C/n 837 - XV107

Date
22 March 1968	First flight.
17 April 1968	Handover to RAF 10 Squadron as XV107.
15 June 1968	In the static show at RAF Abingdon open day.
19-21 September 1968	On display at Farnborough air show.
5-18 November 1968	Used for HM The Queen's state visit to Brazil and Chile.
11 November 1968	Named 'James Nicolson VC' in a ceremony at RAF Brize Norton. Apparently this name may have been misspelled with an extra 'h' on some versions of the VC scroll. Scroll probably applied at a later date as the aircraft was away.
21-23 November 1973	Carried commemorative covers from RAF Brize Norton to RAF Akrotiri on aeromedical flight no.2043. Captain Sqn Ldr Yates, Co-pilot Flt Lt Murphy, Navigator Flt Lt Wellington. Exact date of flight not clear.
16 September 1978	Flew at RAF Abingdon airshow.
April-May 1982	XV107 was involved in operation CORPORATE and carried large Red Cross markings to signify its aeromedical evacuation role.
1 July 1982	Operated RAF Brize Norton to RAF Akrotiri. Total flying time 4hrs.
8 April 1987	Carried the Prince of Wales from RAF Akrotiri to London Heathrow. Crewed by Captain Wolley and F/E Richie Spence.
8-11 June 1987	Carried the Foreign Secretary, Sir Geoffrey Howe, from RAF Brize Norton to Venice for a G7 Economic Summit, returning Venice - Gatwick on 11th June. Crewed by Captain Snell and F/E Richie Spence.
29 July 1988	Carried the PM, Mrs. Thatcher, from London Heathrow to Bahrain for a visit. Crewed by Captain Wolley and F/E Richie Spence.
17 May 1990	Carried out a training flight overflying the former bases of 10 Squadron, carrying commemorative covers.
18-24 October 1993	Flew from Heathrow to Larnaca, Cyprus, and back for HM The Queen to attend the 1993 Commonwealth Heads of State Conference. Captained by Sqn Ldr P.A. Atherton. Carried commemorative covers.
5 June 1996	First flight after conversion to C1K tanker/transport.
11 June 1996	Delivery to 10 Squadron as C1K.
1 April 1998	Flew a towline sortie over the North Sea carrying commemorative covers for the 80th anniversary of the Royal Air Force.
27 November 1998	Operated a local flight from RAF Brize Norton, providing an AAR demonstration/training. Flying time 3:10hrs.
16 September 2003	XV107 flew on an airtest after major servicing and was pronounced fit for a return to service. It left for a new coat of paint at Filton the next day.
October 2003	XV107 went back to St. Athan as an undercarriage snag development after painting at Filton.
14 October 2005	Transferred to 101 Squadron upon disbandment of 10 Squadron, allocated letter 'X'.
June 2008	Flew over the North Sea and down to Norfolk with a complement of 101 Squadron personnel relatives for the Families Day at Brize Norton.
28 October 2011	Returned from Trapani, Sicily, to RAF Brize Norton. Together with ZA149 it had been stationed there for the Op DEFERENCE/ELLAMY detachment.
12 December 2011	XV107 was due to be flown to Bruntingthorpe on its final flight, together with XV102, but went 'tech' prior to departure.
13 December 2011	Aircraft withdrawn from service, flown to Bruntingthorpe on its final flight as 'Ascot 859'. Total time: 39354.45 hours.
18 May 2012	Airframe scrapped at Bruntingthorpe.

1. A new XV107 taxiing at Wisley, before handover to 10 Squadron.
2. XV107 climbing away. The black radome indicates that this was early in its career.
3. A panoramic view of Hong Kong with XV107 just touching down.
4. XV107 is seen here parked at RAF Abingdon in 1968 showing the 'RAF Air Support Command' colours.

1. Another photo of XV107 at RAF Abingdon, in front of a Blackburn Beverley.
2. In September 1968 XV107 was in the static show at the Farnborough Air Show.
3. VC10 Base flight in front of XV107 at RAF Brize Norton.
4. XV107 coming in to land.

1. XV107 was photographed when it visited Christchurch on 13 January 1974.
2-3. XV107 performing at the airshow at RAF Abingdon, according to the photographer this was in 1982 but the nearest reference I can find to XV107 being at Abingdon for an airshow was in 1978.
4. Retracting the undercarriage just after takeoff, XV107 climbs away.

1. During the Falklands war VC10s from 10 Squadron performed medevac flights and this was signified by the red cross on the fuselage side as seen here on XV107.
2-3. On 12 June 1982 these markings are on show during an open day or families day at RAF Brize Norton.
4. A few years later XV107 has gained a refueling probe.

1. April 2001, XV107 at RAF Brize Norton.
2. One month later, XV107 being refuelled.
3. Another photo from the same day showing the ground equipment next to XV107.
4. For many years XV107 flew in the modern grey colourscheme as captured here by David Ayton.

1. XV107 refuelling two Typhoons and a Tornado in June 2004.
2. XV107's final landing at Bruntingthorpe airfield in December 2011.

On 1st April 2010 XV107 visited Manchester and Simon Lowe shot this video of its departure.
Video by Simon Lowe