Since we last reported on progress at Bruntingthorpe a great deal has been achieved, we told our regular readers that funding was secured at the very last minute to get the work finished. Well there were a couple of complications and unforeseen mechanical issues to over come. The result was that the Vulcan did not fly in time for the 2007 airshow season or the Falkland campaign remembrance events. But the team pushed on through adverse publicity and financial pressure. Until on the 18th October 2007 history was made at the Bruntingthorpe airfield near Leicester England. A 14 year long project reached a milestone when Avro Vulcan XH558 took to the air for the first time as a civil aircraft. Although the flight was a short one lasting approximately 35 minutes it will be remembered as an historic flight, the flight consisted of systems checks as part of the certification process and included a flypast over the airfield and the gathered media, supporters and contractors.

In control of the aircraft was test pilot Al McDicken with David Thomas who will be the chief pilot in the No 2 position the 3rd position belonged to Barry Maserfield one of the famous Black Buck mission crew members. The return to flight project initiated by Mr David Walton and taken over by the Vulcan to the Sky Trust has been the most complex restoration project in UK aviation history. Over £6million Pounds Sterling from public donations and Lottery Heritage funding have gone into this project plus hundreds of thousands of man hours from paid staff and volunteers. Todays event was being described at the end of the first phase of the project, the second phase will be to get major sponsorship secured so the world’s only air worthy Avro Vulcan can perform at airshows from 2007 onwards. The anticipated second flying life of the aircraft is 10 to 15 years dependant on the display routine agreed for next year.

There was a great deal of emotion on display as the dream of getting this Nuclear bomber back into the air became a reality. More test flights are required but far fewer than we expected as the certification of the “type” was completed in the 1950s so this testing phase is just for the individual aircraft. The whole team at Checksix would like to congratulate everyone involved in this project on a very successful first flight, it’s a magnificent acheivment.

Will Moore / Chk6 UK