VC10 what a great jet!

Read the forum code of contact

Member for

17 years 8 months

Posts: 715

Hi all,
Had the great joy of flying with 101 Sqd yesterday in the venerable VC10. I have flown in them before but only on trooper flights, this time I was on the only pax and was treated to a full on look at the the jet as we flew from Brize out over the North Sea to meet up with a mix of Tornado F3, Harriers and Mirage 2000's. I know she is a military plane but hey I thought you might like to see some shots. Thanks to Damo (Skipper), Ash (Navs), Jaz (Co Pilot) and Steve (Flight Engineer) the crew of Tartan 45. Hope you like them.

Si

XV101
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u188/EZY433/Outside-2.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u188/EZY433/Outside-1.jpg

Forward looking aft (note the rearward facing seats)
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u188/EZY433/Inside-1.jpg

Taking off
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u188/EZY433/Flight-1.jpg

Passing Liverpool Airport heading to the Pole Hill VOR
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u188/EZY433/Lvp.jpg

Some trade
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u188/EZY433/Cockpit.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u188/EZY433/2000-2.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u188/EZY433/gr.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u188/EZY433/2000-1.jpg

Finals to land
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u188/EZY433/Flight-3.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u188/EZY433/flight-4.jpg

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u188/EZY433/VC10.jpg

Timmy outbound
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u188/EZY433/Tristar.jpg

Original post

Member for

18 years

Posts: 474

Stunning mate! Bet you had a cracking time!

Them windows aren't that bad!

Them white gloves bring back memories :eek:

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 1,342

It was always a stunning aircraft, in military or civil service. And that shot of the L1011 shows why it was such a nice looking aircraft!

Member for

18 years 6 months

Posts: 2,343

Some nice pics there Si,

Takes me back to my days in the ATC.

I flew in a Chinnok helicopter from RAF Odiham to Wales and back.

I also had the opportunity to fly in the Sentry a/c from RAF Waddington, but it got rained off at the last minute...:mad::(

Member for

19 years 10 months

Posts: 624

Brilliant pictures there Si. :)

Just two questions though:
1. Why are the seats rear facing?
2. What job do you do, I guess your in the RAF?

Cheers Tom

Member for

18 years

Posts: 857

Si, couldn't you have tilted the camera up a bit for the Liverpool picture? Reckon even a couple of extra pixels at the top right would have got my house in the shot!
Seriously, great pictures.

William

Member for

17 years 2 months

Posts: 290

Super pics Si. What a great photo op.

Member for

17 years 8 months

Posts: 715

Brilliant pictures there Si. :)

Just two questions though:
1. Why are the seats rear facing?
2. What job do you do, I guess your in the RAF?

Cheers Tom

Tom,
The seats on the VC10 have always faced rearward as they say it is safer in the event of a crash (that's what they say!!), don't ask me why civil aircraft don't do this, I guess it is something to do with convincing passengers that it is better facing aft. I can see the point of it as in some other miltary transports they have the seats facing rearward. I flew off the USS Dwight D Eisenhower back in August on a C2 Greyhound with the seat facing aft and no windows....really weird when you are shot off the catapult, your eyes feels as i they have popped out of their sockets.

Sorry not Air Force, Fleet Air Arm.

All the best

Si

Member for

18 years 8 months

Posts: 4,721

Tom,
The seats on the VC10 have always faced rearward as they say it is safer in the event of a crash (that's what they say!!),

Si

And dont the Tridents have them seats aswel? Fantastic shots Si like them all :cool: And your are a lucky git for going on a vicky :D lets hope when the RAF retirer them they will do special flights for RAF and Public :p

James

Member for

18 years 7 months

Posts: 5,530

I'm almost speechless! What a stunning opportunity! Thanks for sharing these wonderful shots, Si. Very enjoyable!

Paul

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 11,159

Ah..... the good old RAF. Doing more to preserve British Airways heritage than BA ever will !:D

Member for

17 years 8 months

Posts: 715

Thanks for the comments guys, much appreciated; out of interest I did a search on A.net for this airframe and there is a shot of her from 1974, considering her age she was in pristine condition and the boys and girls taking care of this old lady really take pride in what they do. Out of interest, does anyone know how old this aircraft realy is and is she an ex commercial jet?

All the best

Si

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 6,968

XV101 has always been an RAF VC10 since its first flight and subsequent delivery in January of 1967. Said to have been withdrawn from use for a month in the summer of 1999. Would that coincide with the aircraft's conversion to a taker configuration?

Superb photos by the way. Very very appreciated here.

Regards,

kev35

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 11,159

Thanks for the comments guys, much appreciated; out of interest I did a search on A.net for this airframe and there is a shot of her from 1974, considering her age she was in pristine condition and the boys and girls taking care of this old lady really take pride in what they do. Out of interest, does anyone know how old this aircraft realy is and is she an ex commercial jet?

All the best

Si

AFAIK, the majority of the RAF '10' fleet are ex BA and Gulf Air with some RAF originals in the fleet still ? As Kev has said, this one is RAF all the way and celebrating a whopping 41 years of service. You may have seen the special red tail markings applied to XV104 to celebrate 40 years of RAF VC-10 service (1966-2006)...?

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1125824/L/

And here is some interesting reading material re: the RAF fleet.

http://www.vc10.net/History/RAFVC10s.html

Member for

18 years 8 months

Posts: 4,721

Some off there Tristars are ex BA?

James

Member for

20 years 6 months

Posts: 732

don't ask me why civil aircraft don't do this,
Trident's did have rear facing seats,on the Tri3 there are only two rows rear facing,on the Tri 1 and Tri 2 all seats from door two to the overwing exits faced rearwards.:D By the way a good freind of mine is a training captain on the RAF VC-10 fleet he says the "best" ex airline Supers are the ex East African aircraft (they have lower hours) and were fitted with the cargo door as standard.He says the ex BA ones are not that good and are high houred!!:D
Here are some of his traning sortie pics,
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/andytownshend/VC10-1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/andytownshend/VC10-3.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v166/andytownshend/VC10-2.jpg
By the way he posts as VFB (Vickers fun bus ) on other forums.:D

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 7,536

ah excellent.. VC 10 has to be one of the most graceful birds ever.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 2,886

Cracking pics! Thanx for sharing them. The VC10 is attractive to be sure.........almost as much as the IL62!...but not quite;)

Member for

18 years 8 months

Posts: 4,721

By the way a good freind of mine is a training captain on the RAF VC-10 fleet he says the "best" ex airline Supers are the ex East African aircraft (they have lower hours) and were fitted with the cargo door as standard.He says the ex BA ones are not that good and are high houred!!:D

At least they are still going strong :D and are BAe Systems supporting the VC-10?

James

Member for

20 years 6 months

Posts: 732

and are BAe Systems supporting the VC-10?

They are indeed,if not the aircraft would be grounded.Bear in mind they will fly untill 2015,Says it all about a tough built British aircraft!:D

Member for

18 years 8 months

Posts: 4,721

They are indeed,if not the aircraft would be grounded.Bear in mind they will fly untill 2015,Says it all about a tough built British aircraft!:D

And the Longest Running British Built aircraft ever to fly or is it the Nimrod?

James