Royal Air Force suspends passenger operations with VC10

Steyr

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/01/19/337318/royal-air-force-suspends-passenger-operations-with-vc10.html

Aircraft

DATE:19/01/10
SOURCE:Flight International

Royal Air Force suspends passenger operations with VC10 fleet
By Craig Hoyle

The Royal Air Force has been required to halt passenger operations with its Vickers VC10 fleet, but says the step will have no effect on its ability to support an "airbridge" between the UK and Afghanistan.

"Carriage of passengers on RAF VC10s has been temporarily suspended," the service says, while confirming that the measure was introduced on 15 January.

Justification for the move has been attributed to "an ongoing review of the RAF's air transport and communications [aircraft] fleet", says the RAF. "There are some areas where further investigation must be done to ensure that our airworthiness arrangements are at least as effective as for civilian aviation," it adds.

The RAF is the only remaining operator of the Rolls-Royce Conway-engined VC10, and has a 15-strong fleet, according to Flightglobal's MiliCAS database. Flown by 101 Sqn, the type is based at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, with one aircraft positioned at Mount Pleasant air base on the Falkland Islands to support air defence operations using the Eurofighter Typhoon.

The oldest of the UK's VC10s was delivered in 1966 and operations are expected to continue until around 2015. The type will be gradually replaced by the Airbus A330-200-based Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft, under a 14-aircraft private finance initiative deal with the EADS UK-led AirTanker consortium.

The FSTA fleet will also be used to replace the RAF's Lockheed TriStar tankers and transports, including those now used to fly personnel between the UK and the Middle East and Afghanistan. The first two of the new aircraft are currently receiving modifications at Airbus Military's Getafe plant near Madrid. Deliveries should start by 2011.

UK operations in Afghanistan also currently rely heavily on the provision of commercial charter flights to the Middle East region.

kona

:(:(:(

I love those V planes.

Steyr

Absolutely, il be seeing those beasts at RIAT, brilliant noise and dirty dirty smoke out the exhaust, a proper aircraft:D

Dacian

Steyr wrote: »

Absolutely, il be seeing those beasts at RIAT, brilliant noise and dirty drity smoke out the exhaust, a proper aircraft:D

Jealous

Steyr

Dacian wrote: »

Jealous

Oh dont worry il bring back an unholy amount of pictures.:D

itsonlywords

Many a flight I took on them from Brize Norton to Akrotiri

Original Steyr

Hey fella's its me Steyr, using a new account until my old one can be sorted.

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/01/22/337527/uk-updates-guidance-on-vc10-passenger-flights.html

Defence
DATE:22/01/10
SOURCE:Flight International

UK updates guidance on VC10 passenger flights
By Craig Hoyle


The UK Ministry of Defence has clarified its position with regard to the restrictions imposed on some passenger operations with the Royal Air Force's Vickers VC10s, and says the type "remains safe to fly".
"Passengers are still being flown on VC10s on defence business, including pre-deployment exercises, such as to Kenya," the MoD says.
Updating an earlier statement in which it had said that all passenger-carrying activities with the almost 50-year-old type had been halted because of an ongoing airworthiness review, it now says: "We have temporarily stopped using VC10s for a small number of flights while we review the basis on which passengers fly on the aircraft in roles equivalent to commercial flights."


It adds: "The VC10 remains safe to fly, and continues to do so in support of operations over Afghanistan, with air-to-air refuelling of RAF URL="http://www.flightglobal.com/landingpage/panavia.html"][B][COLOR=#30256d]Panavia[/COLOR][/B][/URL Tornado GR4s and other coalition aircraft on request."