Entertainment Swindon

The Jet Age Museum in Gloucester welcomes back the Vulcan cockpit after the completion of its restoration at the end of 2024.

Volunteer and former Vulcan pilot Pete Branthwaite has shared some of his memories of this four engine bomber during his 10years of flying this icon of the skies.

Blue Steel:

The first was 83 Squadron in 1968 with the Blue Steel stand off missile at Scampton. Then the squadron was disbanded because of the Polaris ballistic missile submarines were taking over the nuclear deterrent so the second half of my co-pilots tour was on 50 Squadron at Waddington.

I was then made a captain and went to Cyprus on 35 Squadron in 1971. I was the only flying officer on the crew so asked the boss for early promotion. We did very well, so were chosen to go back to UK for the bombing competition, but I am not sure if other crews wanted to escape the sunshine.

Jaguar:

I returned to the UK in 1973 and did a ground tour on the SEPECAT Jaguar at Lossiemouth, then returned to Scampton on 617 Squadron in 1978 until April 1981. I still had the best bombing crew, winning three cups in the UK bombing competition in 1980 and beating every USAF B52 squadron in their Giant Voice competition.

Navigation:

In late spring 1968 we were flying a high level navigation exercise for the navigators. The route was Scampton to Dover and then Lands End, the Hebrides and back to Scampton.

It was a beautiful night, stars in the sky and from the top of climb we could see all the lights on the ground all the way to the south. As we turned west at Dover, all the lights stopped at Southampton in a line north to south.

Cornwall:

It was a solid bank of cloud up to about 35,000ft. Whats more there were flashes of lightning everywhere, every two or three seconds which showed towering columns of cloud. As we came closer, we realised they were much higher than we were.

We climbed to 47,000ft in a valley between two towering cloud bases which much have been over 50,000ft. It was the night that Cornwall and Devon were washed away. Afterwards I thought that if we had lost an engine our only way was downwards.

I wrote a song/poem about the adventure and used it in talks about the Cold War. It starts with two verses I wrote.

Rolling down the runway throttles open wide
See the mighty Vulcan sway from side to
side
We’re airborne again, were overweight, we
can’t stop now were we’re much to late
So we’ll carry on regardless for the Wing
Co’s AFC
Went to early briefing climbed into the kite
Opened up the throttles and roared into the
night
Leaving the runway far behind, it’s dark
outside but we don’t mind
‘Cos we’re pressing on regardless for the
Wg Co’s AFC
Sitting in the darkness looking down below
Watching all the city lights winking as we go
Now there’s only one sandwich left, I think
the Co has eaten the rest
But we’re pressing on regardless for the Wg
Co’s AFC
Flying on a navex one clear and starry night
Turned towards the West and saw a flash of
light
Then another and lots more, then we
realised what’s in store
But we’ll carry on regardless for the Wg Co’s
AFC
Lightning flashes filled the sky, perhaps
we‘d better fly quite high
Flashes left and flashes right, even some
above our height
Homes and bridges washed away, what a
way to end the day
And we’re pressing on regardless for the Wg
Co’s AFC

Descending to the airfield, maps are put away
It’s time for the pilots to have a little play
Round the circuit one more time then put this crate
down on a dime
And we’re pressing on regardless for the feeder* is
in sight.

Peter added “I was a pilot in the RAF for 35 years so I have a few stories to tell. I also have a copy of the RAF song book of the time but I don’t think it is suitable for today’s climate. I did fly now-preserved Vulcan XH558 but my favourite was XH538, my bombing competition aircraft in 1980.”

Vulcan Bomber

The massive “flying triangle” Avro Vulcan bomber was the third and longest serving member of Britainʼs trio of so-called V-bombers, along with the Vickers Valiant and Handley Page Victor.

The Vulcan was designed to carry nuclear weapons deep into enemy territory.

The type first flew in 1952. 136 Vulcans were built, serving in the Royal Air Force from 1956 to 1984. Although usually armed with nuclear weapons, Vulcans could also be used for conventional bombing, as shown in spectacular fashion when a lone Vulcan flew from the UK to bomb the main runway of the Falkland Islands following the Argentine invasion of 1982. A single airworthy Vulcan survives, XH558, restored to flying condition by the enthusiasts of the Vulcan to the Sky Trust.

Our cockpit is from a Vulcan B2, serial XM569, the actual aircraft in the picture above. It served in five different RAF Squadrons in the UK and in Malaysia and Oman. The Vulcanʼs undercarriage was made by Dowty here in Gloucestershire. The cockpit is pretty much complete and is one of our most popular exhibits, thanks to our open cockpit policy.

It is on loan to Jet Age from Gary Spoors. Ex Bentham, Staverton, Enstone, Cardiff, 44, Wadd Wing, 27, Cott Wing, 27. SOC 21.1.1983.

For more details about the amazing Jet Age Museum, click HERE.