XH588, the Vulcan bomber

We had a piece of British military history fly over our neighbourhood yesterday afternoon:

It's Avro Vulcan XH558, The Spirit Of Great Britain, which is the sole remaining airworthy Vulcan bomber. The Vulcans were a delta wing strategic type of bomber and once comprised the backbone of the United Kingdom's airborne nuclear deterrent; they were in service from 1956 until 1984.

XH588 was once owned and operated by the Royal Air Force but Vulcan to the Sky Trust, a charity, now bears that responsibility. The charity relies on public donations to maintain XH588; if the charity does not secure enough funds, the aircraft will not receive the required maintenance to keep up with airworthiness standards.

XH588's purpose has evolved from being a nuclear weapon-carrying bomber to an air show and display craft. It now teaches history through its mere presence and it should remain a (mobile) museum, not end up in one. The aircraft circled the region for at least a couple of hours and should continue to roam the skies.

The above images can be expanded and zoomed in (opening a new tab for each image will allow zoom). Both were taken with my main camera from an upper floor window in our house. Sorry about the obstruction in the second image; that's part of the exterior mesh on the window in the way.