vulcan and have also seen this Vulcan fly
Simply amazing, first saw one at RAF Finningley air show as a kid, to this day one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Superb.
One of the best Vulcan vids for the sound of the engines. Nice one.
I met one of the lads from the Vulcan Preservation Society in a model shop in Bakewell and asked if he'd heard the Vulcan rude joke and he hadn't! "what's Mrs Spock and Port Stanley Airport got in common?
My heart breaks still after so many years of hearing the beast of the skies scream its last. I was there... and now only have you tube vids as memories. Thanks you tube.
When I was a small child, my father bless him, would take me to air displays now and then. He and I went lots of places on that old ex GPO BSA Bantam 125. I can even remember the plate number CCH140. At Waddington one summer, the Vulcan flew over at I guess about 300 feet, turned on the reheat as he flew over the crowd. Result? I peed myself and tried to run away!! Not necessarily in that order. I think I was about 7 years old.
It was deafening! I will never forget that. I just wanted to share that memory.
The vulcan dident have reheat just dry thrust = static thrust
History captured beautifully. Fair well old friend. I was one of the lucky ones to see her fly on a couple of occasions. Thanks for sharing this.
“After the shoreham tragedy we can’t bank at any more than 60degrees”
Vulcan goes near inverted on her farewell flyby!
It’s an absolute tragedy we won’t see this beautiful bird fly again.
Yea i saw that good on him its the last display accidentaly went slightly over lol
I've seen the Vulcan perform about six times in my life, loved every one of them. Great memories.
I was there that very very sad day. Beautiful aircraft and Martyn in the tower describing. A great memory as she flew off into the sunset, the Union Flag waving in the background.
Brilliant Vid. What a plane, thanks for sharing.
When Britain Ruled the Skies. A magnificent old lady takes her final bow, and HOWLS like a banshee.
Thanks for posting.
I saw her on her final visit to my town.
Love this vid! Thank you for posting! Captures everything about being at an air show! The Vulcan was always one of my Favs when I was a kid in the 70s at RAF Coltishall! Sad to see her retire! Brill! Thank you sir!
Let us nail one huge lie the 3 big aviation companies have put out to justify their withdrawal of support.
"They do not have the expertise to keep an eye on this aircraft". Well if they don't, they shouldn't be building airframes/making engines for Airbus or any other large passenger jet. These are vastly more complicated than Vulcan. What they mean is, "we don't want to risk our reputation being damaged if there is an accident". There are plenty of people and companies who could maintain and service this old bird; there are even companies who could build new parts - if they had the blueprints. The trouble is that the big 3 companies won't release them or enter into an agreement to work with other companies who are prepared to support XH558.
Vulcan has not been grounded due to a lack of funding (I reckon that would appear in an instant if needed) or safety issues: it's probably the safest civil aircraft flying. The reason it can't fly any more is the selfishness of 3 large companies who value their stock market price much more than the enjoyment this great aircraft has given to millions. if this plane is the Spirit of Great Britain, epitomising our spirit of adventure, willingness to take risks and build great inventions, then that spirit has been truly extinguished by Rolls Royce, BAE and Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group. A pox on all their houses.
I saw XH558 for the last time near Selby on Saturday. I drove a long way just to see it fly past for 30 seconds and I'd do it again, anytime. There were hundreds of people there and there were many in tears, me included.
Farewell big bird: those of us who have seen you will never forget you.
You couldn't be more right I bet Roles Royce never once thought of saying you know what I don't think we can support the Battle of Britain memorial flight air craft there far to complicated and we simply don't know how to maintain or keep an eye on them any more it's a load of b's like you said they just don't want to get a bad rep if something were to go wrong but they don't need something to go wrong they've already do that on there own heads to make thing better they should go you know what any other company that is willing to look after the old girl then here you go have the documents an knowledge of how to maintain her and just keep her going they could easily do that but I am finding it so unbelievably hard as to why won't they just do it
+ValiantXD818 If she was owned by the RAF, the companies would be forced to maintain her. The MOD can legally force them to.
+King Curry
Absolutely right KC and so well put. The VTTS people at air shows have been highly professional and have never shown fustration/anger in their commentary about these 3 companies but it is clear to us watching what they have done and its a major PR blunder for all of them.
+King Curry I will quote another comment here. Clearly you do not have an understanding of aircraft manufacture . I am an aircraft enthusiast and have been involved with the Vulcan since I first was re acquainted with it at Bruntingthorpe where it was still in pieces being re assembled.. Now after 40 years at the sharp end of the car industry I now work at Rolls-Royce and am constantly amazed at the legislation , the paperwork, the restrictions ,the exacting standards , the number of commitees and approvals required by legislation to make one very minor change to even the simplest part .We have been blessed by eeking out a further 8 years of flight , the companies you denigrate have bent over backwards and at great cost to themselves have been a part of it, but like all things eventually things must come to an end and you bitching about it does help one iota. QUOTE The heart often rules the head hence the bunkum that is written, Anyone who has a basic knowledge of avaiation manufacture would realise that 'anyone can make components if they had the drawings' is just plain nonsense - the components are designed and made to a specfiication by authorized companies using materials from authorised suppliers signed off by the Civil Aviation Authority or as it was AID inspectorate. It is possible that other conmpanies could make some components, where are the rigs to realign the airframe once she has been dismantled. look how much work was needed on a stressed leading edge replacenment. Three companies bent over backwards to extend the life of the airframe well past the design fatigue limits and look at the thanks they get, maybe other companies will not bother with that attitude. As for expertise, many years ago working on a replica we had burn etching on stainless steel bolts and could not figure out was going on, until a very old hand in his own words from string, dope and hope days said the arcing is from the static in the spruce wing structure onto the exposed surface of the bolts. That knowledge was in the books but not current it took and old hand to point it out with a 'you mean you did not know that?' Truth is the material specs, machinery the current expertise is fading. Relating older airframes or modern airframes is also a nonsense the former less sophisticated and the latter designed with redunancy and fatigue failure paths. During the 'three day week' we had a contract to supply a rather complex replacement bolt (4 per airframe) with locking slots etc. The company tried every steel supplier in the UK to get 2.5 inch bar stock in S96 steel. The company was authorized to look to Germany who could supply an authorized spec - it was an eye opener , they had the stock flown into London the very next day and we started work. The CAA and other agenices are staffed by some of the worlds leading experts with a knowledge base going back almost a century and make decisions based on that, not some 'expert' with a keyboard suggesting it is a conspiracy - she is and old girl who was allowed to dance once more , be grateful you saw it.
+Ben Gnome I am not suggesting it is a "conspiracy" and I have a perfectly good understanding of the issues surrounding the maintenance of classic aircraft. I am a physicist by profession.
The fact is that other companies have the expertise to keep her flying for at least another season IF the three companies involved would enter into a working agreement with them. Clearly the expiry of the airframe's integrity would be the end of things, since there are structures in there that can't be rebuilt, but that is not yet date expired (as told to me by a member of the inner circle of the Trust).
If Vulcan was in South Africa or the USA, it would still be flying next year for sure.
She is missed for all of us that love her 😞
Had to stop watching, got something in my eye.
Must be the same but of dust 😅 I've got it to
Eye dust pandemic, both mine affected! 🥺
OMG that's disgusting!
Happens every time I see this formation done.
When I was a kid, the Vulcan was always the plane everyone wanted to see at the annual Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto.
My wife and I sunbathing on Studland beach, in 92/95 or thereabouts, from off the land behind us at about 1000 feet came a Vulcan, out into the bay afterburner on climbed almost straight up. The noise unbelievable, the pleasure immense. Never will forget it.
Thank you for this, I was there and standing very close to where you were filming. Brought it all back beautifully!
I adore the Vulcan and have had the privilege and pleasure of seeing her fly a couple of times.
Her “growl” gives me goosebumps every time I hear it and her vertical profile is iconic and beautiful.
A friend in the RAF was stationed in the falklands after the conflict and says his abiding memory is seeing three Vulcans fly over in vertical profile just as the sun was setting. I think he described it as hauntingly beautiful.
Thank you for sharing this video. It has brought back many happy memories. X
A fantastic video, thank you for uploading and sharing. Got a right tear in my eye here!!
That Vulcan howl is great!
Brilliant video, it was a privilege to be at the Shuttleworth Collection to witness this. It's sad to see the old girl go but what a journey it's been!
She was only gonna be displayed for around 10-15 years anyway after being returned to flight. We got 8 years......fatigue life was being eaten up.....plus some companies decided to withdraw engineering support for her too.
She was never a folly, she was a monument to a time when we had a world leading aircraft industry, and a memorial to those who served and died in the falklands conflict.
She could have been kept flying.....nothing stopping new people being trained to do things.....as Spitfires etc, are still being restored again to fly today.
As a founding member of the VA and VTTS, I can tell you that, sadly, the airframe was coming to the end of its operational life and needed extensive testing for metal fatigue, servicing, and some mandatory modifications to conform to some pre-Shoreham safety standard. These would have been very expensive to do, and even then there was no guarantee that extensive metal fatigue cracks would not have been found once the airframe had been opened up and checked with a fine tooth comb. However, the biggest killer to keeping it flying was Rolls Royce. They had nobody left who knew who to maintain and service Olympus engines, and they were not prepared to train up anyone else who was younger (the last fitters and maintenance specialists were all in the late 60's and 70's when XH558 was grounded) to take their place. In theory Rolls Royce have the blueprints for the Olympus, and they could train up someone else to take the place of the retiring fitters and specialists, but they were not going to - they kept maintenance cover going for 10 years after the Olympus ceased production in 2003 with the retirement of Concorde, and then were pursuaded to so a follow-up further couple of years, but that was that.
Engine expertise was no longer available (or had fallen out of know-how, if you like), and the airframe was coming to the end of its recognised life and keeping it going woudl have been difficult and costly, not to mention potentially impossible if severe metal fatigue cracks were found within the airframe, particularly in the main spars which took most of the loads.
But yes, it is sad that we will never hear or see it's sight again in the air, and that this country has, basically, forgotten how to make decent aeroplanes.
I will never forget the Vulcan what a beautiful plane she is also my favourite ❤
The vulcan never had this fuss when the last squadron disbanded in March 1984....I was walking back to school during lunchtime when 4 of them was doing a fly over of every town in Lincolnshire as they bowed out of service....no one batted an eye lid...we only miss them when they've gone 😫
Brilliant video. Thanks for posting.
Beautiful aircraft, sadly never to be seen in the air again.
I've always thought it a curious irony that a machine designed purely to deliver death to millions would turn out so beautiful and engender such positive emotion.
The Vulcan was such a great looking aircraft and I'll never forget the sound it. I saw one 3 years ago at Leuchars air show and for me it was the highlight of the show.
Stunning.
Luv and Peace.
I've seen everything America has to offer in an air show. Even grew up with the SR71 in Japan, but I never got to experience this beautiful jet. Oh how I wish I could have. Rest in pease.
I wish you could have experienced and enjoyed this amazing beauty in person. I have many memories of her and glad I got to see her fly many many times. UA-cam videos dont do justice.
And Iwish I had seen the Blackbird once 😩
Saw one of these at an air show in Winnipeg, Canada as a young child in the early 70s. It scared the hell out of me. Lol
Great video, thanks for posting.
Me and my dad went to its last flight at RIAT it brought a tear to my eye
A sad day for British aviation.
I remember seeing the Vulcan flying with two Lancasters a few years ago.
Nothing will beat that sound.
It’s a shame that RR wouldn’t provide the designs for the engines so that they could be maintained and provided with new parts.
I used to have a 40ft caravan in North Wales and Vulcan was there Rhyl air show i remember seeing it from the caravan balcony it was banking and the full throttle shot upwards I'll always remember that
At the end of that last pass, she leapt skywards like a homesick angel..............😢
I remember being at the British superbikes at Donington park in 2015 and the Vulcan must of stopped to refuel at Ema and as it was taking off the 30 plus bikes were just coming around the track but i couldn't hear them only the epic sound of a Vulcan coming over my head 😅.
...sad to see her retire but she will never be forgotten.
Back in the 1960s & 70s there used to be an annual airshow in Milwaukee WI each summer. One year a couple very special guests arrived, A B-2 Vulcan and a K-1 Victor who upstaged the usual headliners, the USN Blue Angels and USAF Thunderbirds. For the next several years both of the V bombers were regulars at MKE teh Vulcan thrilling the audience with her graceful unique howl and thunderous roar.(no car alarms to set off back then).
Back in 1969, a friend and I set out to a field just north of the airport mid morning on the Thursday before the show to watch photograph and film the arriving aircraft. About mid afternoon we heard up on the radio that the Vulcan and Victor were on final. Got the old Super 8 and Instamatic cameras at the ready to record them as they passed low overhead. The Victor landed, but the Vulcan did a roller and made another go around. On the second approach she was much lower than the first and we actually had to crouch down in the tall grass. Crikey, if you couldn't almost count the individual rivets as she passed over us. and settled to a graceful landing. That year she also a non nuclear Blue Steel standoff missile mounted under the belly.
You may want to google 'Operation Skyshield' of 1960 and 1961. In 1960 the USAF ran a massive exercise to prove they could defend the US from air attack. Well 8 Vulcans left two air bases (4 each) and flew in at over 50,000 feet. Long story short: 1 was 'shot down and the other 7 got through and could have nuked the Eastern Seaboard.
The USAF could not believe it and so ran the same exercise again but with some 1,800 fighters. Again 8 Vulcans attacked but this time 8 got through. One even decided to land at a US Air Force base unannounced and the first they knew was a radio call for final approach!
@@1chish ...I saw vhe video about that. Was an interesting test.
@@bcshelby4926 The US Government kept the whole event secret for 50 years ....
@@1chish ...I can understand that as we were still in the cold war with Russia and it may have let them know know about possible vulnerabilities.
@@bcshelby4926 That is a very true fact. But there was also the need to keep belief by the population in the US Armed Forces ability to defend the USA.
That big bird is so graceful and so powerfull and love the car alarms going off it don't sound the same on video as in real life and had the pleasure many ot time seeing her fly
Should still be flying
It’s a part of our flight heritage
What a beautiful sunny day. Every airshow I’ve been to in the UK has been dismally grey and wet.
Yea, its an Island surrounded by water....you thick twat.
Miss the howl, I was at RAF Coningsby on this day when she made a visit and flew with 15/20 Spitfires and Hurricane's
brilliant footage
What a beautiful, powerful aircraft!
Saw my first one in an airshow around end of the 1960ties in Germany. This beast, length x width, is twice the size compared to my house - with not-too-little garden and some forest.
When the 'Great' in Great Britain meant something.
I was very young, it was 1960 or so, but our family went to an airshow at OFFUT AFB in Belleview, Nebraska and I remember there was a Vulcan bomber there. I was alarmed because it was doing a slow flight demo and I didn't want it to fall out of the sky. My dad, (ex-USAF pilot) told me they would be fine, and they were!
This former American Air Force vet is just gobsmacked at the tremendously loud roar of that beautiful bird!!!
Yes indeed sir you would not only hear it you could feel it through your body, sadly no more.
We saw the plane at a air show a few years at a air show at McCord AFB near Tacoma Wa. God the sound was great
It is such a shame that Vulcan will no longer fly in the sky, .. I suppose there does come a time when it has to retire and reach the end of its lifetime of flying.
The Final display was after Old Warden the same day at Gaydon :) I have a photo of the reserved parking space for Martin Withers, spoke to Dr Robert Pleming and Sean Maffett there :)
No one seems able to read between the lines about why 558 had support withdrawn, it's obvious what happened :(
What a beautiful bird. Saddened to hear she's no longer doing what she does best, flying. That roar is unmistakable. Wish I could've been there to feel it in my chest and body. Closest I thing I can compare that roar to is the F-18 Blue Angel's and it's incredible roar. Still I don't think it comes close to the Vulcan.
Brilliant Beautiful Aircraft
The legend Martin Withers commentating!
Saw her yesterday as she flew over RAF Cosford. The place was packed. Will be missed on the air show circuit.
Ditto. I was at a clay shoot Sunday and sadly missed it, though a colleague saw her fly past Grafham Water and reported thousands in attendance.
I've been crying ever.since .... It stopped it's awesome career ...
Even the car alarms in this video were saying goodbye
Just bloody glorious ❤️
It's funny how the Vulcan can become a part of your life and memories. My first encounter was a flypast for my passing out at RAF Swinderby in '83. The next one was stepping into one of their craters at Stanley airfield. Then, I came to learn that my late father worked with XH539 (4 JSTU) at Edinburgh field during the Blue Steel trials. Finally and a sad twist, the very same airframe (XH539) ends up being unceremoniously dumped at Waddington - in the same way as my RAF career was dumped at Waddo in the redundancies of '97. A stunningly beautiful aircraft that will live longer than the executives of the JV's responsible for its demise.
God I miss this beauty!
Peace thru strength...
“The autofocus in this thing is crap” 😂😂😂😂
Yes. Apologies for the AF. My partner had the big camera so I was relegated to the Samsung note. Certainly not the best video recorder for air displays, but happy to see it's brought a lot of people pleasure regardless.
But the sound is excellent !! Thanks.
Perfect light, perfect sky, perfect bend in the display line..............aaaand they pulled a 'BBMF', and utterly failed to give a decent topside pass. The curve is what Old Warden is famous for. They could have given a display of just that, backwards and forwards, and everyone would have been over the moon!
It was a great last display (was there) and the 60° bank restriction laid down after the Shoreham tradegy was certanly interpreted as -60° in its last pass.
Hehehe... Let them try banning it from future airshows. What I would have given to be in that cockpit !
+dieselmupke You should have been in Grantham a bit later...
+dieselmupke Yes ..... saw that too ..... a nice touch! Lovely day for it and at excellent Shuttleworth as well.It's so exciting and impressive when she did those wing-overs. I bet they could have rolled her. Such a great plane to display ..... big and stately in the distance and massive and powerful near too ...... and what a beautiful shape - not so much a plane as a gorgeous great sculptural slab wheeling around the sky.
+Ken Standing What a wonderful description of her: "She howls her glad release from earth to capture the skyShapely and powerful she turns, showing her true purposeOf ancient darkness or new beginningsIn a world which did not know her.."
Really missed by millions 😪
I remember being at my sisters flat in southend, and this thing literally shook the nail varnish off the shelf
Very sad day here, the British public need something of a epic plane like this, or a concorde.
Just not the same without these sorts of planes.
This bird is a work of art, way beyond what Britain has flying now. Maybe someone here can tell me if this happened or not. Did one of these planes disintegrate at low altitude going "to fast" and pieces broke off the airframe?!?.
It didn’t disintegrate because of going too fast it had a flaw in the design which sadly happened at its flyby.
Rest in peace tin triangle
Was there in a field near there heard the howl you can't beet the Vulcan
Was at riat when I seen this for the last ever time I've seen her fly for 4 years I cried when she shut down
Pretty sure this was just before they had the landing gear issue that made them scrub a bunch of appearances.
I remember it because I was supposed to go to one of the shows that they canceled and missed my only chance to see the vulcan fly!
Still a little bitter about that 5+ years later lol
I'm crying, because it's over,in More Ways than one
R.i.p. thw most beautiful piece of machinery
We would rather listen to the airplane than the annoying announcers
Haha me too 😂
@@nailed2ax_126 the announcers are as bad as the car alarm
🇬🇧 The VULCAN 🇬🇧 Nothing else needs to be said really 🇬🇧❤️
That's a hard watch!! And also a sad sad end AND poor excuse to the end of her flying!! We no longer have the expertise!! Pathetic excuse!! We can send robots to Mars but the human race can't find engineers to keep this magnificent machine in the air!!!
Shambolic excuse!!.
It deserves to be flying not have its wings clipped to spend the rest of its days in a bloody hanger!!!. I was a member of the the vulcan to the sky Trust and saw it fly numerous times at Yeovilton. Breathtaking beast that literally shook the ground, absolutely stunning aircraft and the country is alot poorer without it in our skies!! Rip xh558
Lovely to hear the traditional car alarm symphony that only the Vulcan could routinely initiate (for the last time).
Great also to have «Blackbuck» Withers give the commentary, instead of the usual fruity, old “handlebar moustache” geezer.
How can you ever get bored of hearing that
Awesome
Watched her overfly Marham a few weeks ago.
Life will never be the same. Gutted.
A little more than 60 degrees bank on that last flypast - good lad!
2 planes I'll always regret I never got to see fly in person: the Concorde and the Vulcan.
What power, WOW!
This wasn't actually her last display. That was, at the time of writing, at Sywell on the 13th of October.
Great video, I was also there and I think I spotted myself on the crowdline (possibly?!). I took some video and got the same howl at the start, absolutely marvellous! The car alarms went off for the last time, the Vulcan's party piece! Thanks for putting this video up. Did you get her pass with the Anson? That was an unusual combination...
Thank you Norman for your review and comments, and everyone else for your likes. Sadly I missed the Anson whilst I struggled with my Note4-AKA-Video Recorder defying the recording at the start, though the car alarms going off were hillarious! Such a privilege to witness her last ever airshow, and what a show it was.
What a fortune man this was quite an honor for him, and he has his very own spitfire.
Thanx