Forum: Military Aircraft of the Cold War

Historic day for aviation as Vulcan bomber returns to the skies after 14 years

The Vulcan bomber - that relic of the Cold War era - took to the skies for the first time in 14 years today.

The Avro Vulcan XH558 was the last of the aircraft to fly in 1993 when it was hangared at an airfield in Bruntingthorpe, Leics.

Today, after a £6 million restoration project, it was returned to flight.

The plane, which can reach speeds of up to 645mph, was expected to scale heights of around 3,000 feet during the 20-minute test flight and burn in excess of £1,000 of fuel.

Project organisers were describing it as a "historic day for aviation".

It is the first time an aircraft of the Vulcan's complexity has been given an extended overhaul on such a scale and then returned to flight, meeting all current aviation standards, said the Vulcan to the Sky Trust.

With a characteristic screeching roar, the plane rose majestically into the sky to a cheer from watching supporters, sponsors and engineers before banking to the left.

Just over 20 minutes later, to widespread relief, co-pilots Al McDicken and David Thomas landed it back on a Leicestershire airstrip.

Speaking immediately after the flight, Squadron Leader McDicken said: "She was an absolute delight, every bit as good as I can remember. It was a tremendous privilege to fly it again. We were suitably aroused.

"What a statement for those people who made that aircraft all those years ago.

"It's 25 years almost to the day that I last flew one. It was just wonderful."

Engineers had failed to restore the Vulcan in time for a flypast over London earlier this year to commemorate the Falklands War.

Witnessing today's test flight, Dr Robert Pleming, chief executive of the Vulcan to the Sky Trust, said he felt a "huge sense of achievement" at finally getting the plane off the ground.

"We finally did it after so many ups and downs," he said. "It's the British bulldog spirit."

Among the pilots to have worked on the project is Martin Withers, who piloted a Vulcan for the first of the famous Black Buck missions during the Falklands War.

Describing the significance of today's test flight, he said: "This is the only one of the V-bombers (Victor, Valiant and Vulcan) to play such an important role during the Cold War as our prime nuclear deterrent, in good enough condition that you could reasonably expect to be airborne again."

Refer to below link for photos embedded in the article.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/a ... ge_id=1770

Can anyone post links that give extensive biographies on the aircrew?

Amazing to think that some of these guys have amassed 10,000 flying hours and 4,000 hrs on type. Is this normal for bomber crews?

Amazing to think that some of these guys have amassed 10,000 flying hours and 4,000 hrs on type. Is this normal for bomber crews?

I've seen many airlift crews with that many hours on type. Bomber crews are not far behind, especially back in the old days of SAC and RAF Bomber Command.