1 The Vulcan Aircraft Story Thu Oct 29, 2015 12:49 am
Shep
Life time member
I didn't want to continue the hijacking of the thread that also included the Vulcan discussion but I am interested in continuing it a bit longer.
I wouldn't mind asking a few questions and making a few statements about this unique aircraft and hope that someone can correct or clarify my memory.
I worked as a summer student in Goose Bay Labrador during the summer of 1971.
At Goose Bay at that time there were about 100 RAF personnel turning Kites around. The Kites were the Vulcans. I was never allowed near the maintenance area for these aircraft.
I did become friends with the RAF personnel and that summer they taught me cricket and I taught them slow-pitch ball.
Every Friday one of the kites would land with Double Diamond Kegs and they would give the beer away at the NCO Mess for about 15 cents a glass.
I was told there were no mufflers or other noise abatement equipment as part of the aircraft. The radio communications shack I worked out of was at least a kilometer away from the end of the runway and whenever the Vulcan ran its engines up for takeoff the windows would rattle and the building would shake.
I was told the aircraft could go vertical much like a rocket and while I was working on the runway one day the tower asked a transcontinental flight to be aware of a Vulcan taking off, to which the transcontinental flight replied that they had just witnessed the aircraft off in the distance going vertical.
I was told that the reason the Vulcans were in Goose Bay was because the distance from London to Moscow was similar to the distance from London to Goose Bay and over similar terrain.
I was told or it was implied that their were 6-7 crew members on the Vulcan.
I was told that in order to ensure they were flying as low as they could one member would lie on his belly looking out the rear of the aircraft to see if the exhaust blackened the snow (meaning they were as low as they go safely).
I only saw the Vulcan from a distance but I certainly could hear it at any distance.
Since the RAF could buy at the American BX and I couldn't, they would buy for me my weekly Heineken beer ($3.70 for 24 beer).
I am not sure if it was a RAF ritual but I do recall that as I left to return to school I was given a cutoff tie or they cut my tie as I was leaving
Lots of good memories with the RAF personnel that summer.
Shep
I wouldn't mind asking a few questions and making a few statements about this unique aircraft and hope that someone can correct or clarify my memory.
I worked as a summer student in Goose Bay Labrador during the summer of 1971.
At Goose Bay at that time there were about 100 RAF personnel turning Kites around. The Kites were the Vulcans. I was never allowed near the maintenance area for these aircraft.
I did become friends with the RAF personnel and that summer they taught me cricket and I taught them slow-pitch ball.
Every Friday one of the kites would land with Double Diamond Kegs and they would give the beer away at the NCO Mess for about 15 cents a glass.
I was told there were no mufflers or other noise abatement equipment as part of the aircraft. The radio communications shack I worked out of was at least a kilometer away from the end of the runway and whenever the Vulcan ran its engines up for takeoff the windows would rattle and the building would shake.
I was told the aircraft could go vertical much like a rocket and while I was working on the runway one day the tower asked a transcontinental flight to be aware of a Vulcan taking off, to which the transcontinental flight replied that they had just witnessed the aircraft off in the distance going vertical.
I was told that the reason the Vulcans were in Goose Bay was because the distance from London to Moscow was similar to the distance from London to Goose Bay and over similar terrain.
I was told or it was implied that their were 6-7 crew members on the Vulcan.
I was told that in order to ensure they were flying as low as they could one member would lie on his belly looking out the rear of the aircraft to see if the exhaust blackened the snow (meaning they were as low as they go safely).
I only saw the Vulcan from a distance but I certainly could hear it at any distance.
Since the RAF could buy at the American BX and I couldn't, they would buy for me my weekly Heineken beer ($3.70 for 24 beer).
I am not sure if it was a RAF ritual but I do recall that as I left to return to school I was given a cutoff tie or they cut my tie as I was leaving
Lots of good memories with the RAF personnel that summer.
Shep
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Model Production Date/Serial Number
K100RS 1984 July/ (F0040448)
K100RS 1986 Dec/ (H0142581)