Did you ever know that you're my hero ?

[venta]

Why is it that some vehicles - usually the strange, or ugly ones - can occasionally inspire great affection ? The Routemaster, the Morris Minor, the Mini Cooper, the Gresley A4 Pacific[*]...

I am, in general, completely indifferent to aircraft. Sure, they're useful and all that, but they're functional beasts not likely to be loved for themselves.

Except... except for one, which I took to at a very early age. A friend of my parents flew one, and it was the only silhouette I could ever reliably recognise in the sky. I was sad the day they were decommissioned, and delighted to hear a few years ago that there was a project on to restore one.

Go, go, XH558!

[*] That's a steam loco, of which the most famous example is Mallard.

Comments

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

A friend of my parents flew one

When I read that I thought you meant as private transport. Then I saw the video and thought "WTF?! They had their own Vulcan?!".

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

My favourite plane is the Fokker DrI, which certainly fits the strange/ugly criteria! The Vulcan isn't really my era but is undeniably gorgeous and I can't wait to see it flying again.

[secondhand-rick.livejournal.com]

A friend of my parents flew one

I set fire to one once.

[elethiomel.livejournal.com]

Hurrah, glad to see one flying again! Wouldn't call it my favourite aircraft (that would probably have to be the A-10), but that said, Operation Black Buck One was rather special.

[edling.livejournal.com]

They are one of the better looking ones. Just read that because the cockpit had no rearward visibility they had built-in periscopes, which seems like a brilliantly English solution to the problem of finding out what's behind you...

[waistcoatmark.livejournal.com]

Not even the Concorde?

[eviltwinemma.livejournal.com]

Totally agree about the Morris Minor; the Morris Minor Traveller is the ultimate in rickety style. In terms of planes, I'll always have a soft spot for the Lancaster Bomber.