Description:

The Vulcan to the Sky trust is making an urgent appeal for anybody who can raise money to save the last flying Vulcan Bomber.  Residents of Biggin Hill and visitors to the Biggin Hill Air Fair, having seen the majestic plane fly will understand the cause.

The trust has only recently got the plane flying again and it was the main attraction at the Biggin Hill Air Fair in the summer of 2009.  There is now a real possibility that the trust could go into administration and the engineering staff that work on the Vulcan could be made redundant.  The only asset that the trust has to sell is the historic jet itself, meaning that it’s unlikely we will ever see a Vulcan fly again.

The aircraft was used extensively in the Cold War as a transporter plane, but the bomber, originally created in 1947, made its name during the Falklands War and helped Britain quickly establish air superiority over the Argentinean fleet.

After the bombers were retired from service, the trust purchased this particular Vulcan (XH558) from the RAF in 1992.  The trust displayed the Vulcan at a number of static displays until 2007 when their dream was realised and the Vulcan finally flew again, 14 years after its last flight.  This culminated in the return to the skies above Biggin Hill in 2007.

The trust, which has put all of its employees on one months notice, needs £600,000 in order to stay in business.  They need to raise £300,000 by the end of February in order to keep the plane in working order, then another £300,000 by the end of March.

The Trust is organising a number of activities

• An attempt to set a world record for the number of signatures on a birthday card for XH558
• A pledge system where individuals and companies can promise cash to the appeal if successful
• A ‘Survival Raffle’

This is on top of redesigning the web-site to feature a countdown timer to the deadline, a viral video e-mail to spread the message, a promotion pack to all members and advertising in regional newspapers.  Visit the website here to get involved