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The end of an era as XH558 lands at ex RAF FINNINGLEY...

Tin triangle. Awesome.

Sadly, the bean counters and a risk averse engineering community have taken their ball home and this airworthy and symbolic representative aircraft has to be grounded.

They keep Spitfires and the two remaining Lancaster aircraft seemingly regardless of cost.

The RAF AEROBATIC TEAM Aka The Red Arrows stay in the airship circuit because they are fully funded by UK Ministry of Defence despite occasional losses of aircraft and pilot casualties but they do not withdraw.

The Vulcan Bomber once witnessed in low level flight is a sight and sound burned into the soul and an never be permitted to be grounded on spurious grounds.

The supporter base can assure funding, the will of the engineering community and the legacy manufacturers must be brave and step I to keep this wonderful reminder of or freedom and security in the air where it belongs.

You missed a couple of very important points Jennifer,1) the Vulcan is the PEOPLES aircraft, NOTHING to do with HM Government, so they have NO SAY in her... and 2)XH558 is a very complicated aircraft when placed at the side of a Piston engined aircraft, you can re-bore or re-sleeve a Merlin Engine block as many times as you want to, you can't do much with the tolerances in one of 558's 201 series jets, NOTHING else fits into the hole in the wing and to try anything else would NOT be allowed.

NONE of the 3 Sponsors would move once their minds were made up, and it wasn't for lack of trying on the Vulcan Staff side. Its just as one guy says utter Shite.I forgot also to say there's not MANY Vulcan's left around that are in any sort of condition to fly, they have all gone past their sell by... or best before date.

I'm fortunate,I can go to the Hangar and see her every day....but its hard when you know although she is perfectly good to go....the only howl we will hear in future is if she does fast taxi's.

Wish I could have been there. I was there when the first Vulcans touched down on Finningley In 1955 I think it was. We were there closing down the stores from FTS and handing over to Bomber Command. Happy Memories wish I could recall the exact date though!

Awesome!!

So sad to see a significant aircraft gone from the skies. When called upon it did it's job well.

beatifull

In the 1980's I was in secondary school when my dad got stationed at Offutt AFB in Nebraska. A couple times per year a couple of Vulcans would stop on the way to or from some exercise in the US. Absolutely fantastic to see those doing steep turns onto final or shortly after take off. I count myself lucky in having seen the Vulcan and the SR-71 while they were still in service. Absolutely splendid.

To listen to the sound of the Vulcan, go to "YOU TUBE" and type VULCAN HOWL..... awesome sound..!!

Anyone who witnessed the flights of the Vulcan in its final tour will remember the sound and sights of a very important time in aviation history. It was worth travelling to see her.

Every month 558 will be towed to the engine start up area and the engines will be run up so that the oils and other fluids will be circulated around the engines, check for dates at www.vulcantothesky.org