The retirement of the Vickers VC-10 from active service has been brought forward, and this month is probably your last chance to see one in the air.
The Royal Air Force is the last operator of the type, which was originally developed as a pioneering airliner in the 1960s.
On Wednesday 28th August, ZA148 will be making its final flight, which is significantly sooner than announced. It will arrive at Newquay Airport for addition to the Classic Air Force fleet as an ‘active’ (but non-flying) exhibit.
The two remaining VC-10s at RAF Brize Norton will be flown to RAF Museum Cosford, and an aircraft museum in Newfoundland, Canada, in the near future.
One of the VC-10s that was recently flown to Bruntingthorpe Airfield will be kept active (but again, non-flying) as part of the Cold War Jets fleet there.
It’s a sad moment for British aviation. I was lucky enough to see the VC-10 in flight again when I was in London recently, as it took part in the Queen’s Birthday flypast. Sadly I never got to fly on one.
There are a number of VC-10s in museum collections now, including at Duxford and Brooklands in the UK, and Hermeskeil in Germany.
