Right up until their RAF retirement, they used to regular fly over my home in Worcester, many miles after leaving Brize Norton. These were usually on their way to tanking missions and be reasonably high up (about 10,000 feet plus) by that time but still climbing. You always knew (heard) when a VC-10 was heading North! They were much quieter on the descent on the way back, but you could still pick them up by the sound.
I miss in-depth documentaries like this on TV. Today everything is stretched out over an hour, commercial breaks, supposed experts making scripted comments, repetition before and after adverts. Thank you Ruairidh for what you do. You deserve ten times the subscribers you have.
I totally agree with this, Netflix docs are prime examples of making a 3-4 episode stretch to 6 episodes, the Menedez film/doc is a prime example of this, the last two episodes were a total drag.
For a civil aircraft design yes but personally I think it's the one on the HP Victor with the dihedral and curved LE as it swept back . Still a very elegant airliner ...also a special mention should go to the slightly similar twin engined French, Sud Aviation Caravelle 210. 🧙🏼♂️😎
@@clivestainlesssteelwomble7665 Sure, the Caravelle probably had one of the cleanest airframes of any airliner. It allegedly had an exceptional glide ratio, beter than most other passenger jets.
Indeed The British Government seemed to be working hard for American Industries at the expense of our own. The only Industry supported is the financial industry. They needlesly destroyed the rail structure at the behest of the road lobby also.
*The British aviation industry was doomed after the country's defeat in WW2, Britain had always lagged behind the Germans, Americans and the French.* *Britain simply could not survive against these superior competitors.*
@@sandervanderkammen9230 ... "The British aviation industry was doomed after the country's defeat in WW2" ... What ... we lost the war ... (well) I'll be damned!
@theoccupier1652 *Indeed, crushed by the Germans, surrendered to the Americans in September 1940, and a United States possession from 1946 to 2006, it's still a U.S. protectorate today, 20,000 American military personnel still occupy the UK.*
In 1969, as a young sailor stationed on Oahu, I happened to be at Honolulu Airport (to pick up another sailor reporting in for duty) when Queen Elizabeth deplaned from her VC10 for a few minutes at the airport while the aircraft refueled. It was a memorable event for me, seeing both the Queen and especially that beautiful aircraft!
I am so glad you produced this homage to the VC10. One of the most beautiful airliners ever designed. I had the pleasure of flying in BOAC/BA/East African Airways versions of the standard and super variants, many times as a youngster. Quieter inside than many current aircraft, feeling that amazing power and thrust on those steep takeoffs. Passengers and crew loved it. Sadly missed. Thanks for the memories :)
Me too. Lived in Tanzania, 1967-74 Every couple of years family holidays in Europe BOAC/EAA VC10/Super VC10 DAR to LHR Thank the Yanks for destroying the British aircraft industry:-(
I remember hearing an RAF Group Captain in Germany declaring that the Tornado GR1 was "the quietest aircraft he'd ever flown in". That was from the inside too - the Tornado, like the VC10, was extremely noisy from the outside - at full reheat, or with the Conways at full power. Most VC10 takeoffs were done at factored power to cut down on engine wear/noise.
Between 1972 and 74, I was an Air steward at Brize Norton on 10 squadron ( VC10s), and I can't tell you the nostalgia I felt watching the aircraft I worked on ; especially watching a departure from Kai Tak in Hong Kong.
As the fourth child of an RAF family aged 10 years in June 1970, we flew the VC10 from Changi, Singapore to Brize Norton. I remember to this day what a fantastic quiet and fast flight we had compared to the Britannia aircraft we flew departing the UK in Dec 67. As my first job in 1979 at Windsor Safari Park I had to put up being under the flight path of daily VC10s from LHR which were noisier than the Concorde!
I was lucky enough to fly on the sultan of Oman’s VC10 a few times back in the 80’s which now lives at the brooklands museum. Magnificent aircraft. You could really feel that thing take off!
As an 11 year old I flew with my family from the other iconic terminal at JFK to Prestwick in Scotland. My abiding memory is what appeared to be an almost vertical take off, being pushed back into my seat. A beautiful aircraft unappreciated in its day.
As a very young man I used to fly in VC10s to Iran in the ‘70’s. I spent many hours sitting in the cockpit with the crew probably boring them stupid with my excitement and constant questions! I remember one flight heading towards a very active lightning storm and a last second go-around as we were just about to land in Teheran when it became evident there was an aircraft still waiting on the runway. We then moved on to 707’s and from other parts of the Middle East the TriStar (and what an aircraft that was!)
Thanks Ruairidh. Clear and very listenable-to diction as usual. Describing this icon of British aviation made this a particularly enjoyable watch. A great combination of British engineering and nostalgia, well told.
Yes the tiny Brooklands factory was the very definition of the “hand-built-in-a-shed-by-blokes-called-Sid-and-Reg” British engineering tradition. Of course, the downside to this noble practice was that things cost more to build than you could ever sell the end-product for! I just wish I’d lived in the area at the time to see them being flown out from the factory to Wisley for finishing.
The British Aircraft Builders listened too much to BOAC and BEA and then got screwed over by them. Same happened with the Trident. With the original design being more like the 727.
Indeed they did. The carriers dictated the specifications, then continually changed them to suit themselves as market conditions changed. I still get really irritated when I see that interview with that smarmy BOAC boss. They weren't called the Boeing Only Aircraft Corporation for nothing. And as you've pointed out, a similar thing happened with the Trident, although instead of higher operating costs caused by BOAC's specifications, the size of the aircraft, this time due to BEA's specifications was the stated reason. That, along with other things at the time, like UK government ministers discouraging the sale of the EE/BAC Lightning to foreign customers, seems to indicate that there was an agenda of shrinking the UK aircraft industry coming from high places.
British Airways carried out a study after retirement of the VC10 and Boeing 707 fleets and found that the 707 required more remedial work during its lifetime, which brought the whole-life costs between the two a lot closer. When the ex-BA VC10's were sold and converted into tankers, there was very little corrosion found during the structural work. A long standing joke amongst us engineers is that you could stand underneath a Boeing and hear it fizzing away to powder 😁
I think of the Trident too, when I think of the VC10. Two superb airliners that were too tailor-made to sell broadly. Boeing and Douglas were successful because they gave the customer options. On the other hand, if you wanted a Trident you got exactly the type BEA got and nothing else. The VC10 didn't give you any extra advantage if you _weren't_ flying Empire routes through the African Continent. The VC10 is a personal favorite of mine.
I flew to Australia there and back in a Super VC 10 way back in 1972. Three seats either side with a single isle down the middle, no on board entertainment and for a long haul flight that took more than 36 hours you made sure you have sufficient magazines and books to keep you occupied. The reason it took so long was leaving Heathrow first stop was Zurich then Tehran, Bahrain, Calcutta, Singapore, Perth Australia, then Sidney and finally Tullamarine Melbourne. It somewhat reminded me of a locomotive milk run. We left Heathrow at 4.30pm in December and we were chasing the sun all the way to Australia.
My first commercial flight was from London to Sydney a year later, in 1973. We had about 153 passengers and lumbered slowly into the air on each take-off, but we only had to stop to refuel twice (Teheran and Bangkok). They let me sit in the flight deck for most of the last leg. Because a cyclone was bearing down on the east coast, weather in Sydney was questionable. It was likely to be out of limits in Brisbane, their primary diversion, so over Indonesia we had to calculate if we would have enough to make Melbourne our primary diversion. (If not, we would have to stop in Alice Springs to add a bit.) The three cockpit crew (pilot, copilot and engineer) each came up with a different number, so they gave me all the info and asked me to do the 'deciding' calculation! I remember I came up with yes - 7,300 lbs to spare, which was above the minimum, which I think was somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000 lbs. So we made it with only two stops en route. Ahh ...those were the days ... we could ask to spend time in the cockpit. While everyone behind was trying to sleep, I was having a great time. They served my meals there, even letting me take the co-pilot seat to fly a couple of turns and inviting me to stay in the cockpit for the landing. I should add that I'd already flown solo in Air Squadron DHC Chipmunks ... in fact, there's a great "Old Fliers" video just posted about those.
We used to have them over our house when the RAF had them at Brize Norton. VERY noisy taking off, especially on a cold day. On those days the engines also made a crackling sound.
I flew on one in 1969. It vibrated like an SOB, and was worse the farther back in the cabin you ventured. It was a pretty plane, and advanced for its time.
As a Kid in the 1960’s living in Darwin NT Australia, I used to watch BOAC 707’s and VC10’s land and take off. Many overseas airlines used Darwin as a refuelling stop, so I used to see aircraft of all types. My favourite was non other than the VC10. The livery, style and the noise of this beautiful aircraft was something else. At less than 200 feet off the ground on final approach, watching the flair and hearing the reverse thrusters after touchdown was something I always remember. As the advertising slogan for the BOAC VC10 said, “A Damn fine piece of machinery”. Thanks for a great nostalgic video
A lovely piece of VC tenderness I flew them with BA everyone loved them the sound of the Conways still sends pleasurable shivers down me somebody once said you could set your watch by them they were so reliable. I was so sad to see them lined up at Prestwick and some were stored at a local airfield in Oxfordshire near me where they were covered in a heavy goo to protect them for spares. Lovely old lady I miss you!!
I flew on one from London to Accra in 1968. Fine aircraft with one oddity: the pilot told us that we would notice how strong the airbrakes were, so he gave us a demonstration while we were inflight, causing a major shudder.
As a kid, I remember them flying over our house in Boston in 1975/6. As it approached, its unique sonic stamp, though somewhat quieter than the 707, exuded a certain aura, announcing something out of the ordinary, a plane spotters paradise. it was my special moment of the afternoon.
I had an air experience flight out of Lynham in 87. Backwards seats and a fantastic time. The Herc was very agricultural but no less fun. Good old ATC.
The VC10 and the approach to getting a jet out of short runways is similar to Britains approach to High Speed with the APT. Britain attempted to adapt the plane and the train to the existing infrastructure whereas the rest of the world went with updated infrastructure as in longer runways and new high speed track. With the runway extension allowing more standard jets in and the increased fuel costs then realistically the VC10 was a plane for a market that no longer existed. High Speed even in UK now being new purpose built track, allowing simpler trains to be used.
No really, the VC-10 was built with Britains Empire routes in mind, very often African runways for example where shorter, but British airways runways in London were far from short and certainly the VC-10 was not built to be able to take off quickly here, it was overseas runways that were short…or hot and high.
Thank you for the wonderful video. The VC10 was undoubtedly the most graceful airliner ever designed. I vividly remember its frequent arrivals and departures from Mumbai (then Bombay) airport during the 1970s and early 1980s. Airlines like BOAC, Gulf Air, and East African Airways brought these elegant jets to our skies, leaving a lasting impression on a then young avgeek like me.
What a great video, my dad was posted to RAF Changi in the mid 60s, we flew on the VC10 to Singapore to start a wonderful few years. I later went on to work for BA for 37 years as cabin crew, a highlight of my career being able to take my mum and dad back to see Singapore in 2019.
A happy new year! 🏴 I’m either suffering from a case of Dàja vu or you’ve covered the VC10 before… not too worry as il watch it anyway as it’s one of my favourite aircraft. I flew in one as a cadet in the air training corps (ATC) on an air experience flight from Brize Norton to Malta and Cyprus in a day. In the RAF models, you sat facing the rear of the aircraft, unusual! 🏴
Yes it was hard to believe they’d been “hushkitted” when every organ in your body was thoroughly shaken by the noise of a VC10 takeoff even from half a mile away!
The unbuilt variants of this design are fascinating, and poignant. Technological triumph, gorgeous lines, the VC-10 was unfairly maligned by the state-owned airline that only wanted to snuggle up to Boeing. Like so many assets, Britain saw fit to give it all away.
It’s not simply a matter of ‘giving it away’. US industrial power had huge advantages after WW2 which enabled them to leap ahead in terms of producing economically viable airliners. We often like to believe that the dominance of Boeing somehow ‘happened’ but this ignores that the success was mainly due to unparalleled investment during the war and defence contracts afterwards which the UK government simply couldn’t afford. If Britain had been in a similar position to invest in their aviation industry after the war it probably would be a dominant force today but alas it was cheaper to rely on imports or combine forces with other European manufacturers. And this has had great results see Airbus and BAE.
My first flight, the only time I've flown first class and the only time on a VC10 was from Heathrow to Darwin, Australia. Departed December 30 1970, arrived January 1, 1971.
I last flew in a VC10 in 1987, from Brize Norton to Germany to go on exercise. I flew in them several times in my childhood as my father was also in the army and we moved frequently. RAF models had rear facing seats
Rear facing seats.... yes an ex RAF Brittania pilot I used to work with told me it was a safety issue - that in a forced landing you are much better protected by having your back to the violent stopping G forces.
In the 90s, I saw one flying into Heathrow, whilst out with my dad. You heard it long before you saw it. A very distinctive sound, and loud, sound. Beautiful aircraft. I've admired the one at Duxford many times since.
My first flight as a six year old in 1968 was on a British United VC10 from London (Gatwick I think) via Entebbe to Ndola, Zambia. Sometime afterwards I believe the Zambian Government decided that all international flights into the country had to land at Lusaka. So in later years we flew into Lusaka (BOAC, BCal) and then flew to Ndola on a Zambian Airways HS 748. An RAF VC10 flew high over my house shortly before they all retired and the roar of the Conways was unmistakable 🇬🇧
I worked on these back in the 1970's. The RR Conway was very reliable. Pre-departure requirement was to check the engine air intakes for foreign objects as the caterers used the rear entry doors during turnarounds.
A fantastic video, thank you! Flying backwards on this sublime craft as a kid is something I will never forget and like the RB-211, the Conway turbofans - music to an enthusiasts ears.
I was walking through the fuselage section of G-ARVM and the Sultan of Oman 's former personal aircraft yesterday on my trip to Brooklands! The Sultan new how to travel in style! Pitty he then had to the buy a 747SP. Nice to see the G-ARVM cockpit is getting some restoration on the flight deck.
The flight deck on G-ARVM is as they were delivered, something that surprised my father who flew them for BOAC when he visited it at Brooklands from 1964 till 1976 as he thought they had all had INS installed
I flew in these wonderful planes with BOAC, BUA and EAA as a kid and then the RAF versions as an adult. My father was on the inaugural BOAC VC10 flight from Lagos to London.
I remember seeing my first VC10 at Gatwick way back in the 1960's. It taxied round to the runway, the engines spun up (what a noise) and off it went. I was not prepared for 1. the short run before it took off. and 2. it just went up, near vertically straight into the cloud. Such a lovely aircraft. I saw one again last year at Imperial War Museum @ Duxford UK. Still looking refined and serene. But no engine noise!
My first VC flight - first time in an aeroplane - was aged 7 back in the 1960s. I flew from Jamaica-Bermuda-London on my own. Back row with the Stewardesses. Magical time. Remember it all.
I worked as a second steward in the rear galley of BOAC VC10’s 1970 to 1972 (prior to converting onto B747’s). I left British Airways in 1975, to join Gulf Air. I then ended up working in the rear gallery of Gulf Air’s Standard VC10’s. Talk about flying round in circles…….!
Thanks for making this. My grandad worked for Vickers and BAC at Brooklands as a carpenter. He built propellers for Hurricanes and later worked on the wooden mock-ups for the VC-10, Concorde and I think possibly also the BAC 1-11. I believe he may have also done something to do with the seating, but I'm not sure about that. Sadly I am too young to have flown on the VC-10, but I've been on the one at Brooklands (and Concorde) and they are beautiful planes. I also flew on a BAC 1-11 from Gatwick to Menorca 1989 with British Island Airways when I was 7 years old, so I probably have sampled his handiwork, even though he died before I was born!
It certainly is one of the most beautiful civil airliners ever built, a great performer and popular with crews and passengers. Its only flaw was higher operating costs than the competition. Superior tech comes at a cost.
It was later found that it was cheaper to buy and operate a VC 10 for a 10 yr period then its competition. This was in flight magazine in the late 70s.
@@timothykerr9047 BOAC hid this for 2 reasons.. They did not want the competition buying them and they had negotiated a subsidy with Harold Wilsons government to cover their claims that it would be more costly to operate
In 1971 myself, 11yr old then plus my family flew on a BOAC VC10 , possibly a Super VC10 from Heathrow to Lusaka Zambia. This aircraft arrived from London once a week on Sat, as did an Alitalia DC8 possibility a Super, with the triangular Italian flag scheme on tail. We would visit the airport to watch them and I'll never forget seeing them. Our homeward journey in 1974 was initially in an East African Airways VC10 which was in a yellow livery.
I was on a flight from New York to prestwick in early 70s. I was asked at the desk if I would like to go on an earlier flight so said yes there was only about half a dozen on it. Remembering all of them sitting as far apart as possible. When I told people in the office when I got back it only took over 5 hours nobody believed me Glad this backs me up 50 years later
BOAC did the dirty on Vickers. They specified an aircraft capable of handling short, rough(ish) high altitude, tropical airfields which is what the VC10 delivered, and then didn't want it.
That requirement was placed by the Government, it insisted that BOAC update its routes in and out of the African countries. Some of those not only involved short runways they including beaten earth fields. Those requirements are what led to the need for those powerful engines, completely over engineered for the transatlantic (profitable) routes. That requirement itself was not unreasonable, it led to the UK being able to exercise soft power before, during and after those countries became independent; that had been in place since the days of Imperial Airways and the flying boats.
@@nicktecky55 What? A British government interfering in commercial decision making causing both parties to lose money/close down. Never heard of such a dreadful thing.
I flew on the VC10, and it was a truly lovely plane to fly on, as well as one of the most beautiful jetliners of all time. The wreckage you show at 15:30 is not a VC10, but a Convair 990 Coronado, as you can tell by its unique aft-fan engines.
The RAF versions had rearwards-facing seating for 'safety' reasons. It was a decidedly odd experience taking off and being pulled out of your seat by the acceleration. Travel was very smooth, quiet and rapid.
Not many people have experianced that feeling , i flew from RAF Coningsby to Sardinia (Deci) in the early 70`s ,such a weird feeling ..loved this aircraft ..
I remember seeing my first and only vc10 as a8yo or 10 yo in Tullamarine airport Melbourne Australia in 1974 or 76. Not sure which. But saw it there in it's BOAC livery. I still have it in my mind . Majestic
My great uncle Eddie Gray was Chief Designer of this at Hurn. He was also involved with the BAC 1-11 and Super 1-11. I remember watching the maiden flight of the VC10 on granny's grainy black & white TV set. Never flew on one but I did fly in a Comet in about 1968.
I remember an old British Airways advert with Captain Bristow praising the VC10's design of "..not having any engines dangling from the wings .."- obviously a dig at Boeing 707, and others similar designs. :)
Great video! The VC-10, after Concorde, is easiky the prettiest airliner ever to fky and hearing the RAF ones roaring out of RAF Brize Norton before their retirement. A truly great aircraft...
I flew once with the VC10 as a child and saw it many times at the Lagos airport when we lived there in the 60's. Many time I flew with the extended DC8 and before that with the Lockheed Electra 2, from Amsterdam to Lagos
Beautiful plane, beautiful livery. A fitter I knew at Brize told me it was built like a tank, they were never worried when doing ‘mods’. Bouncing Bombs to Concorde by the main man at Vickers, George Edwards is a good read.
Great to see the best of British aerospace design and manufacturing of it's era being showcased, such a shame that mercantile forces pushed us to purchasing away from the UK despite often better, cost effective performance
@@richardvernon317 If you listen to the video, Ruaraigh says that the Super version was cheaper to operate than BOAC's 707s, but (for internal polital reasons?) BOAC suppressed that fact. How it later became public knowledge is a mystery to me, but maybe later management teams were appalled at their predecessors' behaviour?
The VC10 and Il-62 don't really have much in common besides the shape. What's a little ironic is that the western plane was a rugged dual use one while the Soviet one was a pure passenger chariot for high end airfields
Flew on it as a 9 year old in 1966 G-ARVM std VC-10 Heathrow to Bombay. On the way back in 1968 on a super VC-10 G-ASGI from Rome to Heathrow. Great days, great plane.
I remember seeing RAF VC-10's here at MSP (Minnesota) once in awhile. Must have been around early 2000's or so....Later on we would get RAF L-1011's here also.
Mid-70’s BA marketing tag was excellent….’Try a little VC10-derness’……….amazingly smooth and quiet in the cabin, unless one was at the rear end by the engines!
A beautiful aircraft, however (tips cap to Ruairidh), growing up in south London I distinctly remember how incredibly loud they were. Having said that, everything seemed noisy in the 70s, especially when Concorde accidentally slipped over Mach 1.
Grown up a eastern Victoria Harbour away from Kai Tak in the 1980's, can't help but agree (only operated by RAF [18:54-19:21] by that point), second only to Concorde while ahead of CAAC's Trident, made 707, 727 and 737-200 quiet by comparison!
I grew up nearby JFK, and i remember having these beautiful birds fly over my house. They were noisy, just like everything that flew in the air back then. But they were beauties. They looked different. Larger than the 727s, and as noisy as the 707s. Awesome, sweep back on the wings. Sadly, I never got to fly in one.
I remember listening to the Today programme one morning in 1972 when they were discussing the too late Chinese order for Super VC10s. Opportunities lost on all sides combined with general lack of production capacity. Although not mentioned in the video I think the arrival of the Boeing 747 was the biggest factor in the VC10's commercial demise.
@@Boababa-fn3mr They bought Tridents instead. First real aircraft I every went onboard was one of the Tridents still under construction for CAAC at a HSA Open Day at Hatfield in the early 1970's.
Last time I flew out of Chicago on one of these in 68, bound for London, it only got as far as New York due to engine failure. 12 hours later we were put on a 707 for the rest of the journey. I'm not going on a VC10 again, thank you. Then again, I guess it's no longer an option!
As a kid I saw/heard/felt an RAF vc10 departing heathrow with blaire on board. That shook the windows compared to jets twice it's size!
That's because it was only Stage 2 noise compliant, and commercial jets were mainly Stage 3 noise compliant.
Right up until their RAF retirement, they used to regular fly over my home in Worcester, many miles after leaving Brize Norton. These were usually on their way to tanking missions and be reasonably high up (about 10,000 feet plus) by that time but still climbing. You always knew (heard) when a VC-10 was heading North!
They were much quieter on the descent on the way back, but you could still pick them up by the sound.
Who or what is blaire
@ Blaire White, perhaps. 😀
@@alangordon3283 presumably Tony Blair
I miss in-depth documentaries like this on TV. Today everything is stretched out over an hour, commercial breaks, supposed experts making scripted comments, repetition before and after adverts. Thank you Ruairidh for what you do. You deserve ten times the subscribers you have.
When was this?
@@TyrannoJoris_Rex Till the eighties, then the shit started to hit the fan.
@@yves3560 What dimension are you from where documentaries from last century were any good?
I totally agree with this, Netflix docs are prime examples of making a 3-4 episode stretch to 6 episodes, the Menedez film/doc is a prime example of this, the last two episodes were a total drag.
And no distracting, awful music.
The most beautiful tail that ever graced the skies. A piece of art in its own right.
For a civil aircraft design yes but personally I think it's the one on the HP Victor with the dihedral and curved LE as it swept back .
Still a very elegant airliner ...also a special mention should go to the slightly similar twin engined French, Sud Aviation Caravelle 210. 🧙🏼♂️😎
@@clivestainlesssteelwomble7665 Sure, the Caravelle probably had one of the cleanest airframes of any airliner. It allegedly had an exceptional glide ratio, beter than most other passenger jets.
Depressing how much industry we have lost over the last 60-70 years
Indeed The British Government seemed to be working hard for American Industries at the expense of our own. The only Industry supported is the financial industry. They needlesly destroyed the rail structure at the behest of the road lobby also.
*The British aviation industry was doomed after the country's defeat in WW2, Britain had always lagged behind the Germans, Americans and the French.*
*Britain simply could not survive against these superior competitors.*
@@sandervanderkammen9230 ... "The British aviation industry was doomed after the country's defeat in WW2"
... What ... we lost the war ... (well) I'll be damned!
@theoccupier1652 *Indeed, crushed by the Germans, surrendered to the Americans in September 1940, and a United States possession from 1946 to 2006, it's still a U.S. protectorate today, 20,000 American military personnel still occupy the UK.*
@@theoccupier1652 Sure as hell lost the empire...
In 1969, as a young sailor stationed on Oahu, I happened to be at Honolulu Airport (to pick up another sailor reporting in for duty) when Queen Elizabeth deplaned from her VC10 for a few minutes at the airport while the aircraft refueled. It was a memorable event for me, seeing both the Queen and especially that beautiful aircraft!
I am so glad you produced this homage to the VC10. One of the most beautiful airliners ever designed. I had the pleasure of flying in BOAC/BA/East African Airways versions of the standard and super variants, many times as a youngster. Quieter inside than many current aircraft, feeling that amazing power and thrust on those steep takeoffs. Passengers and crew loved it. Sadly missed. Thanks for the memories :)
Me too.
Lived in Tanzania, 1967-74
Every couple of years family holidays in Europe BOAC/EAA VC10/Super VC10 DAR to LHR
Thank the Yanks for destroying the British aircraft industry:-(
As a passenger in a VC10 I found it the quietest aircraft I have ever been in - and my hobby is gliding!
flew just once --- BOAC - CHIC AGO TO MONTREAL - THE FLIGHT CONTINUED TO LONDON(LHR)
never had another opportunity..unfortunatley
I remember hearing an RAF Group Captain in Germany declaring that the Tornado GR1 was "the quietest aircraft he'd ever flown in". That was from the inside too - the Tornado, like the VC10, was extremely noisy from the outside - at full reheat, or with the Conways at full power.
Most VC10 takeoffs were done at factored power to cut down on engine wear/noise.
Between 1972 and 74, I was an Air steward at Brize Norton on 10 squadron ( VC10s), and I can't tell you the nostalgia I felt watching the aircraft I worked on ; especially watching a departure from Kai Tak in Hong Kong.
As the fourth child of an RAF family aged 10 years in June 1970, we flew the VC10 from Changi, Singapore to Brize Norton. I remember to this day what a fantastic quiet and fast flight we had compared to the Britannia aircraft we flew departing the UK in Dec 67. As my first job in 1979 at Windsor Safari Park I had to put up being under the flight path of daily VC10s from LHR which were noisier than the Concorde!
Along with the Comet, the VC-10 in BOAC trim was the best looking scheme they ever had. Nothing came close.
Add the Concorde to the list and you have the 3 biggest financial failures in aviation history.
Artists' impressions of Concorde in late BOAC livery also looked great. Of course, it never happened.
@@sandervanderkammen9230 It was going to be a failure regardless of whether only Britain or France made it.
@@randomscb-40charger78 Well, France still makes its own jet aircraft.... Britain doesn't
@@sandervanderkammen9230
Doesn’t mean that it wasn’t a good idea and useful.
I was lucky enough to fly on the sultan of Oman’s VC10 a few times back in the 80’s which now lives at the brooklands museum. Magnificent aircraft. You could really feel that thing take off!
RIP HM
@IndaloManhow the hell did you end up at the aircraft of the Sultan of Oman
kind of burying the lede there mate
As an 11 year old I flew with my family from the other iconic terminal at JFK to Prestwick in Scotland. My abiding memory is what appeared to be an almost vertical take off, being pushed back into my seat. A beautiful aircraft unappreciated in its day.
As a very young man I used to fly in VC10s to Iran in the ‘70’s. I spent many hours sitting in the cockpit with the crew probably boring them stupid with my excitement and constant questions! I remember one flight heading towards a very active lightning storm and a last second go-around as we were just about to land in Teheran when it became evident there was an aircraft still waiting on the runway. We then moved on to 707’s and from other parts of the Middle East the TriStar (and what an aircraft that was!)
Thanks Ruairidh. Clear and very listenable-to diction as usual. Describing this icon of British aviation made this a particularly enjoyable watch. A great combination of British engineering and nostalgia, well told.
Fantastic footage from the factory. I am, again, totally amazed by your work.
Yes the tiny Brooklands factory was the very definition of the “hand-built-in-a-shed-by-blokes-called-Sid-and-Reg” British engineering tradition. Of course, the downside to this noble practice was that things cost more to build than you could ever sell the end-product for!
I just wish I’d lived in the area at the time to see them being flown out from the factory to Wisley for finishing.
The British Aircraft Builders listened too much to BOAC and BEA and then got screwed over by them. Same happened with the Trident. With the original design being more like the 727.
Indeed they did. The carriers dictated the specifications, then continually changed them to suit themselves as market conditions changed.
I still get really irritated when I see that interview with that smarmy BOAC boss. They weren't called the Boeing Only Aircraft Corporation for nothing. And as you've pointed out, a similar thing happened with the Trident, although instead of higher operating costs caused by BOAC's specifications, the size of the aircraft, this time due to BEA's specifications was the stated reason. That, along with other things at the time, like UK government ministers discouraging the sale of the EE/BAC Lightning to foreign customers, seems to indicate that there was an agenda of shrinking the UK aircraft industry coming from high places.
Before the 727 and much better
The VC 10 and Trident aircraft were very good aircraft that were ruined by BOAC and BEA with their ridiculous specifications.
727 more like Trident
British Airways carried out a study after retirement of the VC10 and Boeing 707 fleets and found that the 707 required more remedial work during its lifetime, which brought the whole-life costs between the two a lot closer. When the ex-BA VC10's were sold and converted into tankers, there was very little corrosion found during the structural work. A long standing joke amongst us engineers is that you could stand underneath a Boeing and hear it fizzing away to powder 😁
I think of the Trident too, when I think of the VC10. Two superb airliners that were too tailor-made to sell broadly. Boeing and Douglas were successful because they gave the customer options. On the other hand, if you wanted a Trident you got exactly the type BEA got and nothing else. The VC10 didn't give you any extra advantage if you _weren't_ flying Empire routes through the African Continent. The VC10 is a personal favorite of mine.
I flew to Australia there and back in a Super VC 10 way back in 1972. Three seats either side with a single isle down the middle, no on board entertainment and for a long haul flight that took more than 36 hours you made sure you have sufficient magazines and books to keep you occupied. The reason it took so long was leaving Heathrow first stop was Zurich then Tehran, Bahrain, Calcutta, Singapore, Perth Australia, then Sidney and finally Tullamarine Melbourne. It somewhat reminded me of a locomotive milk run. We left Heathrow at 4.30pm in December and we were chasing the sun all the way to Australia.
Lucky you!
My first commercial flight was from London to Sydney a year later, in 1973. We had about 153 passengers and lumbered slowly into the air on each take-off, but we only had to stop to refuel twice (Teheran and Bangkok).
They let me sit in the flight deck for most of the last leg. Because a cyclone was bearing down on the east coast, weather in Sydney was questionable. It was likely to be out of limits in Brisbane, their primary diversion, so over Indonesia we had to calculate if we would have enough to make Melbourne our primary diversion. (If not, we would have to stop in Alice Springs to add a bit.) The three cockpit crew (pilot, copilot and engineer) each came up with a different number, so they gave me all the info and asked me to do the 'deciding' calculation! I remember I came up with yes - 7,300 lbs to spare, which was above the minimum, which I think was somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000 lbs. So we made it with only two stops en route.
Ahh ...those were the days ... we could ask to spend time in the cockpit. While everyone behind was trying to sleep, I was having a great time. They served my meals there, even letting me take the co-pilot seat to fly a couple of turns and inviting me to stay in the cockpit for the landing. I should add that I'd already flown solo in Air Squadron DHC Chipmunks ... in fact, there's a great "Old Fliers" video just posted about those.
We used to have them over our house when the RAF had them at Brize Norton. VERY noisy taking off, especially on a cold day. On those days the engines also made a crackling sound.
I flew on one in 1969.
It vibrated like an SOB, and was worse the farther back in the cabin you ventured.
It was a pretty plane, and advanced for its time.
As a Kid in the 1960’s living in Darwin NT Australia, I used to watch BOAC 707’s and VC10’s land and take off. Many overseas airlines used Darwin as a refuelling stop, so I used to see aircraft of all types. My favourite was non other than the VC10. The livery, style and the noise of this beautiful aircraft was something else. At less than 200 feet off the ground on final approach, watching the flair and hearing the reverse thrusters after touchdown was something I always remember. As the advertising slogan for the BOAC VC10 said, “A Damn fine piece of machinery”. Thanks for a great nostalgic video
A lovely piece of VC tenderness I flew them with BA everyone loved them the sound of the Conways still sends pleasurable shivers down me somebody once said you could set your watch by them they were so reliable. I was so sad to see them lined up at Prestwick and some were stored at a local airfield in Oxfordshire near me where they were covered in a heavy goo to protect them for spares. Lovely old lady I miss you!!
Many of the Abingdon VC10s were brought back into service with the RAF.
I flew on one from London to Accra in 1968. Fine aircraft with one oddity: the pilot told us that we would notice how strong the airbrakes were, so he gave us a demonstration while we were inflight, causing a major shudder.
As a kid, I remember them flying over our house in Boston in 1975/6. As it approached, its unique sonic stamp, though somewhat quieter than the 707, exuded a certain aura, announcing something out of the ordinary, a plane spotters paradise. it was my special moment of the afternoon.
I had an air experience flight out of Lynham in 87. Backwards seats and a fantastic time. The Herc was very agricultural but no less fun.
Good old ATC.
I too but flew out of Brize Norton in a VC10 🏴
The VC10 and the approach to getting a jet out of short runways is similar to Britains approach to High Speed with the APT. Britain attempted to adapt the plane and the train to the existing infrastructure whereas the rest of the world went with updated infrastructure as in longer runways and new high speed track.
With the runway extension allowing more standard jets in and the increased fuel costs then realistically the VC10 was a plane for a market that no longer existed.
High Speed even in UK now being new purpose built track, allowing simpler trains to be used.
No really, the VC-10 was built with Britains Empire routes in mind, very often African runways for example where shorter, but British airways runways in London were far from short and certainly the VC-10 was not built to be able to take off quickly here, it was overseas runways that were short…or hot and high.
Thank you for the wonderful video. The VC10 was undoubtedly the most graceful airliner ever designed. I vividly remember its frequent arrivals and departures from Mumbai (then Bombay) airport during the 1970s and early 1980s. Airlines like BOAC, Gulf Air, and East African Airways brought these elegant jets to our skies, leaving a lasting impression on a then young avgeek like me.
My favorite airliner to this day, used to fly on it from JFK to Prestwick in early 70’s.
It's a beautiful aircraft. The whine from it's engines and that trail of smoke was perfect.
What a great video, my dad was posted to RAF Changi in the mid 60s, we flew on the VC10 to Singapore to start a wonderful few years. I later went on to work for BA for 37 years as cabin crew, a highlight of my career being able to take my mum and dad back to see Singapore in 2019.
Holy moly. How low is that flypast at 20:57!!!!!
The legendary fly past at White Waltham airfield.Still talked about today…😂
It's because I wasn't on that aircraft, any airliner that I'm on flying that low must have the landing gear down, no ifs or buts.
A happy new year! 🏴
I’m either suffering from a case of Dàja vu or you’ve covered the VC10 before… not too worry as il watch it anyway as it’s one of my favourite aircraft. I flew in one as a cadet in the air training corps (ATC) on an air experience flight from Brize Norton to Malta and Cyprus in a day.
In the RAF models, you sat facing the rear of the aircraft, unusual! 🏴
Really fascinating account of this aircraft. I knew very little of it before watching, so I learned a lot
The V.C.10 is the one aircraft I would have loved to fly on!! It looks so sleek. Thank you for upload😊👍😊👍
A very graceful aircraft, especially in late BOAC livery.
You have just got to start chronicling airlines of the past as a future series.
The crackle of the Conway’s at Heathrow on take off ,I can see how Gerry Anderson or Derick meddins got his idea for fireflash
Yes it was hard to believe they’d been “hushkitted” when every organ in your body was thoroughly shaken by the noise of a VC10 takeoff even from half a mile away!
The unbuilt variants of this design are fascinating, and poignant. Technological triumph, gorgeous lines, the VC-10 was unfairly maligned by the state-owned airline that only wanted to snuggle up to Boeing. Like so many assets, Britain saw fit to give it all away.
It’s not simply a matter of ‘giving it away’. US industrial power had huge advantages after WW2 which enabled them to leap ahead in terms of producing economically viable airliners. We often like to believe that the dominance of Boeing somehow ‘happened’ but this ignores that the success was mainly due to unparalleled investment during the war and defence contracts afterwards which the UK government simply couldn’t afford.
If Britain had been in a similar position to invest in their aviation industry after the war it probably would be a dominant force today but alas it was cheaper to rely on imports or combine forces with other European manufacturers. And this has had great results see Airbus and BAE.
@@Whatshisname346 Well spoken!
My first flight, the only time I've flown first class and the only time on a VC10 was from Heathrow to Darwin, Australia. Departed December 30 1970, arrived January 1, 1971.
My dad flew on BOAC VC10s to/from Mauritius way back in the 60s/70s, with brief layovers in Kenya. He always said it was the nicest plane he flew on.
He would have loved it even more had he flown IN it ;)
@ He preferred the feel of the air hitting his face at over 500mph 😆.
Thank you for this excellent film for the most beautiful aircraft Britain independently designed and produced.
I last flew in a VC10 in 1987, from Brize Norton to Germany to go on exercise. I flew in them several times in my childhood as my father was also in the army and we moved frequently. RAF models had rear facing seats
Rear facing seats.... yes an ex RAF Brittania pilot I used to work with told me it was a safety issue - that in a forced landing you are much better protected by having your back to the violent stopping G forces.
In the 90s, I saw one flying into Heathrow, whilst out with my dad. You heard it long before you saw it. A very distinctive sound, and loud, sound.
Beautiful aircraft. I've admired the one at Duxford many times since.
My first flight as a six year old in 1968 was on a British United VC10 from London (Gatwick I think) via Entebbe to Ndola, Zambia. Sometime afterwards I believe the Zambian Government decided that all international flights into the country had to land at Lusaka. So in later years we flew into Lusaka (BOAC, BCal) and then flew to Ndola on a Zambian Airways HS 748. An RAF VC10 flew high over my house shortly before they all retired and the roar of the Conways was unmistakable 🇬🇧
I worked on these back in the 1970's. The RR Conway was very reliable. Pre-departure requirement was to check the engine air intakes for foreign objects as the caterers used the rear entry doors during turnarounds.
A fantastic video, thank you! Flying backwards on this sublime craft as a kid is something I will never forget and like the RB-211, the Conway turbofans - music to an enthusiasts ears.
The most beautiful airliner ever built. Just gorgeous.
Loved that aeroplane. Saw so many of them flying in and out of Prestwick.
They often did do that didn't they though, the tail wasn't originally intended for a larger aircraft.
I was walking through the fuselage section of G-ARVM and the Sultan of Oman 's former personal aircraft yesterday on my trip to Brooklands! The Sultan new how to travel in style! Pitty he then had to the buy a 747SP. Nice to see the G-ARVM cockpit is getting some restoration on the flight deck.
The flight deck on G-ARVM is as they were delivered, something that surprised my father who flew them for BOAC when he visited it at Brooklands from 1964 till 1976 as he thought they had all had INS installed
I flew in these wonderful planes with BOAC, BUA and EAA as a kid and then the RAF versions as an adult. My father was on the inaugural BOAC VC10 flight from Lagos to London.
I remember seeing my first VC10 at Gatwick way back in the 1960's. It taxied round to the runway, the engines spun up (what a noise) and off it went. I was not prepared for 1. the short run before it took off. and 2. it just went up, near vertically straight into the cloud. Such a lovely aircraft. I saw one again last year at Imperial War Museum @ Duxford UK. Still looking refined and serene. But no engine noise!
My first VC flight - first time in an aeroplane - was aged 7 back in the 1960s. I flew from Jamaica-Bermuda-London on my own. Back row with the Stewardesses. Magical time. Remember it all.
I worked as a second steward in the rear galley of BOAC VC10’s 1970 to 1972 (prior to converting onto B747’s). I left British Airways in 1975, to join Gulf Air. I then ended up working in the rear gallery of Gulf Air’s Standard VC10’s. Talk about flying round in circles…….!
You'd almost think BOAC was getting back handers from Boeing.
You will be haveing a visit from the secret services soon , saying that !!!! Be carefull saying the truth in the N.A.T.O alliance countries
Thanks for making this. My grandad worked for Vickers and BAC at Brooklands as a carpenter. He built propellers for Hurricanes and later worked on the wooden mock-ups for the VC-10, Concorde and I think possibly also the BAC 1-11. I believe he may have also done something to do with the seating, but I'm not sure about that. Sadly I am too young to have flown on the VC-10, but I've been on the one at Brooklands (and Concorde) and they are beautiful planes. I also flew on a BAC 1-11 from Gatwick to Menorca 1989 with British Island Airways when I was 7 years old, so I probably have sampled his handiwork, even though he died before I was born!
It certainly is one of the most beautiful civil airliners ever built, a great performer and popular with crews and passengers. Its only flaw was higher operating costs than the competition. Superior tech comes at a cost.
It was later found that it was cheaper to buy and operate a VC 10 for a 10 yr period then its competition. This was in flight magazine in the late 70s.
@timothykerr9047 damn
@@timothykerr9047 BOAC hid this for 2 reasons.. They did not want the competition buying them and they had negotiated a subsidy with Harold Wilsons government to cover their claims that it would be more costly to operate
I flew on VC10s many times on the London to Lusaka route which was operated both by BOAC and BUA in competition with each other....
BOAC VC-10s used to fly the London-Rome-Beirut-Tehran-Delhi-Bangkok-Hong Kong route in the late 60s and early 70s. Long forgotten.
Well that sounds horrible. I take the direct flight we have today thank you very much
@@MrJimheeren Had to go around the Soviet Union
@@TyrannoJoris_Rex basically just like today
In 1971 myself, 11yr old then plus my family flew on a BOAC VC10 , possibly a Super VC10 from Heathrow to Lusaka Zambia. This aircraft arrived from London once a week on Sat, as did an Alitalia DC8 possibility a Super, with the triangular Italian flag scheme on tail. We would visit the airport to watch them and I'll never forget seeing them. Our homeward journey in 1974 was initially in an East African Airways VC10 which was in a yellow livery.
It was strange sitting facing the rear, as you took off it was like you were going to stand up.
A lovely plane.
Great piece of work! I flew a VC10 to Dulles when I was 1. Obviously don't remember (much!) but have the boarding pass to prove it.
Great watch thank you👍👍👍
I was on a flight from New York to prestwick in early 70s. I was asked at the desk if I would like to go on an earlier flight so said yes there was only about half a dozen on it. Remembering all of them sitting as far apart as possible. When I told people in the office when I got back it only took over 5 hours nobody believed me Glad this backs me up 50 years later
BOAC did the dirty on Vickers. They specified an aircraft capable of handling short, rough(ish) high altitude, tropical airfields which is what the VC10 delivered, and then didn't want it.
That requirement was placed by the Government, it insisted that BOAC update its routes in and out of the African countries. Some of those not only involved short runways they including beaten earth fields. Those requirements are what led to the need for those powerful engines, completely over engineered for the transatlantic (profitable) routes.
That requirement itself was not unreasonable, it led to the UK being able to exercise soft power before, during and after those countries became independent; that had been in place since the days of Imperial Airways and the flying boats.
@@nicktecky55 What? A British government interfering in commercial decision making causing both parties to lose money/close down. Never heard of such a dreadful thing.
Phwoar, what a looker!
Had the good fortune to be in the jump-seat of an RAF VC-10 for start-up and take-off. Quite a lengthy process.
I flew on the VC10, and it was a truly lovely plane to fly on, as well as one of the most beautiful jetliners of all time. The wreckage you show at 15:30 is not a VC10, but a Convair 990 Coronado, as you can tell by its unique aft-fan engines.
Amazing documentary, superbly edited and detailed.
Most beautiful machine. ❤
The RAF versions had rearwards-facing seating for 'safety' reasons. It was a decidedly odd experience taking off and being pulled out of your seat by the acceleration. Travel was very smooth, quiet and rapid.
Not many people have experianced that feeling , i flew from RAF Coningsby to Sardinia (Deci) in the early 70`s ,such a weird feeling ..loved this aircraft ..
Yes I once flew in an RAF VC10 to Sardinia. It was a mixed passenger and cargo flight. The cargo was an RAF officer’s car, strapped to the floor.
I flew on several indulgence flights and the VC10 was my favourite
These were also permanently based at Incirlik AB in Turkey during the 90s and Naughties.
I remember seeing my first and only vc10 as a8yo or 10 yo in Tullamarine airport Melbourne Australia in 1974 or 76. Not sure which. But saw it there in it's BOAC livery. I still have it in my mind . Majestic
My great uncle Eddie Gray was Chief Designer of this at Hurn. He was also involved with the BAC 1-11 and Super 1-11. I remember watching the maiden flight of the VC10 on granny's grainy black & white TV set. Never flew on one but I did fly in a Comet in about 1968.
So he bears a lot of responsibility for the failure of those aircraft... must have been a terrible burden on him
I remember an old British Airways advert with Captain Bristow praising the VC10's design of "..not having any engines dangling from the wings .."- obviously a dig at Boeing 707, and others similar designs. :)
I have flown on the BOAC VC10 it was a great plane both in comfort and looks I still think it is one of the best looking aircraft there has ever been
Great video! The VC-10, after Concorde, is easiky the prettiest airliner ever to fky and hearing the RAF ones roaring out of RAF Brize Norton before their retirement. A truly great aircraft...
I remember watching the BOAC Super VC - 10 landing and taking off at Boston Logan Airport during the summer it was replace with the Boeing 747 jet
As a child I was frequently taken to Heathrow to watch the planes. The two most memorable ones for me are the VC-10, and, of course, Concorde.
I flew once with the VC10 as a child and saw it many times at the Lagos airport when we lived there in the 60's. Many time I flew with the extended DC8 and before that with the Lockheed Electra 2, from Amsterdam to Lagos
Beautiful plane, beautiful livery. A fitter I knew at Brize told me it was built like a tank, they were never worried when doing ‘mods’.
Bouncing Bombs to Concorde by the main man at Vickers, George Edwards is a good read.
Great to see the best of British aerospace design and manufacturing of it's era being showcased, such a shame that mercantile forces pushed us to purchasing away from the UK despite often better, cost effective performance
Problem was the British aircraft were not cheaper to operate!!! they were the exact oppersite!!!
@@richardvernon317 If you listen to the video, Ruaraigh says that the Super version was cheaper to operate than BOAC's 707s, but (for internal polital reasons?) BOAC suppressed that fact. How it later became public knowledge is a mystery to me, but maybe later management teams were appalled at their predecessors' behaviour?
How cool and pretty was the paint on BOAC aircraft. Absolutely brilliant. I love that big blue line a lot. BA had to ruin even that.
When my now wife was serving in Cyprus the VC10 was transport for home leave. Fast, comfortable and quiet.
The VC10 and Il-62 don't really have much in common besides the shape. What's a little ironic is that the western plane was a rugged dual use one while the Soviet one was a pure passenger chariot for high end airfields
I remember these at yyz back in the day awesome work thank you
Flew on it as a 9 year old in 1966 G-ARVM std VC-10 Heathrow to Bombay.
On the way back in 1968 on a super VC-10 G-ASGI from Rome to Heathrow.
Great days, great plane.
I remember seeing RAF VC-10's here at MSP (Minnesota) once in awhile. Must have been around early 2000's or so....Later on we would get RAF L-1011's here also.
Now we have to take pride in making plane wings...
the country is being de-skilled, when I drive past the former RR machine shops at Filton, now warehouses, I think it sadly sums the UK up.
Thanks for being thorough.
Love your documentaries. A short take off airliner for a British Empire that no longer was!
Dunsfold VC-10 still there yesterday. It moves around occasionally, as do the three 747s.
Ive got some bits off these when the tanker fleet was scrapped.
Beautiful and graceful aircraft
Mid-70’s BA marketing tag was excellent….’Try a little VC10-derness’……….amazingly smooth and quiet in the cabin, unless one was at the rear end by the engines!
yes, I remember that advertising tag line in the Sunday papers colour supplements of the time
A beautiful aircraft, however (tips cap to Ruairidh), growing up in south London I distinctly remember how incredibly loud they were. Having said that, everything seemed noisy in the 70s, especially when Concorde accidentally slipped over Mach 1.
Grown up a eastern Victoria Harbour away from Kai Tak in the 1980's, can't help but agree (only operated by RAF [18:54-19:21] by that point), second only to Concorde while ahead of CAAC's Trident, made 707, 727 and 737-200 quiet by comparison!
As you said, the most beautiful airliner ever created.
Its not a black5, or a west country, or indeed a rover sd1, but because its your channel, I'm on it ! Thank you!
I grew up nearby JFK, and i remember having these beautiful birds fly over my house. They were noisy, just like everything that flew in the air back then. But they were beauties. They looked different. Larger than the 727s, and as noisy as the 707s. Awesome, sweep back on the wings. Sadly, I never got to fly in one.
I remember listening to the Today programme one morning in 1972 when they were discussing the too late Chinese order for Super VC10s. Opportunities lost on all sides combined with general lack of production capacity.
Although not mentioned in the video I think the arrival of the Boeing 747 was the biggest factor in the VC10's commercial demise.
Yeah, sad story. The production jigs had already been broken up by the time the Chinese enquiry was received.
@@Boababa-fn3mr They bought Tridents instead. First real aircraft I every went onboard was one of the Tridents still under construction for CAAC at a HSA Open Day at Hatfield in the early 1970's.
Last time I flew out of Chicago on one of these in 68, bound for London, it only got as far as New York due to engine failure. 12 hours later we were put on a 707 for the rest of the journey. I'm not going on a VC10 again, thank you. Then again, I guess it's no longer an option!
Such a great plane to fly in. I flew in BUA vc10s and EAA super vc10s.
Undoubtedly, the best aircraft I have ever flown on. A Gulf Air operated one.
I used to watch these on the Canarsie approach to JFK when I lived on Long Island during the 1960s.