What a wonderful achievement! Seeing a Vulcan flying over New Zealand in 1956 was a key moment of my childhood... it's great to see this project getting the needed support.
I loved this video, fantastic aircraft, never forget seeing her at airshows when I was a kid and anyone who's seen the vulcan display will tell you that you can literally 'feel' the noise! My brother wasn't born the last time vulcan flew can't wait for him to experience the vulcan at an airshow
Heart in mouth!!! What an achievement. So many people really don't understand what the aviation industry did for the UK through the '50s and '60s. Magic.
What a plane! When I was a lad living in Waddington, these were a daily sight - but no matter how often I saw one, I just had to look up and watch! A thing of beauty. Ah, memories of the 70's.... time to bang on a Slade disc!
visted the vulcan at newark a few months back and went inside it. what a plane. The roar on takeoff is something else , just great. many thanks for posting this clip.
I had the joy of seeing a camouflage concorde at a show when I was a kid, the thing that blew me away most was the sound of the engines, they were so loud! my captain (I was in the ATC) said that they could smash windows they were so loud! Glad to see ones been restored, just don't see these anymore!
My Dad flew in WWII, Korea and Vietnam and I can hear him comment on this landing that they "painted it on the runway". Very nice and Thanks for sharing it!
For an aircraft without 'burners, it's damn loud and I love it. There's something special about these big cold war bombers. Vulcan, B-52, etc. You get that special feeling looking at them, like you can almost *feel* they're from another era. Just like WW2 aircraft. Puts a slight sense of awe in you. Here in the US I drive past one on permanent static almost daily, but I'd love to see one fly.
Saw one of these at Farnborough in the mid 80's. A combination of sound and the look of the thing - this distinctive shape rolling on its side into silhoutte, combined to make the most dramatic performance.
In the early '80s I was just starting out flying fighters in the Marine Corps in Yuma Arizona. There was a Vulcan out on the flight line. It was and is one of the most ominous aircraft I've ever seen. A couple of the Brit aircrew saw me eyeballing it a were gracious enough to give me tour. What beautiful plane -- I can still vividly remember it. When it took off and sucked up the gear it did an unrestricted climb to 18,000 feet. Blew me away such a large a/c could to what it did.
I remember seeing these along with BAC Lightning aircraft in Australia during their sorte visits...I was only 13 at the time but they were magnificent to watch...and I don't care what anyone says...the Brits are world leaders in aircraft development! (and I'm an Aussie!)
I so hope its at cosford airshow 2008!! Saw it fly when I was a kid, has to be about 18 years ago now...just fantastic aircraft! Great work to all those involved.
First and only time I saw a Vulcan was in the early 80's at an air show. The plane made a low pass with the bomb bay doors open. I still remember the roar of the engines and how the ground seemed to shake as it flew over. I'll be certainly going to air show this year if the Vulcan is flying.
I saw one of these on the tarmac when I was a kid at an airshow down in Cornwall in the early 90's. I was only like 4 or something at the time but I remember going up some steps to look inside the cockpit and wanted one lol. I think that's where I found my love for Airfix models haha.
Hi, wonderful to see this aircraft flying again. Have posted a video response of six Vulcans taking off in 1968 ... this is also on the BBC web site linked to the recent news report. A point of interest ... my Uncle was a navigator in the RAF and flew in this very aircraft from the UK to Newfoudland and back. He has contributed to its restoration .... and so have I now. Can't wait to see 'her' for real one day.
I used to work the flight line at Midway Island in the '70's when the Brits and their Vulcans would stop over. I remember the first time that I saw one as I was waiting to direct her in. I was looking up into the clouds when this huge delta wing beast emerged as if magically from the clouds. At that point did I realize the immensity of the aircraft. The crew pitched her nose up and poured on the coals. Windows shook. The station CO was none too happy. I used to enjoy the Brit crews.
That is one beautiful plane! Never saw any actual footage of a Vulcan before. Thanks, very nice. I think now my two favorite planes (of past era jets) are the Vulcan and the B-58 Hustler.
awsome come on lets keep this plane in the air its part of our heritage i love anything old having my own 1936 austin seven ulster. xh558 is one of a kind and what more to say than totally awsome and breathtaking
I saw it a Shoreham .......... a very beautiful aircraft. It was like a superb sculpture moving in the blue sky ....... majestic. ..... so keep it flying!!
brilliant . text book takeoff and landing. great to see the vulcan back in the air. I live near waddington and used to love seeing it flying above our house. I agree with pantxxxx
The DVD is £15.99 + p&p to pre-order at the show - where you will also receive a free dvd. Our main stall will be by the big screen. Hope to see you there! Cheers
I think that some people are a lil confused? this is the vulcan from Bruntingthorpe XH558 taken on the 18th of this month on her maiden test flight after 14yrs of being restored She is back howling and roaring and airshows next year
they have managed to remove some 9 tonnes of weight during the restoration (waste storage facilities and rations heaters etc) whilst keeping the same engines. The pilot had to throttle back at take off as she was climbing at 4,000 ft/min
The Vulcan hit the target as instructed, over a range that was considered impossible, we made it possible, we actually flew more than one sortie, and we made the impossible possible. 'Poorly'? I think not.
Really fantastic to see one of these puppies flying again! I remember reading about this project years ago and i came by this video today as pure chance. I cant believe they pulled it off!! Congrats to all involved! next time i'm in ingerland i am definitely going to try and time it to see this luverly lady in action! The aircraft is truely of historical significance.. and it just hot! Sureley it is in the British govt's national interest to give these blokes money. Concorde next please! :D
My understanding from a senior team member is that Vulcan has about 4 yrs max befor it will have to be retired, due to another major refurb being required which will simply be too expensive, so make the most of it Ladies & Gents..
Thanks for the reply! Sadly two years later I believe it was the same Vulcan that crashed at NAS Glenview (a US Navy Reserve air base in the Chicago suburbs). Beautiful and scary plane!
It'll be fantastic to see 558 at an airshow next year. I've been awe-struck just watching all the videos of flight displays people have uploaded on the site. Unfortunately though, the Vulcan to the Sky Trust are in need of £100,000 before the end of January to finish the test flights, otherwise 558 will be stuck on the ground for quite a while :(
I only saw an Avro Vulcan (Live long and prosper!) at the Strategic Air Command in Nebraska, here in the States! DANG THAT THING IS BIG!! As an American, the lines of my faithfulnes blurss when it comes to aircraft. Beautiful! (Now bring it to the Chicago Air and Water show!!!!)
@middsteve I dare bet someone's mentioned this back in the list somewhere but the Vulcan's a heavy bomber not a fighter. It's actually the 'plane that inspired stealth technology when the Yanks noticed it didn't show up on some of their RADAR systems during war games. It was solely by virtue of its shape with one large flat lower surface, more or less, similar to a stealth bomber.
The £150,000 that was need before the end of March has now been reached, and flight testing is going to resume, so hopefully we'll be seeing similar sights to this again in the very near future! The Trust are still looking for a sponsor though, to ensure 558 can take part in future airshow seasons. I should hope someone will see sense and support the project.
I saw it too, flew over my school in Penshaw 5 minutes earlier. Read the book "Vulcan 607" by Rowland White. The first chapter is the full story of that accident.
Seems like u got a nice surprise. I didn't go as father in law - ex vulcan electrician & hubby aircraft enthusiast were not happy with reports that it would only be on static display. Though as it happens we saw, heard & felt it take off as we were on the road nxt to the runway on Sat by sheer luck! :)
@markjohnlewis yea i saw that curtain of rain coming past Reculver all the way down then the wind suddenly picked up at the light house lol. the arrows looked good against the moody sky on sunday aswell!
I used to attend RIAT in support, imagine the Queen paying me to watch the Vulcan display. The restored a/c doesn't do the stunning maneuvers that it did when the RAF flew it at RIAT, the climb from a low level approach was something else, the air crackled with the engine noise, but the stress on the airframe would be too costly now.
Unfortunately, although we've had this terrific first flight, the Vulcan to the Sky Trust are now in desperate need of £150,000 to restart the test flight program at the beginning of March. No corporate sponsor has come forward, and without a decent flow of funds, the future of Vulcan flight operations is in severe danger. If you'd like to help, please visit the TVOC website (a link for this is shown above). We must keep this beautiful aircraft in the air.
This aircraft is proof that Britain could (and can) rival any feat of engineering our rivals have to offer. The V-bombers, TSR-2 (shelved for the F-111), Concorde, the Harrier and the BAC Lightning, were unique. Shame we almost aren't allowed to produce our own aircraft (or any other feats of engineering) any more.
Not just the most magnificent aircraft ever to fly, nor the most outstanding achievement by the Vulcan To The Sky team, but the mother of all landings. Easy Jet & Ryan Air pilots, please take note - if these guys can do it with 50 year old aircraft, how come you guys (and gals) have such trouble?
Bomber development during WWII was to build bigger, the Americans continued that post war, but the British gov was tight fisted, so had to combine the roles of a/c. Changing tactics also saw the end of the big bomber, hence the cancellation of the Vulcans replacement, the only TSR-2 can be seen at Duxford. Now mulit-role fighter bombers are the tool of choice, 1x1000lb bomb fitted with TIALD does the same damage as a Vulcan, the difference is the bomb hits the intended target and nothing else.
@kiwisnowy Yes the British do still make planes, not like this Vulcan though. The Dreamliner you're thinking of is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner which comes with an option for Rolls Royce engines. Rolls Royce have been at the forefront of jet engine technology since the 1940s but they've never made planes
If you go on google map, then zoom in over blackpool airport, then click on satelite instead of map! zoom all the way in. Its not been updated since it was there, and you can see the bomber still there
Saw one fly at Duxford, no other plane has made quite the same impression on me, probably the only one I would consider worthy of the over-used american attribute 'awesome'.
Wonderful sight! I have over 70 hours as Captain flying this airframe during her time on 27 sqn before her retirement from active service. Great to see her aibourne again. Any chance of a flight (flying 4 engine big jets now!)
The hijacked Vulcan touched in perfectly in the shallow water of 'The Grotto'. The nuke was carefully removed. James Bond dove down to investigate. Sharks swam out of the camo net. Loved it. Great plane. daflikkers
What a wonderful achievement! Seeing a Vulcan flying over New Zealand in 1956 was a key moment of my childhood... it's great to see this project getting the needed support.
I loved this video, fantastic aircraft, never forget seeing her at airshows when I was a kid and anyone who's seen the vulcan display will tell you that you can literally 'feel' the noise! My brother wasn't born the last time vulcan flew can't wait for him to experience the vulcan at an airshow
Heart in mouth!!! What an achievement. So many people really don't understand what the aviation industry did for the UK through the '50s and '60s.
Magic.
What a plane! When I was a lad living in Waddington, these were a daily sight - but no matter how often I saw one, I just had to look up and watch! A thing of beauty. Ah, memories of the 70's.... time to bang on a Slade disc!
visted the vulcan at newark a few months back and went inside it. what a plane. The roar on takeoff is something else , just great. many thanks for posting this clip.
I had the joy of seeing a camouflage concorde at a show when I was a kid, the thing that blew me away most was the sound of the engines, they were so loud! my captain (I was in the ATC) said that they could smash windows they were so loud!
Glad to see ones been restored, just don't see these anymore!
Great aircraft, beautifully flown. That landing was so good, I bet the crew never realised they'd actually toched down!
My Dad flew in WWII, Korea and Vietnam and I can hear him comment on this landing that they "painted it on the runway". Very nice and Thanks for sharing it!
For an aircraft without 'burners, it's damn loud and I love it. There's something special about these big cold war bombers. Vulcan, B-52, etc. You get that special feeling looking at them, like you can almost *feel* they're from another era. Just like WW2 aircraft. Puts a slight sense of awe in you. Here in the US I drive past one on permanent static almost daily, but I'd love to see one fly.
Saw one of these at Farnborough in the mid 80's. A combination of sound and the look of the thing - this distinctive shape rolling on its side into silhoutte, combined to make the most dramatic performance.
The Vulcan and Concorde is there anything else quite so stunning to see in the sky, hopefully one day a Concorde too will be restored.
Had the pleasure of seeing one of these fly over at the Cleveland Air Show in the late 70s.
In the early '80s I was just starting out flying fighters in the Marine Corps in Yuma Arizona. There was a Vulcan out on the flight line. It was and is one of the most ominous aircraft I've ever seen. A couple of the Brit aircrew saw me eyeballing it a were gracious enough to give me tour. What beautiful plane -- I can still vividly remember it. When it took off and sucked up the gear it did an unrestricted climb to 18,000 feet. Blew me away such a large a/c could to what it did.
Congratulations! Well done for getting her back in the air. What a fantastic achievement.
I remember seeing these along with BAC Lightning aircraft in Australia during their sorte visits...I was only 13 at the time but they were magnificent to watch...and I don't care what anyone says...the Brits are world leaders in aircraft development! (and I'm an Aussie!)
Superb, simply superb. What an aeroplane. Beautiful and deadly at the same time
The film captures the atmosphere of the day very well - what a fantastic noise.
I so hope its at cosford airshow 2008!!
Saw it fly when I was a kid, has to be about 18 years ago now...just fantastic aircraft!
Great work to all those involved.
First and only time I saw a Vulcan was in the early 80's at an air show. The plane made a low pass with the bomb bay doors open. I still remember the roar of the engines and how the ground seemed to shake as it flew over.
I'll be certainly going to air show this year if the Vulcan is flying.
The Avro Vulcan is the best looking airplane ever made in my opinion, there's something so whimsical about it.
Landing=buttersmooth!!
Well done to everyone in what has to be one of the biggest ever restoration projects.
Brings a tear to my eyes!!!! Bloody great to see, please lets have a Victor up there next!!!!
I saw one of these on the tarmac when I was a kid at an airshow down in Cornwall in the early 90's. I was only like 4 or something at the time but I remember going up some steps to look inside the cockpit and wanted one lol. I think that's where I found my love for Airfix models haha.
Hi, wonderful to see this aircraft flying again. Have posted a video response of six Vulcans taking off in 1968 ... this is also on the BBC web site linked to the recent news report. A point of interest ... my Uncle was a navigator in the RAF and flew in this very aircraft from the UK to Newfoudland and back. He has contributed to its restoration .... and so have I now. Can't wait to see 'her' for real one day.
I used to work the flight line at Midway Island in the '70's when the Brits and their Vulcans would stop over.
I remember the first time that I saw one as I was waiting to direct her in. I was looking up into the clouds when this huge delta wing beast emerged as if magically from the clouds. At that point did I realize the immensity of the aircraft.
The crew pitched her nose up and poured on the coals. Windows shook. The station CO was none too happy. I used to enjoy the Brit crews.
Beautiful to see the old girl in the air :D , thank you for posting
That is one beautiful plane! Never saw any actual footage of a Vulcan before. Thanks, very nice. I think now my two favorite planes (of past era jets) are the Vulcan and the B-58 Hustler.
This is RAW POWER!
Great to see Vulcan in flight again.
AMAZING!!! I love the way she jumps off the runway like a startled rabbit! Awesome!
Absolutely beatiful. That thing is a real floater.
Could you increase the size of the planestv logo? I could still see part of the screen. Waste of a good video for cheap commercialism.
Never thought I'd see this again! Thought they'd get to the start line and some Health & Safety guy would scupper it!
Well done to all involved.
Absolutely outstanding video and great close-up detail! Thank you for not drowning out the sound with music!
Love the cammo paint job on those. With the insignia, it looks so cool.
awsome come on lets keep this plane in the air its part of our heritage i love anything old having my own 1936 austin seven ulster. xh558 is one of a kind and what more to say than totally awsome and breathtaking
I saw it a Shoreham .......... a very beautiful aircraft. It was like a superb sculpture moving in the blue sky ....... majestic.
..... so keep it flying!!
looking foward to seeing this today over the beach at Margates big event.
brilliant . text book takeoff and landing. great to see the vulcan back in the air. I live near waddington and used to love seeing it flying above our house. I agree with pantxxxx
This is a magnificent aircraft. Gives me goosebumps
Unbelievably powerful takeoff!
cant believe they restored it and it actually flies, wow!
beautiful.. what a welcome return for a stunning aircraft!
Nice short take off, there is one those at the museum in Mercedes California, exotic plane!!!
Thanks for the video.
The DVD is £15.99 + p&p to pre-order at the show - where you will also receive a free dvd. Our main stall will be by the big screen. Hope to see you there!
Cheers
awesome site on saturday at farnbobo air show. highlite of the day. great footage ian.
I think that some people are a lil confused?
this is the vulcan from Bruntingthorpe XH558 taken on the 18th of this month on her maiden test flight after 14yrs of being restored
She is back howling and roaring and airshows next year
Nice to see her back in the air
I have refuel a couple Vulcans on Guam in the late 70s. She is a great and beautiful bird.
I have always loved this aircraft.
they have managed to remove some 9 tonnes of weight during the restoration (waste storage facilities and rations heaters etc) whilst keeping the same engines. The pilot had to throttle back at take off as she was climbing at 4,000 ft/min
I love the vulcan. I understand it performed poorly during the falklands war, but i still love it. It looks so great.
The Vulcan hit the target as instructed, over a range that was considered impossible, we made it possible, we actually flew more than one sortie, and we made the impossible possible. 'Poorly'? I think not.
Fantasic , saw her at riat this year(2010). Beautiful.
Great video. Amazing plane and an incredible job by all concerned in getting her back in the air.
@middsteve 1- it's a bomber, not a fighter. 2- it's not a bullseye, its the international flight roundel of the RAF.
Really fantastic to see one of these puppies flying again! I remember reading about this project years ago and i came by this video today as pure chance. I cant believe they pulled it off!! Congrats to all involved! next time i'm in ingerland i am definitely going to try and time it to see this luverly lady in action! The aircraft is truely of historical significance.. and it just hot! Sureley it is in the British govt's national interest to give these blokes money. Concorde next please! :D
My understanding from a senior team member is that Vulcan has about 4 yrs max befor it will have to be retired, due to another major refurb being required which will simply be too expensive, so make the most of it Ladies & Gents..
Spectacular video and sound! Thank you for posting it.
Well done to everyone involved.
Brilliant.
Thanks for the reply! Sadly two years later I believe it was the same Vulcan that crashed at NAS Glenview (a US Navy Reserve air base in the Chicago suburbs). Beautiful and scary plane!
No vulcan ever crashed in 21st century. This one retired permanently in 2015 and is now museumed in taxable order
Beautiful Airplane. Nice to see they have a flying museum. Would be nice if there was still a B-47 and B-36 flying as well.
It'll be fantastic to see 558 at an airshow next year. I've been awe-struck just watching all the videos of flight displays people have uploaded on the site. Unfortunately though, the Vulcan to the Sky Trust are in need of £100,000 before the end of January to finish the test flights, otherwise 558 will be stuck on the ground for quite a while :(
I only saw an Avro Vulcan (Live long and prosper!) at the Strategic Air Command in Nebraska, here in the States! DANG THAT THING IS BIG!! As an American, the lines of my faithfulnes blurss when it comes to aircraft. Beautiful! (Now bring it to the Chicago Air and Water show!!!!)
@middsteve I dare bet someone's mentioned this back in the list somewhere but the Vulcan's a heavy bomber not a fighter.
It's actually the 'plane that inspired stealth technology when the Yanks noticed it didn't show up on some of their RADAR systems during war games. It was solely by virtue of its shape with one large flat lower surface, more or less, similar to a stealth bomber.
totally agree it sounds great, just found vid and watched it 4 times allready
Amazing display...what a beauty
Smoothest landing ever seen ?? Cant wait for the Fairford nxt yr
Superbe avion...wouah...I travel from Belgium for see the plane....
im no expert, but that has to be the best soft controlled landing i have ever seen, kudos to the pilot!
myb grandad used to maintanie these v-bombers he loved them alot
The £150,000 that was need before the end of March has now been reached, and flight testing is going to resume, so hopefully we'll be seeing similar sights to this again in the very near future! The Trust are still looking for a sponsor though, to ensure 558 can take part in future airshow seasons. I should hope someone will see sense and support the project.
Wow. That thing really gets off quick!
She's going in front of a CAA display examiner very soon, so should be displaying this season!! :)
I saw it too, flew over my school in Penshaw 5 minutes earlier. Read the book "Vulcan 607" by Rowland White. The first chapter is the full story of that accident.
Seems like u got a nice surprise. I didn't go as father in law - ex vulcan electrician & hubby aircraft enthusiast were not happy with reports that it would only be on static display. Though as it happens we saw, heard & felt it take off as we were on the road nxt to the runway on Sat by sheer luck! :)
Beautiful.... absolutely beautiful
what a landing!! 2:55 eight wheels, 3:01 sixteen wheels, 3:06 eighteen wheels.
Nicely put together montage - thanks for sharing!
@markjohnlewis yea i saw that curtain of rain coming past Reculver all the way down then the wind suddenly picked up at the light house lol. the arrows looked good against the moody sky on sunday aswell!
I used to attend RIAT in support, imagine the Queen paying me to watch the Vulcan display. The restored a/c doesn't do the stunning maneuvers that it did when the RAF flew it at RIAT, the climb from a low level approach was something else, the air crackled with the engine noise, but the stress on the airframe would be too costly now.
shes got he display clearance, she is going to be diplaying for the first time in 15 years!!!!
i cant believe they've done it!!!!
That howl from 2:30 is just..... goosebumps everywhere!!
No parachute upon landing? Probably had enough room to not need it i guess...
1.33.
Makes me wonder if the old lady is actually powered by T-Rex's.
Stunning stuff.
I hope it has its original RR Avon engines, it sounds like that as well. Amazing plane...
The first bit of good news since concorde was scrapped, maybe one day we'll see them both in the air together.
Unfortunately, although we've had this terrific first flight, the Vulcan to the Sky Trust are now in desperate need of £150,000 to restart the test flight program at the beginning of March. No corporate sponsor has come forward, and without a decent flow of funds, the future of Vulcan flight operations is in severe danger. If you'd like to help, please visit the TVOC website (a link for this is shown above). We must keep this beautiful aircraft in the air.
This aircraft is proof that Britain could (and can) rival any feat of engineering our rivals have to offer. The V-bombers, TSR-2 (shelved for the F-111), Concorde, the Harrier and the BAC Lightning, were unique. Shame we almost aren't allowed to produce our own aircraft (or any other feats of engineering) any more.
Bloody marvellous!
Wow, the sound at 1:34 is cool.
Not just the most magnificent aircraft ever to fly, nor the most outstanding achievement by the Vulcan To The Sky team, but the mother of all landings. Easy Jet & Ryan Air pilots, please take note - if these guys can do it with 50 year old aircraft, how come you guys (and gals) have such trouble?
Bomber development during WWII was to build bigger, the Americans continued that post war, but the British gov was tight fisted, so had to combine the roles of a/c.
Changing tactics also saw the end of the big bomber, hence the cancellation of the Vulcans replacement, the only TSR-2 can be seen at Duxford.
Now mulit-role fighter bombers are the tool of choice, 1x1000lb bomb fitted with TIALD does the same damage as a Vulcan, the difference is the bomb hits the intended target and nothing else.
@kiwisnowy Yes the British do still make planes, not like this Vulcan though. The Dreamliner you're thinking of is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner which comes with an option for Rolls Royce engines. Rolls Royce have been at the forefront of jet engine technology since the 1940s but they've never made planes
If you go on google map, then zoom in over blackpool airport, then click on satelite instead of map! zoom all the way in. Its not been updated since it was there, and you can see the bomber still there
Saw one fly at Duxford, no other plane has made quite the same impression on me, probably the only one I would consider worthy of the over-used american attribute 'awesome'.
Must have been one hell of a day!
Wonderful sight! I have over 70 hours as Captain flying this airframe during her time on 27 sqn before her retirement from active service. Great to see her aibourne again. Any chance of a flight (flying 4 engine big jets now!)
Beautiful.
The hijacked Vulcan touched in perfectly in the shallow water of 'The Grotto'. The nuke was carefully removed. James Bond dove down to investigate. Sharks swam out of the camo net. Loved it. Great plane. daflikkers
When I see it and hear its engines and size a get goose skin,.......
@planeboy737 because you were stating, that "you" ("WE DID RETURN IT TO FLIGHT") have returned something to flight.
I hope this is ready for pubic view by Fanborough 60th airshow celebrations next year.