The £100k barrier is broken as donations continue

The latest news on the Vulcan is good, as nearly £110,000 has been raised towards saving the Vulcan Bomber, which needs a total of £350,000 raising by the end of May to ensure that it can fly throughout the 2011 summer airshow season, which itself is starting to look a little lightweight following the lack of RAF fast jets.


As we’ve heard before from many sources, the Vulcan does rely on public money to keep it going, but it is the one item that does stop people in its tracks when it’s around, ever stood and listened to a Vulcan take off – I can assure you there is nothing quite like it.

Vulcan on the way past £100k

It’s great news that the £100k barrier has been broken through as it gives that little bit of extra impetus to try and get the next large milestone, which will be £200k by the end of April, there is still 18 days to go til then, and that means an average of £5000 per day needs to be raised, it can be done.

If anyone has any ideas then pop them onto the Vulcan team, as they need as much as possible raising that money.

The Vulcan does of course have a new home, that being Robin Hood Airport at Doncaster, which was previously RAF Finningley, and I wonder if anyone else remembers the airshow in which it took off in what was dreadful weather – I think from memory it was the same year that the SR-71 Blackbird was sitting on the tarmac in pitiful conditions. I don’t know if that ever was going to fly on that day had it been dry, but I remember being so disappointed at not seeing it in the air, and that remains one of my biggest airshow disappointments in my life.

Back to the Vulcan take off though, and I just remember it was as murky as anything but the roar was just incredible, and up it went straight off into the rainclouds, and a darkening sky, and I think it was about the same time as when they called a halt to proceedings at the air show, and that was that.

The best memory for me has to be seeing it at Fairford (I think) were the B52, B1, F-111, and the Vulcan all took off one after the other – although I can’t recall in which order, but I just remember the non stop noise at that point of the show – I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed anything like that since with take offs in mind, although I always enjoy the mass take offs leading up to a mass flypast, they are always good.

Anyway, back to XH558, and the battle for survival – hopefully soon we’ll be hearing of the next milestone being reached, and remember if you have a few quid to donate, you can do so text 80255, call 0845 5046 558, or visit the official site here - http://www.vulcantothesky.org/


Let’s keep her in the air!