Former Vulcan pilot John LeBrun knows first-hand what it is like to prepare for a nuclear scramble. In this video he describes the process in fascinating detail
The Vulcans, Victors and Valiants which made up the V-Force acted as a deterrent. As such, each squadron had to have an aircraft armed and ready to go, along with a crew, 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.
It’s been said that the V-Force bomber crews were like a marriage without the sex and each crew stayed together for the entirety of their tour, be it two and a half or three years.
“When you were on QRA (Quick Reaction Alert), you had to stay together as a crew and be near a car to take you to the aircraft,” John reveals.