Passengers in the departure lounge take a close look at the aircraft.
Air passengers at Doncaster’s Robin Hood Airport may have had a little surprise today as the last flying Vulcan bomber landed at the airport mixing with the more ‘conventional’ ThomsonFly and Flybe aircraft that usually fly from the South Yorkshire airport.
XH558 will use the former V-bomber base as its home for the summer as it visits air shows around the country. Discussions have begun that could lead to a permanent home for the ‘Cold War’ aircraft which could be the first stage in the development of a visitor centre that will eventually be linked to a facility to inspire the next generation of engineers and technicians.
ThomsonFly Boeing 737
The aircraft was originally based at RAF Finningley, known as ‘the home of the Vulcans’ between 1961 and 1968 and stood on Quick Reaction Alert during the Cold War. Today she is the world’s only flying Vulcan and the most complex all-British historic aircraft to be operated outside the RAF. She costs around £2 million a year to operate and receives no government funding, making her entirely reliant on public support.
Squadron Leader Martin Withers
Flying the aircraft in today was Vulcan to the Sky chief pilot, Squadron Leader Martin Withers who flew from the site between 1972 and 1982 but is best known as Black Buck One, captain of the famous first 1982 Vulcan mission to the Falkland Islands. At the climax of an 8,000 mile round trip that required refuelling from eleven Victor tankers, Withers and his crew released the bombs that signalled the beginning of the end of the Falklands conflict.
On his arrival at the airport today a thoughtful Withers said “Touching down at Finningley today was one of the most emotional experiences of my professional life”
XH558 deploys it's parachute!
Operating the last flying Vulcan costs around £2 million a year. To hit the 2011 season with stable finances, the Vulcan to the Sky Trust must raise £75,000 before the end of March, £125,000 during April and a further £150,000 by the end of May: a total of £350,000
Please visit the Vulcan to the Sky website and pledge your support to keep this aircraft flying in the skies of Doncaster and the UK, #doncasterisgreat
Several children have been injured today after their school double decker bus hit a low bridge in Derbyshire.
The remains of the roof beneath the bridge.
The roof of the bus was ripped off after hitting a railway bridge on Works Road, Hollingwood.
It is reported that a number of children were taken to hospital, some with facial injuries, one was seriously hurt but the injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.