The world’s last flying Vulcan bomber will make a farewell tour of the country this weekend – and Altrincham residents will not have to travel far to catch a glimpse.
The distinctive delta-winged jet, an icon of the Cold War, will spend hours flying around the country on Saturday and Sunday before it is finally grounded forever later this month.
The Avro Vulcan XH558, manufactured at Woodford Aerodrome near Stockport in the 1960s, has been touring UK airshows and displays after a long restoration project, but this year will mark its final flights.
It will fly a circuit across northern England and Scotland tomorrow and then another circuit around southern England and Wales on Sunday.
Saturday’s fly-past will pass over villages close to Altrincham including Lymm, Bucklow Hill, Mobberley and Wilmslow – see the local route below:
Exact timings haven’t been revealed, but after taking off from Robin Hood Airport in Doncaster, the plane is due to follow the path of the M62 past Boysnope Golf Club, Irlam and Cadishead before turning close to Lymm Golf Club and flying down through Bucklow Hill and Mobberley for a 3.05pm arrival adjacent to Manchester Airport.
From there, the Vulcan is due to roughly follow the route of the A5102 to Woodford Aerodrome, its spiritual home, for 3.10pm. The route from there will take XH558 back past Alderley Edge on a flight path to Ellesmere before it flies on to Shrewsbury.
Named the ‘Spirit of Britain’, the Vulcan thrilled thousands with a Greater Manchester flypast in June to mark Armed Forces Day.
