Challenge to keep the last Vulcan flying

A father and son are aiming to drive more than 880 miles across the UK in 24 hours to raise money for the world’s last flying Vulcan aeroplane built in Chadderton.

Steve Lowe and his father Robert will be driving around the country on Sunday visiting the 15 remaining Vulcan aircrafts in the country, 14 of which are grounded.

The 24–hour ‘Vulcan Scramble’ aims to raise money for the Vulcan to the Sky Trust (VTST), which needs to secure £1 million by March 6 to see the Vulcan aeroplane XH558 fly again.

A cold–war icon, developed in the 1950s to carry nuclear bombs, the Vulcan aircraft saw its only active service during the Falklands conflict. Vulcan XH558, built in 1960, is now the only flying Vulcan in the world.

It was restored in 1997 at a cost of £7 million, but has now run out of funding and is under threat of becoming grounded forever.

Steve Lowe said: “We hope to raise awareness of the plight of the Vulcan aeroplane XH558 and collect money so it can fly in the 2009 season.

“There are a lot of people who love the Vulcan and who are passionate about it.”

Starting on the stroke of midnight at East Fortune, near Edinburgh, the Vulcan route takes them to Sunderland, Carlisle, Woodford near Manchester, RAF Cosford near Wolverhampton and Wellesbourne near Warwick.

They hope to arrive at Coventry at 10.20am, followed by Bruntingthorpe, East Midlands Airport, Newark, RAF Waddington near Lincoln, Norwich, Duxford near Cambridge, Hendon in North London and arrive at Southend just before midnight.

Mr Lowe said: “It’s not a race, it’s a challenge to raise awareness and funding. I believe it’s achievable – barring traffic and issues beyond our control.”

Club members will be at all locations collecting pledges and talking with the public on the day, while ‘Scramble HQ’ will be tracking the team and updating a special website.

To date, the Trust has raised nearly £500,000, and hope to raise the rest through the ‘Vulcan Scramble’ and the ‘Vulcan Pledgathon’, which is taking place on Saturday, February 28 and Sunday, March 1.

For the Pledgathon, Vulcan to the Sky club members will engage the public outside their local DIY stores and supermarkets, collecting pledges to make sure the Vulcan XH558 is not grounded forever.


To pledge money for the Vulcan, go to www.vulcantothesky.org or phone the office on 0116 247 8145.