Vulcan XH558 : news, updates, developments, rumours - part 1

[theo]

Just posted on the Vulcan to the Sky website

Following a successful test flight yesterday, we have now submitted paperwork to the CAA and are awaiting the Permit to Fly. The Crew were all happy with the flight and no faults were reported. The CAA Test pilot on board, even commented that "she flew beautifully." On landing at RAF Brize Norton, a successful compass swing was completed. (Update: Permit now signed and en-route to Aircraft).

To achieve this level of reliability after such a complex major service and modification programme, is a true testimony to the skills and dedication of our Engineering Team. Many congratulations to everyone involved.

Turning now to this weekend, we intend to depart RAF Brize Norton on Saturday and Sunday 3rd and 4th July , flying to RAF Waddington to display, then transit to Goodwood Festival of Speed for another display (on Sunday Only), prior to return to Brize. We will not be landing at Waddington.

Update on planned timings:

Waddington Saturday: Arrival 14:31 with bombing run and display.

Waddington Sunday: Arrival 14:00, with potential bombing run, then into display.

All this is subject to the usual caveats of weather and serviceability, and particularly, on the arrival of a fully signed permit on board the aircraft. All parties are working hard to achieve this in the shortest possible time - so please keep watching our "ticker-tape" updates for the current situation.

The permit to fly is underway according to the website!

Congratulations to all dedicated VTTS members, the UK CAA and Marshall Aerospace that as it looks now the Vulcan will make her display at the Waddington Airshow 2010.

[aviodromefriend]

Schedule is up now:

SCHEDULED APPEARANCES for 2010 Season.

Once we have more details they will be updated here: LAST UPDATE: 7th July 2010
Date Event Status Detail Exp' Time Attendance
03 Jul RAF Waddington Airshow Displayed Display 14:00 TBC
04 Jul Goodwood Festival of Speed Displayed Display 13:30 TBC
04 Jul RAF Waddington Airshow Displayed Display 14:10 TBC
10 Jul RNAS Yeovilton Air Day Confirmed Takeoff, Display, Land TBC TBC
17 Jul Fairford - RIAT Confirmed Takeoff, Display, Land TBC TBC
18 Jul Fairford - RIAT Confirmed Takeoff, Display, Land TBC TBC
19 Jul Farnborough Confirmed Arrival TBC TBC
20 Jul Farnborough Confirmed Static TBC TBC
21 Jul Farnborough Confirmed Takeoff, Display, Land TBC TBC
22 Jul Farnborough Confirmed Static TBC TBC
23 Jul Farnborough Confirmed Takeoff, Display, Land TBC TBC
24 Jul Farnborough Confirmed Takeoff, Display, Land TBC TBC
25 Jul Farnborough Confirmed Takeoff, Display, Land TBC TBC
07 Aug RAF Lyneham Families Day Confirmed - Private event Display TBC TBC
12 Aug Lowestoft Confirmed Display TBC TBC
12 Aug Eastbourne Provisional TBC TBC
13 Aug Lowestoft Confirmed Display TBC TBC
13 Aug Eastbourne Provisional TBC TBC
21 Aug Silverstone Confirmed Display TBC TBC
21 Aug Bournemouth Provisional TBC TBC
21 Aug Shoreham Provisional TBC TBC
22 Aug Bournemouth Provisional TBC TBC
22 Aug Shoreham Provisional TBC TBC
11 Sep Leuchars Confirmed Display TBC TBC
18 Sep Filton Families Day Confirmed - Private event Display TBC TBC

Please await further updates and do not call the office or the individual show organisers. They know no more than published here - thank you.

Source: vulcantothesky.org

[aviodromefriend]

To hopefully prevent some trashtalking:

As mentioned in earlier updates on our main Web Site, our current Cash Reserves run out next month.

As part of our 2010 initiatives, we have now contracted a professional PR company to follow up the large advertsing campaign that has been running through the summer.

They are convinced they can grab the headlines & bring us even more supporters. They want to sell "doom & gloom" stressing how important our aircraft is to the Nation's heritage. and frankly, this grabs headlines - so they are almost certainly on the right track (PLUS they have some really useful contacts and might just get us national coverage!) Certainly, when the Mail on Sunday ran the story last time around then that's when our fortunes turned for the better.

It is the aim of these newsletters to give you the latest “inside track” on what we are trying to achieve and the progress we are making. Some very exciting developments are in planning, but that does not alleviate the impending need for cash.

You, our core supporter base, will play a very pivotal role in our ultimate success.

So, don't be too surprised if you see some 'doom & gloom' reports over the coming week. In fact, if you do, then be very excited because it would mean the PR company was right & has some very useful contacts! It will also mean even more supporters coming our way

Do await more details on our Web site and the next e-newsletter.

So what are our immediate goals?

* To secure the Aircraft's flying life for at least 3 more years.
* To establish a public accessible Hangar as our operating base.
* To celebrate the Diamond Anniversaries of the Vulcan type and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in 2012
* To leave a legacy of inspirational and educational resource built around XH558 and other aircraft of her type.

[Stratofreighter]

http://key.aero/view_news.asp?ID=2612&t ... n=historic

Penultimate flight for Vulcan?

Vulcan B2 XH558/G-VLCN could have made its penultimate flight if funding isn't found by the end of the month.

Gary Parsons - 13-Oct-2010

Vulcan B2 XH558/G-VLCN could have made its penultimate flight today as the Vulcan to the Sky Trust (VTST) gets closer to its October 31 deadline.

The VTST needs to raise around £350,000 to ensure another season of operations, but the Trustees are adamant that the plug will be pulled if sufficient finance cannot be guaranteed by the end of this month.

Today’s flight was an opportunity for competition winners and sponsors to fly alongside the Vulcan in one of the Blades Extra 300s – the team is the only one to be licensed as an airline and can carry passengers in formation flying.

Also taking his first flight alongside the Vulcan was VTST Chief Executive Robert Pleming, the man responsible for the success of the project over the last ten years.

Remarkably, despite his close association with the Vulcan, Robert had never had the chance to join the aircraft in flight.
His opportunity came when a major sponsor offered his seat as a ‘thank you’.

“I’m speechless,” said Pleming after his 15 minute flight. “I’ve spoken to people who have done this before, but it’s just something else altogether.

You can’t really describe it – it’s like swimming with a huge whale! It’s in its element – it’s an aircraft that needs to be in the air. I know I’m emotionally involved, but we just have to keep it going.

“The key date for me will always be October 18, 2007.

To actually see the aircraft in its element close-up – it’s an extraordinary sensation. It brings home the enormity of what we’ve done – everything’s working, it’s a beautiful sight, immensely serene and calm – rock steady, not like us in the Extras!

So many different thoughts come into the mind. We’ve just got to keep going until 2012 – she will have achieved her destiny when she flies on her 60th birthday.”

If sufficient funding isn’t found by the end of the month, the Trust will be put into administration, the team disbanded and the aircraft offered for sale.

“We have interest from the USA and Russia,” confirmed Business Development Director Michael Trotter.
“The aircraft is worth much more than the Trust owes, so the slate should be clean if the worst happens.”

So XH558’s last flight could be a delivery flight to a foreign field – if you don’t want to see that happen, help VTST and donate at http://www.vulcantothesky.org

[Stratofreighter]

As of this Tuesday:

According to the figures today there's over £240,600 raised with £159,400 to go

http://www.vulcantothesky.org/news/133/ ... -28th.html

Last flying Vulcan runs out of time on Thursday 28th
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oct 22, 2010 by Ian Homer. Posted to category: General

Last flying Vulcan runs out of time on Thursday 28th


Thursday’s Trust meeting could ground or sell one of Britain’s most loved aircraft

The last flying Vulcan, which thrilled almost two million people this year, could be grounded or sold abroad due to lack of money. At a meeting on the evening of Thursday October 28th, the Vulcan To The Sky Trust which owns the aircraft, will decide if it has raised enough funds to continue.

“By Thursday evening, we need to be sure that we will have £300,000 by the end of the week. If there is any doubt, she will follow Concorde into permanent retirement or be sold to a collector almost certainly abroad,” warns trust CEO Dr Robert Pleming.

[Stratofreighter]

http://www.vulcantothesky.org/news/138/ ... ppeal.html

They're not there yet, but it could be worse...

"Only" 75,000 GBP to go now...

Oct 29, 2010

From: Robert Pleming, Chief Executive, Vulcan to the Sky Trust.

Dear Supporters and all friends of XH558.

I have just come off the ‘phone to our Chairman of Trustees, and I was able to confirm that yesterday, the Trust was in receipt of over £57,000 in donations.

I am delighted to let you know that the Board of Trustees now believes that the Appeal has sufficient momentum to raise the remaining £75,000 before the end of the month.

As the result, he has agreement of the Board of Trustees that the Trust has sufficient liquidity to continue to trade, and accordingly the notices to our employees have been rescinded.

This is obviously really good news, and is very much down to you, our core supporters, and the desires of the wider public, who have dug deep into their pockets to move us forward once again.

We have received tremendous support from thousands of people, and from literally all four corners of the world! On behalf of XH558, thank you so very much!

If you were waiting for it to become clear whether a donation to XH558 would be worthwhile, now is your moment.

We have achieved a huge amount in the last few days, and the Board is now confident that we can move forward to a successful 2011.

We do need to keep up the donation momentum all the way through to Sunday 31st October, so please take that step and make a donation, join thousands of others, and help ensure we break through our target by Sunday evening.

Call 0845 5046 558 or donate online by Card or PayPal by visiting http://www.vulcantothesky.org/donate

All the team are fully appreciative of the strength of this support and what it means to our future as custodians of XH558, not only in the immediate few months, but in our longer term planning.

Next week, we will roll out the next phase of our plans to take the whole project forward; we will explain these in our regular e-newsletters and Web Site announcements.

By the end of November, we will have instigated a new mail-out and Media Campaign, thanking everyone for their generosity and inviting them to take part in securing a predictable platform on which to build the future.

The mailing will contain a Christmas Mail Order catalogue together with details of several new and exciting ideas on how you can become involved with the project, all aimed at lifting our regular monthly income stream and generating worthwhile “highs” each quarter.

Central to our goals, will be establishing a permanent Home Base for the Aircraft where we can provide easy public access and build up additional commercial activities.

All this will also open doors for our Educational aspirations and enable expansion into organised visits from schools all around the country.

Discussions on this continue, and we will bring you news of any developments just as soon as we can.

Meantime, it is a time to be thankful, but also to look forward to exciting times ahead in a very positive spirit.

Once again, we need to thank everyone who has contributed to making this progress possible.

With kind regards,

Robert Pleming

[Stratofreighter]

http://www.tvoc.co.uk
and
http://key.aero/view_news.asp?ID=2676&t ... n=historic

Vulcan - back from the brink (again)!

Fans of the Vulcan have responded magnificently to the October appeal and the future of the aircraft is secure for the time being.

Gary Parsons - 1-Nov-2010

Key - Gary Parsons

November 1: The appeal to keep Vulcan XH558/G-VLCN has been successful with some £350,000 raised in the past month to keep the aircraft safe through to the 2011 display season.

The Vulcan to the Sky Trust (VTST) is confident that a new business plan will see the aircraft funded through to 2012, which is likely to be its final year of operation before being retired to a museum dedicated to the Cold War.

The VTST will be issuing a statement later today, which we will bring you as soon as we can.