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RAF to retire VC10 fleet in September 2013

 
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747-237
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PostPosted: Wed Jan 23, 2013 9:39 pm    Post subject: RAF to retire VC10 fleet in September 2013 Reply with quote

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/uk-confirms-september-retirement-for-aged-vc10s-381410/

UK confirms September retirement for aged VC10s

Operations with the UK Royal Air Force's remaining six Vickers VC10 tankers will conclude in September 2013, minister for defence equipment and support Philip Dunne has confirmed.

"A decision was taken in late December 2012 to resource an extension of the VC10 fleet until September 2013," Dunne said in response to a parliamentary question on 22 January.

No value has been provided for the additional cost of the action, which represents a six-month run-on for the aged type. Flightglobal's MiliCAS database lists the Rolls-Royce Conway-engined aircraft as having been delivered between 1966 and 1970.

The UK National Audit Office (NAO) revealed in its 10 January Major Projects Report that the Ministry of Defence was exploring a possible extension to its out of service plans for the VC10, in order "to provide additional refuelling capability".

The type will be replaced by Airbus A330 Voyagers operated by air force personnel, sponsored reservists and crews hired by the AirTanker consortium, which says it expects to receive "imminent" approval to commence air-to-air refuelling activities.

The RAF's air transport inventory is facing several near-term retirements, with its remaining eight Lockheed Martin C-130Ks due to leave service in October 2013, and its seven Lockheed TriStar transports and tankers to be retired in March 2014.


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The_Goat
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 25, 2013 10:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sad to see one of the nicest looking airplanes leave the skies forever Sad
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sumantra
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 7:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have been very lucky to fly the VC-10 on the DEL-LHR and LHR-DEL sectors, on the then BOAC `Speedbird'. I have been singularly responsible for bringing the plane down (albeit, safely) at Beirut amidst the tension in the region, since I was running very high fever, which had got uncontrollable. Senior members of this forum: do you have better memories of this plane than I do?
Cheers, Sumantra.
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The_Goat
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 3:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

sumantra wrote:
I have been very lucky to fly the VC-10 on the DEL-LHR and LHR-DEL sectors, on the then BOAC `Speedbird'. I have been singularly responsible for bringing the plane down (albeit, safely) at Beirut amidst the tension in the region, since I was running very high fever, which had got uncontrollable. Senior members of this forum: do you have better memories of this plane than I do?
Cheers, Sumantra.


Wow, nice to find someone here who has actually flown on a VC-10. Maybe a trip report is in order Wink

The first time I saw a VC-10 was in Hyderabad sometime in the early 1990s when I had just entered college. Prince Charles visited the city in an RAF VC-10. I saw it take off at Begumpet Airport and it was the loudest airplane I had ever heard! Absolutely ear shattering roar!

Many years later on a visit to London, I saw one take off from Heathrow. Yet again, the same noise, and what an experience! Few things can beat four RR Conways howling at full power !
Lovely machine!
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shivendrashukla
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 6:31 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

sumantra wrote:
I have been very lucky to fly the VC-10 on the DEL-LHR and LHR-DEL sectors, on the then BOAC `Speedbird'. I have been singularly responsible for bringing the plane down (albeit, safely) at Beirut amidst the tension in the region, since I was running very high fever, which had got uncontrollable. Senior members of this forum: do you have better memories of this plane than I do?
Cheers, Sumantra.


Wow Professor, that is incredible, A TR is definitely due Smile. Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to either fly or even see a VC-10 in flight.

-Shivendra
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747-237
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 7:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

sumantra wrote:
I have been very lucky to fly the VC-10


Did you just give away your age ? Wink
Do I also assume, the 707 ?
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sumantra
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 6:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

747-237 wrote:
Did you just give away your age ? Wink
Do I also assume, the 707 ?

Deb, how correct am I in assuming you are around 37 Wink
I am close-by, still among the young enthusiasts on this group Smile
Unfortunately, the 707 and the DC-8 are missing from my small list of plane types flown.
Shukla Sir and @The_Goat, I guess I will type in a trip report of my early memories of flying planes, on some low-traffic month on the trip reports section. I had debuted from my laziness only in late 2010, I have quite a few prior to this Hong Kong trip, which I have pictures of, from my Analog SLR. I will possibly scan these in, and send a report, though these may not have too many details of many things, such as the food, for instance Razz Right now, I have a huge backlog of reports to write!
Cheers, Sumantra.
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747-237
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 7:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

sumantra wrote:
Deb, how correct am I in assuming you are around 37 Wink

Ah, so you're the one stalking me on the Interwebs! Razz
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sumantra
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PostPosted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 10:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

747-237 wrote:
Ah, so you're the one stalking me on the Interwebs! Razz
Why should I, when you keep us abreast of the best aviation news around, and some rare and hard-to-find gems? Smile
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747-237
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 29, 2013 7:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

sumantra wrote:
Why should I, when you keep us abreast of the best aviation news around, and some rare and hard-to-find gems? Smile

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PostPosted: Fri Mar 22, 2013 9:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/new-retirements-cut-raf-vc10-fleet-to-four-383785/

New retirements cut RAF VC10 fleet to four

The UK Royal Air Force has retired another two of its Vickers VC10 tankers, with the pair's departure reducing its inventory of the Rolls-Royce Conway-engined type to only four examples.

K3-model aircraft ZA149 was transferred to Bruntingthorpe airfield in Leicestershire on 18 March from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, the service says. It was followed two days later by ZD241, its final example from five ex-British Airways airliners to have been converted to the K4 configuration for the air-to-air refuelling role.

Formerly operated by the RAF's 101 Sqn, both aircraft will be used as a source of spare parts to support the remaining fleet's continued operation. Under current plans, the last of these will be retired from use in late September. The oldest examples have been in operation since 1966, and were originally flown as passenger transports.
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sabya99
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 24, 2013 5:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, VC-10 and its look alike Il-62 dominated the sky for many years and both are history. Both introduced clamshell type reverse thruster and were popular aircraft! Very Happy
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PostPosted: Fri Sep 20, 2013 3:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/raf-vc10s-to-make-last-operational-flight-390782/

RAF VC10s to make last operational flight

The last operational Vickers VC10s will perform the type’s final flights for the Royal Air Force on 20 September, before being retired from use.

A final pair of Rolls-Royce Conway-engined VC10 tankers are due to conduct the sortie from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, bringing to an end a 47-year service life.

Flown by personnel from 101 Sqn, the aircraft should perform a last air-to-air refuelling mission, before conducting a series of separate flypasts at air force bases and other sites around the UK. Their formal retirement will be completed by the end of September.

Aircraft ZA147 (above) and ZA150 are the last remaining examples of the VC10 to be flown, with the RAF having progressively reduced its fleet of the tanker/transport over the last several years. The KC3-model pair entered service in 1966 and 1970, respectively, says Flightglobal’s MiliCAS database.

The only military user to adopt the VC10, the RAF has flown the type since 1966. Its capabilities have been assumed by the UK’s AirTanker-provided Airbus A330 Voyagers, which are in use with 10 Sqn and are also to in the future be used by a re-commissioned 101 Sqn from Brize Norton.

Six Voyagers have been delivered so far, with the RAF due to declare full capability by May 2014, on the availability of nine of the tanker-equipped aircraft.

With the VC10 now leaving use, the RAF has positioned one of its Lockheed TriStar tankers on the Falkland Islands, where it is providing air-to-air refuelling support for an air defence detachment of Eurofighter Typhoons. The service is also due to cease operations with the tri-jet type by May 2014.

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