A Little VC10derness

Folks,

I have been in deep discussion with Duxford IWM over the last few months to try arrange a fitting farewell to the -10. It appears that the RAF is the stumbling block by totally refusing to entertain even a flyby on one of the delivery flights to Bruntingthorpe.

I am of the opinion that the RAF want to get rid of the -10 with as little ceremony as possible and the sooner the better. I read on this forum the passionate pleas for at least one to be kept in taxying condition but in the end it is down to money. Bruntingthorpe may or may not entertain the idea. Having said that they seem to be quite agreeable to the thought but who knows.

I feel that in the end the only machine left on display will be 'GC' at Duxford. She is on outside display so even she will finally end up as scrap. I have many fond memories of flying her and it was in that aircraft that I set a new Atlantic record time never to be beaten to this day.

Whilst I understand the march of progress in the aviation world for newer and more capable machines or else we would still have a squadron of Spitfires. It is a shame that the 'powers that be' ignore our past achievements. I doubt the 'Voyager' could last fifty years in front-line service.

Whilst I feel that Duxford is a wonderful air museum you only have to travel across the Atlantic to see how past achievements are celebrated for the public to see.

Consider the fate of the last three aircraft. The Falklands machine will never return home on costs grounds. The remaining two will disappear without a trace except for some superb pics.

The accountants will rub their hands in glee and I am very sorry to say but that will be that.

I am sorry to be a pessimist but I am also a realist. This modern world of ours is very unforgiving when it comes to any achievement worthy of note and the VC-10 is at the top of that list.

Gwyn

Sadly, I find myself in broad agreement with your sentiments, and the last minute arrival of 808 at Bruntingthorpe rather than Cosford added to Cosfords very non committal response to the issue of a VC10 for display adds to that feeling.

... as for Duxford. Well I am not sure why a VC10 should do a flypast through Duxford tbh. Obviously this is just my opinion, but what is the connection between Duxford and the VC10 other than they have one (which is not well looked after). They are certainly not a military personal friendly museum and are not the RAF Museum.

In the background I am sure that the RAF Museum are doing what they can to get a VC10 for Cosford, but to have it sat outside rotting away is not a fitting end to the ac. It needs to go inside to be properly preserved and that is a problem! There are valid reasons for not flying into Cosford (which I won't go into) as well as good reasons for doing it... sadly the valid reasons for not doing it won on the day. It was not Cosford's decision... I think to say they are noncommittal is probably unfair as I am sure they wanted her as much as we wanted to see her go there.

Unfortunately the RAF, like all of the services is strapped for cash and have other things it needs to do first... the RAF also has big toys to preserve... what about a Tristar for example! And while we are at it why have we not preserved an example of each type of ship the Navy sailed... because it would be hugely expensive. We cannot keep everything sadly.

So, we have to accept some limitations and fight for what is possible... a 10 to Cosford is still a possibility and one being preserved at Brunty looks highly likely so perhaps we should concentrate on those two possibilities and ensure they have the best chance of happening.

Just my 2p's worth...

The reason for Duxford is that it is an Imperial War Museum and many aircraft from the cold war are displayed there. The RAF VC-10 played a large contribution in maintaining the peace.

'GC' is, in fact, in remarkable condition considering that it has sat outside for many years. A lot of preventative work has gone on and is still going on.

It is the attitude of the RAF that I find distasteful. To do a flyby is not too much to ask.

As for Cosford I got involved in the planning of getting 'VM' in there only to be cut up years later out of neglect by British Airways. They even got a beaten up old 707 in there at the time. Unless there has been a shortening of the runway in the intervening years then why the fuss about getting one into Cosford.

I understand the frustration that a 10 and a 707 have gone in there before... sadly we live in a different world today. I can't answer for the RAF, but these decisions are not generally taken lightly and not done just to p folks off... there is more to it all than just a flypast or a landing. If you flypast Duxford why not every other museum, airfield, former pilots house, designers house etc... where does it all end. I personally don;t see what greater call Duxford has to any other place that has no direct and obvious connection to the VC10... there was after all a very nice 3-ship tour of the country last year, and not only that, but the now very small Sqn is still very busy doing normal day-to-day work...

As I said, just my thoughts, don't want to start an argument, but there is more to it than is seen on the outside...

It all started in 2010, first the Harriers went in silent mode, followed by the Nimrods and now the VC10's. This government doesn't give a damn about this countries history especially when it comes to some remarkable engineering that has continued to give us freedom and fight wars.

Whoever did this mockup of the 'Harrier farewell tour' over Parliament did a good job

lol, I had to do a double take of that =D>

There are many valid points in this discussion but gc at duxford is being well looked after in my opinion
I went there yesterday ( great day out, went on the dragon rapide) and on the tour i asked if i could go on the vc-10/trident/1-11 outside and the tourgide said no unfortunately because the large airliners stored outside at duxford were being prepped and maintained for winter. The tour guide also added that after the restoration of the bac 1-11 is complete ( the 1-11 is lacking any markings and white paint at the moment, and is stripped back to its green primer coat), attention would be given to the vc-10 , whick shows remarkably little corrosion but is in need of a wash.
Instead of going in the vc-10 , i was allowed to sit in the cockpit of the comet 4 inside airspace. G-asgc is far from being left out to rot and if the tourguide is anything to believe then i hope gc will be getting a wash after winter!

Then again, duxford took no hesitation in 1992 in scrapping comet 2 xk695, the only comet two left in the world.
The comet wasnt even in that bad a shape either. Here she is weeks befors destruction-
http://www.airliners.net/photo/UK---Air ... 70ea6543d3

During my visit onboard comet 4 i asked the tourguide about the comet 2 and why it was destroyed but he denied all knowledge of the comet- pretty sad really since he said he worked at duxford for years!

Interesting that there's apparently no intention of flying '147 back, that seems in contradiction with the rumours down here that she will indeed fly back to the UK. She's still out and about though, just seen her fly over today I speak with no official knowledge, but I'd be VERY surprised if ZA147 doesn't return to the UK.