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VC 10s fly off into the sunset

5:10pm Friday 10th February 2012 in Witney

A VC10 aircraft operated by 101 Squadron from RAF Brize Norton, at Trapani Birgi airport in Sicily, last year A VC10 aircraft operated by 101 Squadron from RAF Brize Norton, at Trapani Birgi airport in Sicily, last year

Three VC10 aircraft are set to make their final flight, from RAF Brize Norton to Leicestershire and into retirement.

The three planes have spent a total of almost 125,000 hours in flight since they started operational life over 45 years ago.

They have flown as transport and air-to-air refuelling planes and have seen service in the Falklands, Kosovo, both Gulf Wars and Afghanistan.

The retirement is part of a planned phasing out of the VC10 fleet before they are replaced by Voyagers.

RAF Brize Norton’s remaining nine VC10s, which are part of 101 Squadron, will be gradually withdrawn until the final aircraft are taken out of service in March 2013.

Wing Commander Kev Brookes, who is in charge of 101 Squadron, said: “They are a true testament to the excellence of British design and engineering.

“The VC10 will always be remembered by the pilots, both civilian and military, for its positive handling and smoothness of flight, yet with its reserve of power it would still handle like a fighter.”

Comments(10)

Your_Kidding says...
6:15pm Fri 10 Feb 12

Only this country could retire a working plane BEFORE it's replacement is ready, did it with the aircraft carriers too so we are left with little or no military hardware.

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Dilligaf2010 says...
6:25pm Fri 10 Feb 12

Saw loads, sadly never got to fly in one, another icon disappears :(

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jockox3 says...
6:36pm Fri 10 Feb 12

Used to fly in them out to Africa in the seventies on BOAC and East Africa Airlines.

But thank goodness they are going. They are amongst the noisiest jet airplanes ever built!

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The Big Issue says...
10:34pm Fri 10 Feb 12

A shame to see them go..I'd rather hear them take off than the annoying hum of the Hercules that seem to idle for about 2 hours in the early hours.

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Englishman says...
11:23am Sat 11 Feb 12

Having spent many hours flying in them it will be sad to see them go as they reach the end of their lifespan only to be replaced by more foreign built aircraft. Yet another skill lost to Britain.

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jockox3 says...
12:56pm Sat 11 Feb 12

The Voyager is only a converted A330 Airbus, so it's as made in Britain as any aircraft you're going to get of a similar size and employs a lot more people in the UK than Vickers aircraft do now!

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Englishman says...
10:04am Sun 12 Feb 12

I do not believe we build the A330 or any other airliner in the UK only a part in it and if the French, Germans and some British Politicians get their way that will not be for much longer either.

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jockox3 says...
11:15am Sun 12 Feb 12

Oh! Would that somehow be worse than not building any of it for forty years, and then it being closed by the British government? That's the VC10 you are comparing it with! I suppose you also believe that UK manufacturing output has declined over those years?

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bodchris says...
11:39am Mon 13 Feb 12

A wonderful almost fully british made aircraft. Sad that it was not a commercial success, but has proved soundness of the design by it's longevity in RAF service. I will miss it's superb shape in our skies, and the roar of it's engines, british turbojet engines.

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Noodle999 says...
2:54pm Tue 14 Feb 12

jockox3 wrote:
Used to fly in them out to Africa in the seventies on BOAC and East Africa Airlines.

But thank goodness they are going. They are amongst the noisiest jet airplanes ever built!
They're both the loudest and fastest passenger plane in service, and unusually they also held those records TWICE, due to the introduction and subsequent scrapping of Concorde :)

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