Former Royal Australian Air Force General
Dynamics F-111C A8-142 was unveiled as
a display airframe at RAAF Base Wagga
Wagga in New South Wales, on November
23.
It is one of 12 F-111s placed on display
around Australia following the nation’s
withdrawal of the type in December 2010.
The bomber is the latest addition to
the Wagga Wagga gate guard collection,which also includes a Canberra, Meteor F.8,
Mirage III and a CAC Winjeel.
The RAAF Wagga Wagga HeritageCentre, positioned at the base’s front gate,
also has an extensive collection highlighting
the station’s history. Phil BuckleyThe Vulcan to the Sky Trust (VTTS) has been
forced to put Vulcan B.2 XH558 into temporary
storage and has had to make staff redundant
in a bid to secure the bomber’s future.
The iconic aircraft has been housed in
Hangar 3 at Doncaster Sheffield Airport since
2011, but the lease has now expired on that
facility – on February 1 it was towed out and
put into Hangar 1, which, because it is a
customs bonded area, will sadly not be open
to the public. Its stablemates Canberra B.
WK163 and the Swift F.4 WK275 will join it
in storage. The airport is allowing the use of
Hangar 1 rent free until the end of April.
VTTS said in a January 18 press release:
“She [XH558] is facing an uncertain future, to
be towed out of her period hangar home... to
be placed in storage.”
The VTTS CEO Dr Robert Pleming said
in the same press release that: “Over the
past six months we have been working with
the airport on our plans to progress a superb
purpose-built hangar for XH558. While both
parties are con dent of a successful outcome,
the short-term challenge is that we must
vacate Hangar 3 as our lease has expired.
This creates a funding challenge because the
revenue-earning businesses vital for her care
must be temporarily suspended. We’ve had
to make some very tough decisions.” Those
decisions include cutting the team from 22
to just eight full-time staff. Dr Pleming and
Business Development Director MichaelTrotter will also be moving to part-time roles.
Dr Pleming said in a further VTTS press
release on February 1: “Since taking the
painful decision to dramatically cut our
expenditure, we have made good progress
in developing a plan to deliver our vision in a
new, purpose-built facility. This will provide a
visitor centre around our aircraft, engineering
facilities that will allow XH558 to taxi for
her supporters, and educational facilities to
inspire new generations with a passion for
engineering and aviation. It will be an open
facility, with aircraft being maintained and our
record-breaking Canberra, WK163, being
restored while visitors tour with expert guides.”
Steve Gill, Chief Executive at Doncaster
Sheffield Airport, who is backing the Trust’s
plans said: “Having the Vulcan based here is
a big part of our history and we want to see it
remain here long into the future. We continue
to work closely with the Trust on plans for
a new space to hold the Vulcan which will
allow visitors, and a possible site has been
identi ed. We remain committed to working
with the Trust to realise this next stage of the
Vulcan’s home at our airport.”
Dr Pleming recognises the importance
of the support offered by Gill and his
colleagues. “Our vision includes helping to
keep important heritage jets ying in a world
where they will inevitably require ever morerigorous maintenance, operational expertise
and of course, runways that are in rst class
condition and meticulously cleared of debris
that could damage irreplaceable engines,” he
explained. “Having the support of Doncaster
Sheffield Airport gives us con dence that we
have a home where all of this is possible into
the future and where other heritage jets will
be happy to visit to be enjoyed by XH558’s
supporters.”
To hibernate the existing operations and
make 14 staff redundant, re-home the vital
specialist tools, displays, period artefacts
and other key assets, and secure Vulcan
XH558 and Canberra WK163 in the new
storage location, is expected to cost around
£200,000. This is a one-off expense that will
allow restructuring to a much smaller, more
sustainable organisation with the opportunity
to build the new visitor centre and engineering
facilities. Half of this has been promised as
matched-funding by a group of philanthropists
so every pound donated will effectively be
doubled. Dr Pleming added: “The Trust needs
these funds urgently to survive. I encourage
everyone who shares this vision to please do
whatever they can to help today.”
The current plan is to move to another
hangar that is due to be built at the airport that
would enable public access and then move
into a permanent visitor centre assuming
sufficient grant and sponsorship funds can be
found.PRESERVATION
16 Aviation News incorporating Jets March 2017Vulcan XH558 Goes into Hibernation
Vulcan XH558 about to be pushed out of
Hangar 3. Vulcan to the Sky TrustAustralian
F-
on Display
F-111C A8-142 is a new addition at Wagga Wagga. Peter Watters via Phil Buckley16-18_preservation_newsDC.mf.indd 16 06/02/2017 15: