AIRCRAFT enthusiasts at Gloucestershire Airport, Staverton will be peering skywards on Saturday as the one remaining airworthy Avro Vulcan, XH558, carries out a fly past at the County’s Airport.

 

The delta-winged bomber is carrying out a Diamond Jubilee tour on Saturday, September 29, flying past locations relevant to the type’s development and service life.

Staverton’s connection to the iconic aircraft might not be immediately obvious; but with the Smiths Industries name, synonymous with Bishop’s Cleeve, still emblazoned on many of her instruments and Dowty stamped on her undercarriage and fuel system components, the link becomes clearer.

 

An approach to the airport’s main runway 27 would also take her close to GCHQ, where, at the height of her Cold War days, the secret, behind-the-scenes activities may well have played a role in her standing at readiness with nuclear weapons strapped aboard.

 

Final routing and timings are subject to confirmation and will also be subject to weather and serviceability on the day and the Vulcan To The Sky Trust, who operate the aircraft, will use their Twitter account to provide the latest updates.

 

Although the Vulcan will not be landing at Staverton, the Jet Age Museum will be opening up the cockpit of its own Vulcan exhibit at the Flying Shack from 10am for cockpit tours.

Airport head of operations, Darren Lewington said: - “We’re delighted that the Vulcan will be in our airspace. Staverton remains at the heart of the region’s aerospace industry, which has helped to create some of the world’s finest aircraft over the years.

 

"The iconic shape and ear splitting roar of her Olympus engines will certainly turn heads on Saturday. Hopefully, it won’t generate too many complaints!

"We’ll make sure we keep our Facebook and Twitter feeds up to date throughout the day with the very latest information.”