Last Vulcan spotted!
Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2015 6:10 pm
I was walking the dog this afternoon and heard a loud jet's roar. I was somewhat surprised when I looked to the NW and saw the unmistakable sight of a Vulcan! The poor old thing was flying very slowly and not too high up - I could almost see the pilot (slight exaggeration) and the landing gear was down, so I was half expecting it to land at Kirkbride Airfield (about half a mile by air). It did a beautiful banking turn to go south (and miss the airfield) and I could see a lot of the top surfaces almost frighteningly clearly. I stood and watched it as it became a small dot.
Nell wasn't impressed - she was about a quarter of a mile away before she realised I wasn't following, so she had to come back.
I gather the plane had been at Ayr and had a landing gear problem there, so was going home to be checked out. It is a sad thing to think that the last time I'll see a fine old lady in the air she is in distress. The last time I saw one in flight was in the early 80s, when we lived in the Eden Valley (in the fells to the NE of Penrith), where the RAF did a lot of low level flying. I was at a friend's house when one came down the valley at low altitude: we didn't hear it until it was almost on top of us. My friend had his cine camera with him and managed to get a short film of it - and you could see the top of the plane in that too!
Nell wasn't impressed - she was about a quarter of a mile away before she realised I wasn't following, so she had to come back.
I gather the plane had been at Ayr and had a landing gear problem there, so was going home to be checked out. It is a sad thing to think that the last time I'll see a fine old lady in the air she is in distress. The last time I saw one in flight was in the early 80s, when we lived in the Eden Valley (in the fells to the NE of Penrith), where the RAF did a lot of low level flying. I was at a friend's house when one came down the valley at low altitude: we didn't hear it until it was almost on top of us. My friend had his cine camera with him and managed to get a short film of it - and you could see the top of the plane in that too!
By the way, if the aircraft had wiring faults blame my Dad! He was responsible for the team looking after the electrics on these when he was stationed at Kinloss prior to coming back home and going into the family firm. Thanks to the Vulcans (and the Shackletons before they were moved along to Lossiemouth), he lost the hearing in his right ear many years ago and is now very dull of hearing in the left. No ear defenders back then, as they got in the way. If only he'd taken the teasing and used the things, he'd probably only be dull of hearing at both sides rather than completely crystal in one.