Can/does Vulcan XH558 take passengers?

Lol my Jag trip he said we will pull a bit of G see how you feel, then a bit more see how you feel etc…. Went straight into a 7G turn, asked how I felt, I said fine erm what happened to the little bit etc, he said that was it lol let’s go play… Anon the HUD is telling you what you are pulling and as said it feels every bit of it… Low level at 50 ft playing Exocet attacks to 22,000 in a vertical rotating climb in front of the frigate is just mind blowing.. Supersonic flight though is just the opposite, disappointing… Bar an indicator telling you you are at Mach 1 plus and a muffled boom, you wouldn’t know.

One trip icing on the cake that didn’t materialise was we were going to formate with the Belgique Fuga Display team on the way to Leuchars airshow in a Fuga, but we were delayed, so I never got the pictures..

Speaking of walts, I used to work with a guy who once told me with a completely straight face that a few years ago “prior to 9/11” that he was at some kind of weekend fete at RAF Lakenheath, when he “accidentally” wandered away from the public area and found himself wandering towards as HAS, finding one open and an F15E inside along with the pilot who he got chatting to and after an exchange of pleasantries:

Pilot: ‘we’ve just overhauled this jet and I’m taking her for an air test’

Walt: ‘Oh, ok – how long will you be up for?’

Pilot: ‘Aw, what the heck – get in’

A short time later the walt states that he’s strapped into this F15E and they taxi out to the runway, pilot plugs in the reheat and they zoom climb above East Anglia, dancing around the clouds before landing ‘half an hour’ or so later, walt shaking hands with the pilot and rejoining his wife!

I never let on that I knew that he was walting, which I think is the best way with these people unless it starts to get out of hand.

My pax medical (Hawk) back in 78 was 3g/15,000 feet…on my first trip (Brawdy – Wittering) we broke into the circuit at 8g to show off our new toy :)…return trip was 30,000+feet LOL.
Most of my outbound trips were friday low level through wales but returns were usually high level on the monday,my best return was during some practice flights for ‘Wing Nut’s’ trip to coltishall…we left colt as a diamond 4ship (in the ‘box’ – never been so close to a grimes light :D) into severe turbulence and ended up at 39,000feet 😀
Our pilots never asked us about limitations and (obviously) we never told them 😀

I think my PAX medical only cleared me for 4.5 g

8g…..feels like 8g!! Only done it once myself…..Mirage 2000B

8g!

To the uninitiated 3.5g would feel like 8g:eek:

I won’t burst the “Vulcan Ride” chap’s bubble either, I’ll just keep it tucked away in my head and maybe one day it might come in useful:diablo:

Anon.

Even when in the RAF we had a Corporal that went flying in the TBird (Jag) he was telling everyone and anyone in the bar of the 8G they pulled, so I went and looked in the Tech Log at the FI register for the flight and he had only pulled 3.5G.. Wouldn’t have thought anything of it but 8G you have checks to do on the A/frame.. Told everyone else and we all had a chortle, but didn’t burst his bubble.

Worst thing about my Jag flight was the guy before had a cold sweat as it scared him, and we only had one spare G suit, so I had to strap this wet cold clammy G Suit on….

When i was a kid i remember our milk man telling a tail of getting a flight in a two seater lightning, when asked about it,he said i had my eyes closed and threw up a lot.I always took it with a pinch of salt.
One lovely day in Finningley,i was talking to two lightning pilots and told him of our milkman.One said it was him who took him up and confirmed the 20 minute flight did include much vomiting and not once did he open his eyes.He also said “he screamed like a girl” on the full afterburn take off and climb out of Binbrook.
Wonder why he omitted that bit.:D

Also

I’d also like to add that the chap in question is around seventy and has a pacemaker. Not the best combination for a 2.5 hour flight – and which makes it even more unlikely he did it.

Anon.

Vulcan pax

Is he, or could he be, reading this thread? – unlikely but possible. Not that it makes any difference if he is.

And, he’s not my mate, just someone I know reasonably well (long enough and well enough to know that he is known to spin a yarn or two from time to time).

He is retired (RAF instrument techie) and holds a senior position in a NW aviation society. He is very plausible and well respected and not at all an unpleasant fellow – in short, very believable.

People take that sort of person on their word and assume they are telling the truth as they are not normally in a position to easily prove things are otherwise.

It doesn’t sound like it happened does it?

Thanks for your input, chaps.

Anon.

The flight to Shoreham wasn’t even on the same weekend as Southport, it was the weekend BEFORE! 😀

Which is why I asked what I did in my post #30

The reason I ask is that a chap I know (who is not averse to telling the odd tall story) reckons he was on the display flight over Southport last weekend.

Anon.

One big hole in his story is Martin did not fly the Southport Display..

Bill, Kev & Phill were slated for that flight…

Flight track..

Leicester (Stoughton) Airport 9th September

Cosby (Leics) 9th September

CarFest (North) 9th September

Southport 9th September

Plus under VTST A8-20 only Flight Crew allowed on a display run not even accredited engineers are allowed…. or that is how it was up until I retired in Dec 2009

Anyway, back to the thread…

Spoke to said gentleman this evening and his answer to my question of “how did you manage to wangle that one then” was:

“Martin Withers phoned me up last week and said “We haven’t seen you for a while so how would you like to come along for a trip this weekend?””

So your mate is insinuating that Martin Withers, the Chief pilot for VttS and distinguished ex RAF pilot is deliberately breaking the rules by letting him have a jolly in the Vulcan then? Your mate should hang his head in shame tbh. :rolleyes:

Not to mention that Martin Withers wasn’t even flying this past weekend, it was Bill Ramsey and Kev Rumens doing the flying.

I then asked: ” where did you fly from then?” to which he replied: “Robin Hood airport – we took off and went to Shoreham, then to Southport and then Cholmondley Castle (the car event) and then back, over Lincoln and back to base. Flight took two and a half hours”.

The flight to Shoreham wasn’t even on the same weekend as Southport, it was the weekend BEFORE! 😀

“So, where did you sit then?” I asked. He replied “sat in the coal hole for take-off and landing then stood between the pilots for the entire flight”

So why would he sit in the coal hole, which people here have stated is a rather uncomfortable position under the pilots, when there would have been two empty chairs in the back cabin?

I also doubt the two pilots would want some random stranger standing on the ladder just behind them and in very close proximity to two live bang seats. Also would you want a pax stood on a ladder and not strapped in while you performed a display routine? I think not.

What do you reckon then, Chaps? Dogs Bo**ocks of a trip – or Bull**it?

Sniff, sniff. I think I smell something:D

Anon.

I’d say unless your mate is employed as an official CAA or VttS pilot he’s talking complete and utter bull****. 😀

It did Cosby as I was there…

Sounds like a Walt… (Walter Mitty)

There was a Chief Tech dissapeared up norf in Scotland in the late 70’s early 80’s they had a big man hunt and he couldn’t be found, then someone remembered a visiting Herc…. turned out he suffered a breakdown wandered out to a transiting USAF Herc asked where you going? Back the US Bud, oh can I get a lift? Sure Bud hop in…. And that was that, he was found confused and in the USA still in uniform I believe.

Anyway, back to the thread…

Spoke to said gentleman this evening and his answer to my question of “how did you manage to wangle that one then” was:

I then asked: ” where did you fly from then?” to which he replied: “Robin Hood airport – we took off and went to Shoreham, then to Southport and then Cholmondley Castle (the car event) and then back, over Lincoln and back to base. Flight took two and a half hours”.

Exactly what day are we talking about?
Shoreham and Southport on the same weekend? Hmmm why would they fly to both of those venues on the same day??

Ask him what route they flew from Shoreham to Southport and did they ask for anyones Radar/Control assistance along the way?

What do you reckon then, Chaps? Dogs Bo**ocks of a trip – or Bull**it?

Sniff, sniff. I think I smell something:D

Anon.

Indeed you might!

Guess the easiest thing would be ask one of the pilots of the trip.

Anyway, back to the thread…

Spoke to said gentleman this evening and his answer to my question of “how did you manage to wangle that one then” was:

“Martin Withers phoned me up last week and said “We haven’t seen you for a while so how would you like to come along for a trip this weekend?””

I then asked: ” where did you fly from then?” to which he replied: “Robin Hood airport – we took off and went to Shoreham, then to Southport and then Cholmondley Castle (the car event) and then back, over Lincoln and back to base. Flight took two and a half hours”.

“So, where did you sit then?” I asked. He replied “sat in the coal hole for take-off and landing then stood between the pilots for the entire flight”

What do you reckon then, Chaps? Dogs Bo**ocks of a trip – or Bull**it?

Sniff, sniff. I think I smell something:D

Anon.

Ever thought the person you suspect of telling whoppers has read this forum for info, and is indeed reading this very thread??

Just a thought…

Kind Regards,
Scotty

I can’t comment on this Vulcan flight, but sometimes a story that you don’t initially believe can come back to bite you…

When I was a 10 year old in Cornwall, a new kid joined our class with an American accent. One evening we were out on our bikes and he started telling us his Dad used to fly F-14 Tomcats. By coincidence, this was my favourite aircraft, but of course I didn’t believe him because it just sounded unbelievable! The boy only stayed at our school for a few months & then moved on.

It was only just after the Falklands war ended that it came out that he was telling the truth. His Dad was actually ‘resting’ at Culdrose flying Jetstreams on 750NAS. Previously he had actually flown Tomcats on exchange with the USN! Come the Falklands he moved back up to Yeovilton to fly SHARS but was sadly killed when his SHAR was seen to crash and explode on take-off from one of the carriers.

Chris – is you are reading this, I am truly sorry for not believing you when you told me your Dad flew Tomcats!

In a funny twist of fate, his house is now occupied by a retired Wing Commander who flew Beauforts in the war & ended his time flying Shackletons!

I worked with a chap who claimed that, as a younger man, he had enjoyed a flight in a Vulcan.

Our work, and his background, was nothing whatsoever to do with the aircraft industry, or the Services, so I was a bit skeptical at first.

However, his story was that a near neighbour and friend was a test pilot at Woodford. His friend called one friday evening and said “be ready at X o’clock tomorrow morning”. He was driven to the airfield, installed in a Vulcan and taken on a test flight.

I was still a bit doubtful when a few days later he turned up in my office with a seat parachute for me.

“I was given this as a souvenir, but I hear you collect this stuff?”.

The seat ‘chute is clearly ink stamped “A.V. Roe & Co. Ltd.”

Still not sure what to make of the story, though! 🙂

I think we’ve all met people like this, to a greater or lesser extent.
Maybe they just feel the need to impress people, and to “hold court”
in their circle or friends ?