Very sad

[GDPR]

The VC-10 is no more.... beautiful aeroplane.

Was very privileged to do a 5 hour air to air refuel mission over the North Sea a month after buying the Stag - felt like a king rocking up at Brize Norton in the Stag with my 6 yr old son in his flying suit, complete with correct 101 Sqdn markings - and the last time I'll ever get on a "HEAVY" flight deck while in the air...

Great memories - unfortunately due to apron activity and safety, I was unable to get a photo of the Stag and ZA109 together....

[Dave Worrall]

I spent many an hour on the Viccy bird flying round the globe in my early days before the introduction of the Tristar. I believe it was the only passenger aircraft still in operation in the world where you faced rearwards in flight!

Dave.

[Rubce]

The VC-10 is no more.... beautiful aeroplane.

Was very privileged to do a 5 hour air to air refuel mission over the North Sea a month after buying the Stag -

Jammie Gitt! How did you swing that?

Bruce

[GDPR]

Mate of mine runs a pub in Bourton on the Water, not too far from Brize Norton - a lot of RAF with "egg on their hats" drink there, and he asked them to donate a prize for a charity auction. ..

As he knows of my love of the VC10 he told me about it, I told him to bid on my behalf up to £2k for two passengers - in the end got them for £240 each....

Even got an inflight meal in the backward seat, had a wee in a stand up 4 man stainless urinal - never done that in a plane before - and had a ferret around the tanker section in flight.

One of the other passengers hadn't finished his meal when we landed (he was hoovering up the leftover food) and his meal shot off up the cabin when they stuck the reversers on - I wouldn't have got caught like that as I had a glass of champagne fly out of my hand when landing in Concorde at JFK and they hit the reversers - I wondered why Concorde had a substantial footrest - its because you had to brace like crazy due to the high landing speed. didnt get caught on the trip home

[Guest]

My first ever flight was on a British United VC 10 going from London to Zambia. It was a night flight, so I had no idea what was going on. The fuselage trim creaked all night and I stayed awake wondering if the thing would fall apart. In those days they used to hang babies in a special cot from the overhead luggage rack and that worked a treat and not so much as a cheap out of them all night. The pilots used to land them without so much as a slight bump, unlike today where they just thump them down.

It was a pity that it was not a commercial success, but in those days we just designed our planes to suit BOAC and BEA. I think the only other airlines to operate VC 10's were Gulf Air (Formerly Gulf Aviation with BOAC planes) and East African. I think the only one to crash was the East African one taking off from Addis Ababa when it hit a cargo hook that someone had left on the runway, so not due to a plane fault. The Palestinians blew up a BOAC one in the Jordanian desert. Goodness knows why I remember such things, as I cannot remember where most of my tools are. I had a big hammer do a runner on me yesterday!

One of our BN Islander pilots out in Abu Dhabi in the 70's was a retired BOAC VC 10 pilot and I asked him what he thought about such a downsize. He said that it was fantastic because there was very little to remember, like undercarriage movements.

I think all the survivors ended up in the RAF. I take it from the first post that they have now been retired from the RAF.

[Stocky]

I take it from the first post that they have now been retired from the RAF.

They flew the last flight this week.

When I was 8 we emigrated to Malawi, and flew on a VC10 to Blantyre via Addis Ababa and Khartoum. I remember going to the toilet at the back of the plane and a steward asking me to put my ear to the wall to listen to the engines, to ensure they were working properly. I duely did what I was told and reassured the steward that all was well!

[staginhiding]

ptember 2013 Last updated at 17:49Share this page

• Email
• Print

33

• Share
• Facebook
• Twitter

RAF Vickers VC10 flown home to retirement in Surrey

The RAF's Vickers VC10s took part in their final operational sortie last week
Continue reading the main storyRelated Stories

• Jetliners fly last mission for RAF
• Last flights for the RAF 'Funbus'Watch
• Vickers VC10 at new Cornish homeWatch

The last Vickers VC10 built in the UK has been flown to a Surrey airfield after being retired from RAF service.
The aircraft, which carries the RAF serial number ZA150, touched down at Dunsfold Park at 13:20 BST after flying from Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.
It was one of two VC10s used as air-to-air refuelling tankers, which both flew their final missions on Friday.
ZA150 was the last VC10 of 54 built at the Vickers factory at Brooklands in Weybridge in the 1960s.
About 200 people watched the final landing of the VC10, which was flown to its new permanent home by a six-strong crew.
The aircraft is to be displayed at the airfield, whose staff have worked with Brooklands Museum to return it to its home county.
The aircraft touched down at Dunsfold Park after flying from RAF Brize Norton
"It is hugely important for us to have saved this aircraft as the last heavy airliner ever to be completely built at Brooklands - and indeed in the UK," said director of Brooklands Museum, Allan Winn.
"It is also significant as its retirement marks the end of an unbroken century of front-line service by Brooklands-built aircraft with the British armed forces.
"That is a unique record."
ZA150 was originally built as 5H-MOG for East African Airways.
After its airline service was completed, it was stored at Filton in Bristol for several years before making its first flight as an RAF tanker in 1984.
Brooklands was a centre for aircraft design, construction and testing from 1907, before the factory finally closed in 1986.
A motoring and aviation museum is now at the site, which was also the home of the world's first purpose-built motor racing circuit.
The RAF operated 28 VC10s, which gave 47 years of service.
Its replacement, the Voyager, is the RAF's largest aircraft, with a 60m (197ft) wingspan, and is also nearly 60m long.

More on This

[Goldstar]

I have been behind them more than in them. Great servant but like our cars, age has caught up. Even 10 years ago when I finished flying they were struggling with serviceability and spares supply; I flew home from Kuwait in one with a cracked window which was quite interesting.

Great tankers and a great servant to the RAF - I will always have fond memories of many an interesting sortie and the occasional 'thank christ' when we were low on fuel and they did pitch up

[Mike Stevens]

I remember a good few years ago a whole load of them were dispersed around the airfield at RAF Abingdon - when it was still an RAF station! They were in all types of livery before being painted and converted to RAF tanker service.

'Twas a most impressive sight.

Cheers,
Mike.

[DJT]

Noisy beggars, but the end of an era.............

[Stagsongas]

A sad loss of a nice, slippery looking aeroplane with a great service record.

Mind you. I adore the looks of the Comet with those beautifully enclosed engines in the wing roots. If things had gone differently, we might see more of them now.

Regards

Steve